Although we economists tend to be a “size of the pie” crowd, the subject of the causes and consequences of income and wealth inequality does not completely escape our notice. Certainly, this has large political and policy implications, especially as inequality and political polarization seem to be proceeding in lockstep.
With that said, I’ve been sitting on these links for a while, waiting to read and digest them so I can say something pithy about them. But, alas, with Capitalism, Socialism, & Democracy in my lap and Where Good Ideas Come From next in my queue, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
So, here it goes:
- Tyler Cowen’s “The Inequality that Matters,” from The American Interest.
- Ed Glaeser’s “Does Inequality Cause Crises?” from the NYT Economix blog.
- Robert Frank interviewed by Russ Roberts at EconTalk.
Cowen presents a very provocative thesis, one that we should perhaps discuss over tea?
My favorite political science blog, The Monkey Cage, had an interesting symposium on Larry Bartel’s Unequal Democracy. Worth a look if this is something that interests you.