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The making of inequality.Capital, labour and the distribution of income

Maurizio Franzini and Mario Pianta

No 1507, Working Papers from University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini

Abstract: Inequality is a major problem of today?s capitalism. The rise of disparities in income and wealth has been documented by many studies, and this paper provides a concise and updated documentation of facts and trends in advanced countries, contributing to an interpretation of the sources and dynamics of inequality. First, the evolution of relations between capital and labour is investigated, providing empirical evidence on the distribution of income between profits and wages. Second, the market processes that shape disparities of income ? of individuals and households, before and after taxes, redistribution and public services ? are addressed, showing the complexity of current trends. Third, disparities in wealth are examined, showing a much starker picture than that resulting from income inequality. The explanation of these developments points to four ?engines of inequality? ? the power of capital over labour, the rise of ?oligarchs capitalism?, the individualisation of economic conditions, the retreat of politics ? that are at the source of today?s inequalities. A full analysis of the dynamics of inequality, an interpretation of its mechanisms and a set of policy proposals to reverse it are developed in our book ?Explaining inequality? (Franzini and Pianta, 2015).

Keywords: Inequality; Income distribution; Profits; Wages (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D31 D33 E24 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2015, Revised 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eec, nep-hme, nep-hpe and nep-mac
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