scholarly journals A history of inequality: Top incomes in Brazil, 1926–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Pedro H.G.F. Souza
Keyword(s):  
Top Incomes ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Income Inequality from 1960–2012: A Brief Time-Series History of Capital and Labour

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-101
Author(s):  
Eoin Flaherty
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
National Income ◽  
Financial Sector ◽  
Total Income ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
Top Incomes ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S

This commentary examines two principal forms of inequality and their evolution since the 1960s: the division of national income between capital and labour, and the share of total income held by the top 1 per cent of earners. Trends are linked to current discussions of inequality drivers such as financialisation, and a brief time-series analysis of the effects of trade and financial sector growth on top incomes is presented.

scholarly journals A history of inequality: top incomes in Brazil, 1926/2014

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro H. G. F. Souza
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Sine Wave ◽  
Top Incomes ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Top Income Shares ◽  
History Of ◽  
Very High

This paper uses income tax tabulations to estimate top income shares in Brazil over the long-run. Between 1926 and 2014, the concentration of income at the top remained very high, following a sine wave trend: top shares have ebbed and flowed over time, frequently in tandem with political and institutional disruptions. There is some evidence in favor of Williamson’s “missed levelling” hypothesis regarding the origins of Latin American exceptionally high levels of inequality, but the recent decline in inequality is cast in more dubious light, since top income shares remained quite stable since 2000 and the "tax-adjusted" Gini coefficient suggests a smaller and shorter, though still sizeable, decrease. I interpret the results in light of Brazil’s tumultuous political history and complement the analysis with international comparisons and a discussion of the role of institutions in shaping inequality.

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