On the axiomatization of the weakly decomposable inequality indices

Pauline Mornet ()

Mathematical Social Sciences, 2016, vol. 83, issue C, 71-78

Abstract: In this paper, we focus on a decomposition property recently introduced in the inequality literature and known as the weak decomposition. Such a property provides interesting analyses by allowing one to separate the within-group contribution to total inequality from the between-group contribution. A limitation of the current method of decomposition is that, depending on the structure–absolute, relative, compromise–of the inequality index, specific weights have to be used. To avoid such a problem, we propose a unique decomposition property where the weighting functions depend on the size of the population and the mean income. This allows us to characterize a large family of weakly decomposable inequality indices without any recourse to implicit invariance value judgments.

Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:matsoc:v:83:y:2016:i:c:p:71-78

DOI: 10.1016/j.mathsocsci.2016.07.004

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