Size and distribution trade-offs for the leximin ordering

Bart Capéau

ULB Institutional Repository from ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles

Abstract: A relative invariant and an absolute invariant inequality ordering satisfying extreme bottom-sensitivity, are proposed. It is shown that the leximin social welfare ordering can be expressed in terms of a ranking of distributions on the sole basis of their size, measured by the mean, and the degree of inequality, measured according to these inequality concepts. Leximin thus exhibits extreme bottom-sensitivity. This property does not withstand that leximin prefers a larger size of the cake at the cost of higher inequality in a number of cases. These trade-offs between size and equality are characterised in terms of degrees of dominance of the lower parts of the ordinary and absolute Lorenz curves that are accepted by leximin for a given increase in the mean.

Keywords: Extreme; bottom-sensitivity; Inequality; ordering; Leximin; Lorenz; curves; Social; welfare; ordering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D60 D63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-02-28
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Published in: The Journal of Economic Inequality (2012) v.11 n° 2,p.237-248

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Journal Article: Size and distribution trade-offs for the leximin ordering (2013)
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