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Redistribution through a "Leaky Bucket". What explains the Leakages?

Author

Listed:
  • Fabio Padovano

    (CREM-CNRS and Centre Condorcet for Political Economy, University of Rennes 1, France and DIPES, Università Roma Tre, Italy)

  • Gilberto Turati

    (Department of Economics and Statistics University of Torino, Italy)

Abstract
This paper empirically examines to what extent political factors explain different performances in income redistribution in countries that vary in terms of size of the public sector, tax systems, political institutions and governance. In line with the theory, we use the difference in the ex ante and ex post Gini indices of income inequality as the measure of the degree of redistribution achieved. The estimates show that, holding the share of public spending on GDP constant, parliamentary systems and democracies achieve greater redistribution, while electoral district size, government cohesion, union influence and perceived corruption reduce redistribution. The disaggregation of spending items reveals that while transfers and interest payments do not influence redistribution, provision of public services, mainly health and education do, but the number of bureaucrats involved in such provisions has a negative impact. Within revenues, taxes on income redistribute more than other forms of levies.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabio Padovano & Gilberto Turati, 2012. "Redistribution through a "Leaky Bucket". What explains the Leakages?," Economics Working Paper from Condorcet Center for political Economy at CREM-CNRS 2012-03-ccr, Condorcet Center for political Economy.
    • Handle: RePEc:tut:cccrwp:2012-03-ccr
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Suárez-Varela, Marta & Martínez-Espiñeira, Roberto & González-Gómez, Francisco, 2015. "An analysis of the price escalation of non-linear water tariffs for domestic uses in Spain," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 82-93.
    3. Benoît LE MAUX & Kristýna DOSTÁLOVÁ & Fabio PADOVANO, 2017. "Ideology and Public Policies: A Quasi-Experimental Test of the Hypothesis that Left-Wing Governments Spend More," Economics Working Paper from Condorcet Center for political Economy at CREM-CNRS 2017-01-ccr, Condorcet Center for political Economy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    redistribution; political determinants; empirical analysis; ex ante and ex post Gini coefficients;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government

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