Inequality, Redistribution and Recession

The British Experience, 1976-1982

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2113129
AutoresMichael O''Higgin, Michael O’higgins (autor de correspondencia), Michael O'Higgins
Año1985
Volumen14
Número3
Páginas279-307
Fecha de publicación1985-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Social Policy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0047-2794 • E-ISSN: 1469-7823
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0047279400014744
OpenAlexW2117025648
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas14
Referencias citadas7

The combination of economic recession and political reaction - which might be expected to lead to an increase in inequality - has been accompanied in the United Kingdom by an intellectual critique of the egalitarian impact of social welfare provision. This paper examines the pattern and trend of inequality and redistribution in recent years in the light of these economic, political and intellectual pressures. The paper demonstrates that inequality has increased since 1976 and that the increase has been more marked since 1979. The main factor causing this increase was the less equal distribution of market incomes, a major effect of the recession. Tax changes were a secondary factor, whilst changes in social benefit programmes had little effect. While social spending did not bring about greater overall equality, it combated and significantly modified the pressures towards greater inequality. The impact of recession is particularly apparent in the changing composition of the bottom of the income distribution: the elderly are being replaced by the unemployed as the inhabitants of the lowest levels of economic welfare

Demographic economics · Development economics · Distribution (mathematics) · Economic inequality · Economics · Income distribution · Inequality · Labour economics · Macroeconomics · Market economy · Political science · Politics · Recession · Redistribution (election) · Redistribution of income and wealth · Unemployment · Welfare · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Social Issues and Policies · Social Policy and Reform Studies