Tag Archives: fairness

An instinct for fairness?

Posted on February 9, 2014 by

I’m just now getting around to reading Joseph Stiglitz’s book from last year The Price of Inequality. There’s lots of interesting stuff in there, some of which I may end up talking about here on the blog. But as I was … Continue reading →

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Learning About Inequality Increases Concern, But Not Necessarily Support for Redistribution

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

A puzzle: income inequality between the top 1% and the rest has surged in the last few years, yet support for redistribution among the general public has actually declined (see figure below). Do people not care about inequality, or do … Continue reading →

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A More Perfect Union: What do New Yorkers owe Texans?

Posted on July 11, 2012 by

In the United States, the federal government and the fifty states split the check for many social assistance programs. Within this partnership, considerable discretion is given to each state in defining eligibility for cash welfare, public health insurance, workforce development, … Continue reading →

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Harshness or stability in attitudes to redistribution?

Posted on July 3, 2012 by

In the previous post from Charlotte Cavaille based on the Attitudes to Wealth and Economic Inequality in the UK event run by Cumberland Lodge, she examined how the “middle” had faired during a time of continuous increase in the income gap between the bottom and … Continue reading →

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The ‘nothing for something’ benefits system

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

Some phrases just stick.  While British politicians often bemoan the ‘something for nothing’ culture in the benefits system, somehow the other side of this has been missed.  Yet there are people who contribute to the welfare state for decades, and … Continue reading →

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The hidden costs of disability

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

How much does a disability cost you? Let’s take the example that (slightly too easily) comes to mind for most people: a disability that means you need a wheelchair to get around – how much of a dent in your … Continue reading →

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Is Economic Fairness a Winning Message in 2012?

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

In the 2012 reelection campaign, President Obama is defining himself in terms of economic fairness. The word “fair” was used nine times in the State of the Union Address, and symbols of economic inequality were on full display (including Warren … Continue reading →

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Straight Talk on Economic Mobility

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

Americans may be skeptical of some large welfare state programs, but a widely shared conviction is that children that are born to poor parents should have the chance to move upward. That’s why it was good to hear President Obama … Continue reading →

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The deservingness of benefit claimants (I)

Posted on November 23, 2011 by

This is the first of three linked posts on the ‘deservingness of benefit claimants’. In this post, I explain the title, speak about the BBC programme that prompted the posts, and suggest why the British public massively overestimate the levels … Continue reading →

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There’s More to Poverty than the Cost of Living

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

This is the second post in a series of three focused on the measurement of U.S. poverty As I described in my last post, virtually nobody is very happy with the official poverty measure in the United States. Commentators on … Continue reading →

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