This book explores the mechanisms by which top incomes are achieved through work in today's advanced economies and asks to what extent current extreme inequalities are compatible with widely held values of social justice. Reflecting on the heterogeneity of the working rich, the authors argue that very high earnings often result not from heightened competition induced by globalization but rather from a lack of competition, or at best deficient competition. It is proposed that such incomes cannot be justified in terms of efficiency or merit and do not generate positive trickle-down effects with benefits for all of society; rather, extreme inequalities in earnings risk jeopardizing equality of opportunity. The book concludes by offering a wide array of innovative policy prescriptions that are not punitive in intent and are not merely directed toward income redistribution. Readers will find the book to be a fascinating source of insights into the subject of the working rich, which remains largely unexplored within both economics and ethics.

The Research in the History of Economic Methodology (RHETM) 34B, includes original research from preeminent scholars in the field. RHETM is one of the oldest and most respected publications in the field, and the Vol 34B is crucial for economists, methodologists, and historians of the social sciences.

This edited collection looks at the emerging relationship between politics and economics. The analysis of power relations - traditionally the focus of political science - is becoming increasingly important to economists in order to understand concepts such as the 'contested nature' of market exchanges. These papers examine power relations in the firm and the market place and offer an economic perspective of political relations. The book is divided into three sections: * politics and power in economic organizations * the economic analysis of political organizations * politics, economics and social change The final section considers how a combination of economic and political tools can be used effectively to analyse social change.

Inequalities in incomes and wealth have increased in advanced countries, making our economies less dynamic, our societies more unjust and our political processes less democratic. As a result, reducing inequalities is now a major economic, social and political challenge. This book provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the economics of inequality. Until recently economic inequality has been the object of limited research efforts, attracting only modest attention in the political arena; despite important advances in the knowledge of its dimensions, a convincing understanding of the mechanisms at its roots is still lacking. This book summarizes the topic and provides an interpretation of the mechanisms responsible for increased disparities. Building on this analysis the book argues for an integrated set of policies addressing the roots of inequalities in incomes and wealth Explaining Inequality will be of interest to students, researchers and practitioners concerned with inequality, economic and public policy and political economy.

Efficiency is the hallmark of environmental economics, and though economists are concerned with the environment, primarily because it challenges the efficiency of competitive markets, until now, limited attention has been paid to distributional issues. This excellent collection of essays identifies and addresses key issues surrounding the inequality-environment relationship such as: * Does increasing economic inequality lead to better or worse environmental quality? * Which individual or social features play a role in determining the differentiated impact of changes in the environment? * What impact does economic inequality or social segmentation have on collective action? * How important is the complex economic and social institution in which the inequality-environment takes place? With an impressive array of contributors and an excellent mix of popular and noteworthy topics, this latest addition to the Routledge Siena Studies in Political Economy series will prove essential to economists with an interest in the environment and will be useful to readers with a more general environmental studies background.

The debate on the impact of globalization tends to stress different and sometimes opposite aspects. Some argue that globalization is likely to have a positive impact on economic growth and efficiency, whereas others seem worried of its negative impact on workers, of the generation of new forms of social exclusion and of a worsening of market failure. The essays presented in this volume offer critical elements for assessing these positions. They also examine the role of national and international institutions in ensuring that globalization leads to a more sustained and equitable economic growth without endangering social cohesion.

This title was first published in 2001. The essays in this volume examine the questions of evaluation processes and enforcement with regards to environmental externalities, stressing the role of institutional failures in dealing with the environment. The essays are divided into three sections: 1 - the complexity of evaluation processes; 2 - the complexity of institutional arrangements; and 3 - evaluation processes and political choice. Overall, the essays argue that the effectiveness of environmental policy depends on the role played by economic institutions in affording and implementing policy objectives. The studies investigates the role played by institutions in affecting and implementing environmental policy. Institutions, in the wider sense, are typically shaped by a complex set of economic and political interests, culture and values which require detailed interdisciplinary analysis.

