Giving Gini direction: An asymmetry metric for economic disadvantage

Roger J. Bowden

Economics Letters, 2016, vol. 138, issue C, 96-99

Abstract: A high Gini coefficient could signal either dispersion or else skewness, often of more social concern. Supplementary metrics such as the Atkinson index diagnose the asymmetry with preassigned parameters that reflect user social values. An alternative is proposed that reflects redistribution aspirations as they might be seen by the subjects themselves. The resulting v-metric has a dollar redistribution dimension. The metric, essentially a form of double averaging, can be simplified in terms of means of the left and right entropic distribution shifts, with the partition entropy reflecting implied partition into incomes above or incomes below.

Keywords: Gini coefficient; Income distribution; Partition entropy; Entropic shifts; v-metric (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C1 D31 D63 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:138:y:2016:i:c:p:96-99

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2015.11.037

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