Reducing Inequality in Latin America

Reducing Inequality in Latin America

Author: María Fernanda Valdés Valencia

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1317069730

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This book examines the role of tax policy in the incidence of socio-economic inequality. With a focus on Latin American, the author demonstrates that while inequality has decreased remarkably in the last decade – during the very period in which inequality was increasing almost everywhere else in the world – this reduction cannot be attributed to a better use of tax policy. Offering both quantitative and qualitative reviews of tax policies pursued by Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru over the last two decades, Reducing Inequality in Latin America contends that these countries continue to make insufficient use taxation measures in combating startlingly high levels of inequality. Drawing on legal texts, interviews with researchers and experts in the field, and official monetary statistics to obtain a complete picture of how discretionary tax policy has been pursued in the region, this volume engages with a range of recent economic theories to argue for the importance of using the tax system to reduce inequalities, whilst also offering new methods for measuring tax policy in subsequent research. As such, it will appeal both to scholars of social science and policy makers with interests in economics, social inequality, public policy and international political economy.


The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America

The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America

Author: Gustavo Flores-Macias

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-06-27

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 1108474578

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Offers a comprehensive, region-wide analysis of the politics of taxation in Latin America to make reforms politically palatable and sustainable.


Fiscal Redistribution and Income Inequality in Latin America

Fiscal Redistribution and Income Inequality in Latin America

Author: Edwin Goni

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 31

ISBN-13:

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Abstract: Income inequality in Latin America ranks among the highest in the world. It can be traced back to the unequal distribution of assets (especially land and education) in the region. But the extent to which asset inequality translates into income inequality depends on the redistributive capacity of the state. This paper documents the performance of Latin American fiscal systems from the perspective of income redistribution using newly-available information on the incidence of taxes and transfers across the region. The findings indicate that: (i) the differences in income inequality before taxes and transfers between Latin America and Western Europe are much more modest than those after taxes and transfers; (ii) the key reason is that, in contrast with industrial countries, in most Latin American countries the fiscal system is of little help in reducing income inequality; and (iii) in countries where fiscal redistribution is significant, it is achieved mostly through transfers rather than taxes. These facts stress the need for fiscal reforms across the region to further the goal of social equity. However, different countries need to place different relative emphasis on raising tax collection, restructuring the tax system, and improving the targeting of expenditures.


Private Wealth and Public Revenue

Private Wealth and Public Revenue

Author: Tasha Fairfield

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2015-03-05

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 1107088372

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This book identifies sources of power that help business and economic elites influence policy decisions.


The Costs of Inequality in Latin America

The Costs of Inequality in Latin America

Author: Diego Sánchez-Ancochea

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-12-10

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1838606254

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From the United States to the United Kingdom and from China to India, growing inequality has led to social discontent and the emergence of populist parties, also contributing to economic crises. We urgently need a better understanding of the roots and costs of these income gaps. The Costs of Inequality draws on the experience of Latin America, one of the most unequal regions of the world, to demonstrate how inequality has hampered economic growth, contributed to a lack of good jobs, weakened democracy, and led to social divisions and mistrust. In turn, low growth, exclusionary politics, violence and social mistrust have reinforced inequality, generating various vicious circles. Latin America thus provides a disturbing image of what the future may hold in other countries if we do not act quickly. It also provides some useful lessons on how to fight income concentration and build more equitable societies.


Falling Inequality in Latin America

Falling Inequality in Latin America

Author: Giovanni Andrea Cornia

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 0198701802

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This volume documents and explains the reduction of income inequality that has taken place in the majority of Latin American countries over the last decade.


The Decline of Latin American Economies

The Decline of Latin American Economies

Author: Sebastian Edwards

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-02-15

Total Pages: 427

ISBN-13: 0226185036

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Latin America’s economic performance is mediocre at best, despite abundant natural resources and flourishing neighbors to the north. The perplexing question of how some of the wealthiest nations in the world in the nineteenth century are now the most crisis-prone has long puzzled economists and historians. The Decline of Latin American Economies examines the reality behind the struggling economies of Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. A distinguished panel of experts argues here that slow growth, rampant protectionism, and rising inflation plagued Latin America for years, where corrupt institutions and political unrest undermined the financial outlook of already besieged economies. Tracing Latin America’s growth and decline through two centuries, this volume illustrates how a once-prosperous continent now lags behind. Of interest to scholars and policymakers alike, it offers new insight into the relationship between political systems and economic development.


The Great Gap

The Great Gap

Author: Merike Blofield

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0271050098

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"A collection of essays addressing the relationship between inequality and politics in Latin America. Examines the socioeconomic context and inequality of opportunities; elite culture, public opinion, and media framing; capital mobility, campaign financing, representation and gender equality policies; and taxation and social policies"--Provided by publisher.


Has Latin American Inequality Changed Direction?

Has Latin American Inequality Changed Direction?

Author: Luis Bértola

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-01-25

Total Pages: 419

ISBN-13: 3319446215

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This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book brings together a range of ideas and theories to arrive at a deeper understanding of inequality in Latin America and its complex realities. To so, it addresses questions such as: What are the origins of inequality in Latin America? How can we create societies that are more equal in terms of income distribution, gender equality and opportunities? How can we remedy the social divide that is making Latin America one of the most unequal regions on earth? What are the roles played by market forces, institutions and ideology in terms of inequality? In this book, a group of global experts gathered by the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL), part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), show readers how various types of inequality, such as economical, educational, racial and gender inequality have been practiced in countries like Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico and many others through the centuries. Presenting new ideas, new evidence, and new methods, the book subsequently analyzes how to move forward with second-generation reforms that lay the foundations for more egalitarian societies. As such, it offers a valuable and insightful guide for development economists, historians and Latin American specialists alike, as well as students, educators, policymakers and all citizens with an interest in development, inequality and the Latin American region.