This edited collection looks at the emerging relationship between politics and economics. The analysis of power relations - traditionally the focus of political science - is becoming increasingly important to economists in order to understand concepts such as the 'contested nature' of market exchanges. These papers examine power relations in the firm and the market place and offer an economic perspective of political relations. The book is divided into three sections:
* politics and power in economic organizations
* the economic analysis of political organizations
* politics, economics and social change
The final section considers how a combination of economic and political tools can be used effectively to analyse social change.

This title was first published in 2001. This wide-ranging and comprehensive collection investigates the background to environmental economic development over the last thirty years, and the political implications of new directions resulting from technological and cultural changes in environmental issues. It examines the application of economic analysis to environmental problems in the past and solutions to the current issues of water, soil, air, energy, waste and urban ecology, discussing the implications of political decisions, cultural changes and technological constraints. It will prove a stimulating resource for students, academics, researchers and policy-makers alike.

Inequalities in incomes and wealth have increased in advanced countries, making our economies less dynamic, our societies more unjust and our political processes less democratic. As a result, reducing inequalities is now a major economic, social and political challenge. This book provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the economics of inequality. Until recently economic inequality has been the object of limited research efforts, attracting only modest attention in the political arena; despite important advances in the knowledge of its dimensions, a convincing understanding of the mechanisms at its roots is still lacking. This book summarizes the topic and provides an interpretation of the mechanisms responsible for increased disparities. Building on this analysis the book argues for an integrated set of policies addressing the roots of inequalities in incomes and wealth Explaining Inequality will be of interest to students, researchers and practitioners concerned with inequality, economic and public policy and political economy.

Efficiency is the hallmark of environmental economics, and though economists are concerned with the environment, primarily because it challenges the efficiency of competitive markets, until now, limited attention has been paid to distributional issues. This excellent collection of essays identifies and addresses key issues surrounding the inequality-environment relationship such as: * Does increasing economic inequality lead to better or worse environmental quality? * Which individual or social features play a role in determining the differentiated impact of changes in the environment? * What impact does economic inequality or social segmentation have on collective action? * How important is the complex economic and social institution in which the inequality-environment takes place? With an impressive array of contributors and an excellent mix of popular and noteworthy topics, this latest addition to the Routledge Siena Studies in Political Economy series will prove essential to economists with an interest in the environment and will be useful to readers with a more general environmental studies background.

This book explores the mechanisms by which top incomes are achieved through work in today's advanced economies and asks to what extent current extreme inequalities are compatible with widely held values of social justice. Reflecting on the heterogeneity of the working rich, the authors argue that very high earnings often result not from heightened competition induced by globalization but rather from a lack of competition, or at best deficient competition. It is proposed that such incomes cannot be justified in terms of efficiency or merit and do not generate positive trickle-down effects with benefits for all of society; rather, extreme inequalities in earnings risk jeopardizing equality of opportunity. The book concludes by offering a wide array of innovative policy prescriptions that are not punitive in intent and are not merely directed toward income redistribution. Readers will find the book to be a fascinating source of insights into the subject of the working rich, which remains largely unexplored within both economics and ethics.

The Department of Public Economics of the Rome University "La Sapienza," in keeping with its primary task of promoting research, not only inside the Department, but also through an exchange of ideas with scholars from Italian and foreign research institutions, periodically organizes conferences and meetings on the important topics of economic theory and policy. Economic globalization clearly belongs to this category. Just consider the widespread effects and consequences of globalization, the range of tools that its analysis requires as well as its impact on the welfare of the populations involved, and the new difficulties it brings about in terms of methods and results of public and regulatory interventions. Therefore, on this very subject, the Department of Public Economics invited a group of scholars, who have been deeply involved with the questions raised by economic globalization, to a direct confrontation. The aim of this conference was to deepen awareness of the phenomenon and its specific impact on the advanced economies of our continent, as well as to formulate proposals for action on both the national and super-national level. This volume, which collects the contributions presented at this meeting, gives an account of the deliberations that took place at the Conference "Globalization, Institutions and Social Cohesion" held at the Faculty of Economics of Rome University "La Sapienza" from the 15th to the 17th of December 1998.