Search results for "D63"

The measurement of rank mobility

2009

Abstract In this paper we investigate the problem of measuring social mobility when the social status of individuals is given by their rank. In order to sensibly represent the rank mobility of subgroups within a given society, we address the problem in terms of partial permutation matrices which include standard (“global”) matrices as a special case. We first provide a characterization of a partial ordering on partial matrices which, in the standard case of global matrices, coincides with the well-known “concordance” ordering. We then provide a characterization of an index of rank mobility based on partial matrices and show that, in the standard case of comparing global matrices, it is equi…

How does fiscal consolidation impact on income inequality?

2012

In this paper, we assess the impact of fiscal consolidation on income inequality. Using a panel of 18 industrialized countries from 1978 to 2009, we find that income inequality significantly rises during periods of fiscal consolidation. In addition, while fiscal policy that is driven by spending cuts seems to be detrimental for income distribution, tax hikes seem to have an equalizing effect. We also show that the size of the fiscal consolidation program (in percentage of GDP) has an impact on income inequality. In particular, when consolidation plans represent a small share of GDP, the income gap widens, suggesting that the burden associated with the effort affects disproportionately house…

Strategic sharing of a costly network

2012

We study minimum cost spanning tree problems for a set of users connected to a source. Prim’s algorithm provides a way of finding the minimum cost tree mm. This has led to several definitions in the literature, regarding how to distribute the cost. These rules propose different cost allocations, which can be understood as compensations and/or payments between players, with respect to the status quo point: each user pays for the connection she uses to be linked to the source. In this paper we analyze the rationale behind a distribution of the minimum cost by defining an a priori transfer structure. Our first result states the existence of a transfer structure such that no user is willing to …

The Consistency of Fairness Rules: An Experimental Study

2010

In the last two decades, experimental papers on distributive justice have abounded. Two main results have been replicated. Firstly, there is a multiplicity of fairness rules. Secondly, fairness decisions differ depending on the context. This paper studies individual consistency in the use of fairness rules, as well as the structural factors that lead people to be inconsistent. We use a within-subject design, which allows us to compare individual behavior when the context changes. In line with the literature, we find a multiplicity of fairness rules. However, when we control for consistency, the set of fairness rules is considerably smaller. Only selfishness and strict egalitarianism seem to…

Characterization of a novel population of low-density granulocytes associated with disease severity in HIV-1 infection

2012

The mechanisms resulting in progressive immune dysfunction during the chronic phase of HIV infection are not fully understood. We have previously shown that arginase, an enzyme with potent immunosuppressive properties, is increased in HIV seropositive (HIV+) patients with low CD4(+) T cell counts. Here we show that the cells expressing arginase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV+ patients are low-density granulocytes (LDGs) and that whereas these cells have a similar morphology to normal-density granulocyte, they are phenotypically different. Importantly, our results reveal that increased frequencies of LDGs correlate with disease severity in HIV+ patients.

Le paradoxe du seuil de pauvreté endogène dans les indices de pauvreté

2007

Justice et inégalités: un amendement à la théorie de John Rawls

1992

National audience; On se demande si les principes de justice de Rawls ne sont pas exagérément inégalitaires, malgré leur côté "juste". On examine donc ce qu'il advient de l'optimum de Rawls, le maximin, quand de l'aversion pour l'inégalité" apparaît. Le maximin consiste à se placer sur un certain point de la courbe d'efficience, en admettant une certaine dose d'inégalité, pourvu que l'on donne le maximum possible aux plus défavorisés. On tient compte d'externalités en reprenant la notion d'envie sous la forme d'une aversion pour l'inégalité, essentiellement de la part des plus défavorisés. On ne peut plus raisonner sur la courbe frontière des rémunérations possibles et on démontre la validi…

National fiscal consolidations and regional inequality in Europe

2016

Using annual data for 13 European countries over the period 1980-2008, we assess the impact of national fiscal consolidations on the income inequality of European regions. Regional dispersion increases in the outcome of consolidation episodes, particularly, when packages are more severe and implemented through spending cuts rather than tax rises. From a policy perspective, these findings suggest that fiscal consolidations driven by reductions in government spending can exacerbate regional disparities and may ultimately counteract the European policy efforts to promote territorial cohesion. Our results are robust to alternative inequality measures, the occurrence of crisis episodes and the e…

Cooperation and cultural transmission in a coordination game

2009

Abstract The aim of this paper is to analyze if cooperation can be the product of cultural evolution in a two-stage coordination game, consisting of a production stage followed by a negotiation phase. We present an overlapping generations model with cultural transmission of preferences where the distribution of preferences in the population and the strategies are determined endogenously and simultaneously. There are several groups in the society; some of them play cooperatively and others do not. Socialization takes place inside the group, but there is a positive rate of migration among groups which parents anticipate. Our main result shows that all groups converge to the cooperative equili…

The relevance of the French rural policy by the yardstick of the theories of justice

2010

The relevance of the French rural policy by the yardstick of the theories of justice How to evaluate the relevance of the French rural policy ? When the question is to what extent the objectives of the policy are reached owing to public interventions, the method is relatively well known. However, when the question is to what extent these objectives are relevant, an important problem is faced : the referential of this evaluation is indefinite. In this article, we propose to define this referential on the basis of moral and political philosophy : The objectives are relevant if they are derived from a conception of justice that is itself relevant. From this viewpoint, the relevance of the curr…