The Evolution of Ideology, Fairness and Redistribution

Alberto Alesina, Guido Cozzi and Noemi Mantovan

No 2012_05, Department of Economics Working Papers from Durham University, Department of Economics

Abstract: Ideas about what is "fair" influence preferences for redistribution. We study the dynamic evolution of different economies in which redistributive policies, perception of fairness, inequality and growth are jointly determined. We show how including beliefs about fairness can keep two otherwise identical countries in di¤erent development paths for a very long time. We show how different initial conditions regarding how "fair" is the same level of inequality can lead to two permanently different steady states. We also explore how bequest taxation can be an efficient way of redistributing wealth to correct "unfair" past accumulation of inequality

Keywords: Endogenous Growth; Basic and Applied R&D; Endogenous Technological Change; Common Law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-04-20
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo, nep-fdg and nep-ltv
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Related works:
Journal Article: The Evolution of Ideology, Fairness and Redistribution (2012)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Ideology, Fairness and Redistribution (2009)
Working Paper: The evolution of ideology, fairness and redistribution (2009)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Ideology, Fairness and Redistribution (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dur:durham:2012_05

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