The endangered middle class? A comparative analysis of the role played by income redistribution

被引:34
作者
Dallinger, Ursula [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Trier, D-54286 Trier, Germany
关键词
comparative political economy; income inequality; middle class; public redistribution; welfare state; OECD COUNTRIES; INEQUALITY; POLARIZATION; POVERTY; GLOBALIZATION; RISK;
D O I
10.1177/0958928712456573
中图分类号
C93 [管理学]; D035 [国家行政管理]; D523 [行政管理]; D63 [国家行政管理];
学科分类号
12 ; 1201 ; 1202 ; 120202 ; 1204 ; 120401 ;
摘要
Contributing to the debate on the decline of the middle class, this article provides a comparative and longitudinal analysis of changes to the relative position of middle income groups in 19 (post)industrial countries between 1985 and 2005. How much did the income position of the middle worsen compared with more vulnerable groups? To what extent did public policies mitigate the market position of different income groups? The analysis is based on microdata of the Luxembourg Income Study. It divides the broad category of 'middle class' into three groups. Results suggest little change in the income position of the middle classes with respect to both market and disposable incomes. In most countries market incomes in the top quintile increased remarkably while the bottom quintile group lost out. The scale of government income redistribution has improved the position of the lowest income group, while burdening the highest income group. But it failed to fully compensate for the growing gap between the top and bottom income groups. The distance between the middle and the top incomes grew significantly, which might be one reason for the current public debate about an endangered middle class.
引用
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页码:83 / 101
页数:19
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