The significance of distributive effects in social assessment of health care

In this paper we address the importance of distributive effects in the social valuation of QALY's. We propose a social welfarefunction that generalises the functions traditionally used in the health economic literature. The novelty is that, depending on the individual health gains, our function can representeither preferences for concentrating or preferences for spreading total gain or both together, an issue which has notbeen addressed until now. Based on an experiment, we observe that this generalisation provides a suitable approximation tothe sampled social preferences.

Distributive effects during the expansionary phase in Argentina (2002-2007)

Includes bibliography

Distributive effects of Brazilian structural reforms

Includes bibliography

The Proposals for a European tax on CO2 and their implications for intercountry distribution

This paper analyzes the advantages and implications of the implementation of a European tax on carbon dioxide emissions as an own resource of the European Union. In contrast to a harmonized tax, which would only have distributive effects within each member state, a tax collected at European scale would also have important distributive effects among different countries. These effects would also depend on the use of tax revenues. The paper investigates the distributive effects among the member states of three tax models: a pure CO2

Ajustes y reformas económicas en los países andinos: entre el optimismo y la desesperanza (Coyuntura)

El autor describe las reformas económicas emprendidas por los países andinos desde la década del noventa. Este análisis se acompaña de una evaluación de los resultados obtenidos, sus efectos redistributivos, su impacto en la estructura social y el contexto internacional en que se desenvolvieron. El artículo concluye con una perspectiva crítica del Consenso de Washington, y alerta sobre la necesidad urgente de que los países del área realicen reformas dirigidas a mejorar el sistema educativo, la distribución del ingreso, el empleo y el acceso a oportunidades.

Trade, poverty and complementary policies in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Trade, investment and fragmentation of the global market: is Latin America lagging behind?

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Can growth and equity go hand in hand?

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Occupational mobility and income differentials: The experience of Brazil between 2002 and 2010

Since the start of the twenty-first century, the Brazilian economy has experienced a growth cycle with characteristics unlike those of its previous historical experience, combining growth, macroeconomic stability and distributive progress. In this context, the study aims to analyse the factors and distributive effects of occupational mobility in Brazil, based on data obtained from the Monthly Employment Survey. The results suggest that: (i) mobility has been used in Brazil as a way to raise wages, even when it involves a drop in socio-occupational status; (ii) nonetheless, the wage increase obtained by changing job or occupational segment is smaller for poorer workers than for wealthier ones; and (iii) consequently, mobility helps to increase income, but it also tends to widen wage gaps.

Merging the hypothetical extraction method and the classical multiplier approach: a hybrid possibility for identifying key distributive sectors

The two main alternative methods used to identify key sectors within the input-output approach, the Classical Multiplier method (CMM) and the Hypothetical Extraction method (HEM), are formally and empirically compared in this paper. Our findings indicate that the main distinction between the two approaches stems from the role of the internal effects. These internal effects are quantified under the CMM while under the HEM only external impacts are considered. In our comparison, we find, however that CMM backward measures are more influenced by within-block effects than the proposed forward indices under this approach. The conclusions of this comparison allow us to develop a hybrid proposal that combines these two existing approaches. This hybrid model has the advantage of making it possible to distinguish and disaggregate external effects from those that a purely internal. This proposal has also an additional interest in terms of policy implications. Indeed, the hybrid approach may provide useful information for the design of ''second best'' stimulus policies that aim at a more balanced perspective between overall economy-wide impacts and their sectoral distribution.

International Equity on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and World Levels: an integrated analysis through distributive welfare indices

Up until now, analyses of the international distribution of pollutant emissions have not paid sufficient attention to the implications that, in terms of social welfare, the combined evolution of the global world average entails. In this context, this paper proposes the use of environmental welfare indices, taken and adapted from the literature on social welfare and inequality, in order to make a comprehensive examination of the international equity factor and the mean factor in this field. The proposed methodology is implemented empirically in order to explore the evolution in distributive-based environmental welfare on a global level for the three main pollutants with greenhouse gas effects: CO2, CH4 and NO, both globally and for selected years during the period of 1990- 2005. The main results found are as follows: firstly, typically, the environmental welfare associated with the overall greenhouse gases decreased significantly over the period, due primarily to the role of CO2; secondly, in contrast, the global welfare associated with CH4 and NO improved; and thirdly, typically, the evolutions can be attributed to a greater extent to the mean component than to the distributive component, although there are exceptions. These results would seem to be relevant in policy terms. JEL codes: D39; Q43; Q56. Keywords: environmental welfare: greenhouse gases; environmental equity.

Feasible multilateralism and the effects of regionalism

Recent research has underlined the efficiency of the GATT/WTO rules from the standpoint of politically motivated governments, emphasizing that the current multilateral rules are capable of delivering a politically efficient equilibrium. Such an equilibrium is, however, economically inef- ficient. Global free trade, in particular, is generally unattainable even in a fully cooperative world, provided that governments have distributive motivations. In such a context, we show that regional trade agreements can help move the world towards a welfare superior equilibrium. The reason is that, as members of regional trade agreements lower trade barriers against one another, they are induced to reduce their multilateral tariffs as well. Once we account for these endogenous changes–and only then–we find that regionalism can raise world welfare even in a fully cooperative (but political) world. We also find, however, that members are likely to gain "too much" from regional integration, thereby harming outsiders.

Distributive impact of public policy

Includes bibliography