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Don’t Let the Data Fool You — Consumption Inequality Mirrors Income Inequality Over Time
Several important studies have shown an apparent paradox: even as income inequality has taken off over the last thirty years, differences in consumption between the rich and poor have changed slightly or not at all. Focusing on the bottom of the distribution, Bruce Meyer and James Sullivan (2009) actually conclude that consumption poverty has declined…
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Most American Households Have Tight Budgets
Congressional Republicans who favor raising taxes on the rich to reduce the deficit are harder to find these days than salad at a state fair. One argument that is commonly made is that we cannot expect the rich to pay more until the more than half of all Americans that do not pay any income…