Showing papers by "Peter H. Lindert published in 2007"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compare the maximum feasible inequality (or surplus) that could have been extracted by the elite with the actual inequality, rather than simply offering measures of actual inequality; they apply two new concepts in making those assessments - what the authors call the inequality possibility frontier and the inequality extraction ratio.
Abstract: Is inequality largely the result of the Industrial Revolution? Or, were pre-industrial incomes and life expectancies as unequal as they are today? For want of sufficient data, these questions have not yet been answered. This paper infers inequality for 14 ancient, pre-industrial societies using what are known as social tables, stretching from the Roman Empire 14 AD, to Byzantium in 1000, to England in 1688, to Nueva Espana around 1790, to China in 1880 and to British India in 1947. It applies two new concepts in making those assessments - what the authors call the inequality possibility frontier and the inequality extraction ratio. Rather than simply offering measures of actual inequality, the authors compare the latter with the maximum feasible inequality (or surplus) that could have been extracted by the elite. The results, especially when compared with modern poor countries, give new insights in to the connection between inequality and economic development in the very long run.
170 citations
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TL;DR: The authors infers inequality for 14 ancient, pre-industrial societies using what are known as social tables, stretching from the Roman Empire 14 AD, to Byzantium in 1000, to England in 1688, to Nueva Espana around 1790, to China in 1880 and to British India in 1947.
Abstract: Is inequality largely the result of the Industrial Revolution? Or, were pre-industrial incomes and life expectancies as unequal as they are today? For want of sufficient data, these questions have not yet been answered This paper infers inequality for 14 ancient, pre-industrial societies using what are known as social tables, stretching from the Roman Empire 14 AD, to Byzantium in 1000, to England in 1688, to Nueva Espana around 1790, to China in 1880 and to British India in 1947 It applies two new concepts in making those assessments -- what we call the inequality possibility frontier and the inequality extraction ratio Rather than simply offering measures of actual inequality, we compare the latter with the maximum feasible inequality (or surplus) that could have been extracted by the elite The results, especially when compared with modern poor countries, give new insights in to the connection between inequality and economic development in the very long run
44 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explain why school enrollments in the Northern United States were higher than those in the South and in most of Europe by 1850 and explain why the northern states had higher real incomes, cheaper teachers, and greater local tax support.
Abstract: Three factors help to explain why school enrollments in the Northern United States were higher than those in the South and in most of Europe by 1850 One was affordability: the northern states had higher real incomes, cheaper teachers, and greater local tax support The second was the greater autonomy of local governments The third was the greater diffusion of voting power among the citizenry in much of the North, especially in rural communities The distribution of local political voice appears to be a robust predictor of tax support and enrollments, both within and between regions
29 citations
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TL;DR: This article found that the distribution of local political voice appears to be a robust predictor of tax support and enrollments, both within and between regions, in the US and Europe by 1850.
Abstract: Three factors help to explain why school enrollments in the Northern United States were higher than those in the South and in most of Europe by 1850. One was affordability: the northern states had higher real incomes, cheaper teachers, and greater local tax support. The second was the greater autonomy of local governments. The third was the greater diffusion of voting power among the citizenry in much of the North, especially in rural communities. The distribution of local political voice appears to be a robust predictor of tax support and enrollments, both within and between regions.
12 citations
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8 citations
TL;DR: Lindert as mentioned in this paper proposes an analysis of the depenses publiques de redistribution in a large eventail de pays au cours des trois derniers siecles, in which the goal is to rendre compte de l'histoire des politiques sociales, du rythme de leur developpement, de leurs variations d'un pays a l'autre and des effets qu'elles ont eus.
Abstract: Dans un livre marquant - Growing public - Peter Lindert propose d'analyser les depenses publiques de redistribution en examinant l'economie politique des mesures prises dans un large eventail de pays au cours des trois derniers siecles L'ambition est de rendre compte de l'histoire des politiques sociales, du rythme de leur developpement, de leurs variations d'un pays a l'autre et des effets qu'elles ont eus Par l'eclairage nouveau qu'il apporte sur l'histoire de cet ensemble de transferts - des depenses d'assistance aux pauvres ou d'education jusqu'aux formes actuelles de securite sociale -, le livre appelle au debat Comme l'auteur a construit son enquete sur un modele dont il degage les elements a partir de l'examen minutieux des experiences divergentes des pays d'Europe de l'ouest depuis le XVIII e siecle, une facon de mettre a l'epreuve sa demarche consiste a se demander si ses conclusions sont tributaires des limites spatiales et temporelles qu'il a retenues C'est ce que tentent ici R Bin Wong et Gilles Postel-Vinay L'un deplace l'analyse vers d'autres espaces - en l'occurrence la Chine - l'autre revient sur les experiences europeennes soit en les situant dans une duree plus longue soit en faisant varier l'echelle de l'analyse pour se situer au niveau le plus decentralise auquel sont prises les decisions Peter Lindert repond a l'un et l'autre