Friday, July 19, 2024

[2019]: Do incentives imply inequality?

To engage students, I sometimes ask "who thinks income inequality is a good idea?" When no one raises their hands, I follow up with "who thinks incentive pay is a good idea?" Almost everyone raises their hands. Then I ask "who thinks incentive pay leads to inequality?" At this point, debate turns passionate, and my only role is to ensure that it stays civil.

I spent the morning searching for an old Economist article on this topic, and came up with these citations:

AMERICANS do not go in for envy. The gap between rich and poor is bigger than in any other advanced country, but most people are unconcerned. Whereas Europeans fret about the way the economic pie is divided, Americans want to join the rich, not soak them. Eight out of ten, more than anywhere else, believe that though you may start poor, if you work hard, you can make pots of money. It is a central part of the American Dream.

The political consensus, therefore, has sought to pursue economic growth rather than the redistribution of income, in keeping with John Kennedy's adage that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” The tide has been rising fast recently. Thanks to a jump in productivity growth after 1995, America's economy has outpaced other rich countries' for a decade. Its workers now produce over 30% more each hour they work than ten years ago. In the late 1990s everybody shared in this boom. Though incomes were rising fastest at the top, all workers' wages far outpaced inflation.


Other rich countries are watching America's experience closely. For many Europeans, America's brand of capitalism is already far too unequal. Such sceptics will be sure to make much of any sign that the broad middle-class reaps scant benefit from the current productivity boom, setting back the course of European reform even further.


Views of income inequality are divisive. Leftists blame uneven distribution on outside factors, such as poor education and corporate misconduct. Conservatives, meanwhile, tend to view these differences as a fair consequence of an individual’s choices and abilities. These beliefs have little to do with personal wealth: Mr Tuschman cites a California survey in which the poorest respondents were the most likely to say people get what they deserve, and were also the most religious. Yet he fails to explain properly why this might be.


Elsewhere, there is often great reluctance to believe that people are—or should be—motivated much by money. “Britain”, says Hermes's Mr Ross Goobey, “is a smaller, more enclosed society than America, and people still work for position, status, to be part of the great and the good.” Countries, like companies, will remain free to engineer greater or lesser degrees of equality. But there will be a price—as Sweden is discovering, and as Germany has already noticed. As the market for top talent grows more international, so it may force greater tolerance for inequality on countries that have spent half a century trying to root it out.


A second reason Americans may differ in their view of inequality is that they seem not to trust the government to fix the problem—or to believe that this is part of its job. The researchers from Dalhousie University suggest that American respondents tend to be more sceptical about the role played by government in reducing inequality. And when Jan Zilinsky at the University of Chicago randomly exposed a sample of Americans to information about inequality in America, it made them depressed about the issue but no more likely to support cash transfers to the poor. Most Americans may dislike a tax bill that increases inequality. But that does not mean they would support one that did the opposite.


Look around the world and the supremacy of “the American model” might seem assured. No other rich country has so successfully harnessed the modern juggernauts of technology and globalisation. The hallmarks of American capitalism—a willingness to take risks, a light regulatory touch and sharp competition—have spawned enormous wealth. “This economy is powerful, productive and prosperous,” George Bush boasted recently, and by many yardsticks he is right. Growth is fast, unemployment is low and profits are fat. It is hardly surprising that so many other governments are trying to “Americanise” their economies—whether through the European Union's Lisbon Agenda or Japan's Koizumi reforms.

5 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know of a group of private investigators who can help you with they are also hackers but prefer to be called private investigators They can help with your bitcoin issues and your clients will be happy doing business with you,they can also help yo with your bad credit score,hacking into phones,binary recovery,wiping criminal records,increase school score, stolen files in your office or school,blank atm etc. Just name it and you will live a better life
    whatsapp +1 (984) 733-3673
    telegram +1 (984) 733-3673
    Premiumhackservices@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

  3. HELLO GET OUT OF FINANCIAL MESS WITH THE HELP OF drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com

    I have been in financial mess for the past months, I’m a single mum with kids to look after. My name is REBECCA MICHAELSON, and am from Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. A couple of weeks ago My friend visited me and along our discussion she told me about DR BENJAMIN OWEN FINANCE of (drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com); that he can help me out of my financial situation, I never believed cause I have spend so much money on different loan lenders who did nothing other than running away with my money. She advised, I gave it a try because she and some of her colleagues were rescued too by this Godsent lender with loans to revive their dying businesses and paying off bills. so I mailed him and explain all about my financial situation and therefore took me through the loan process which was very brief and easy. After that my loan application worth $278,000.00USD was granted, all i did was to follow the processing and be cooperative and today I am a proud business owner sharing the testimony of God-sent Lender. You can as well reach him through the Company WhatsApp +19292227023 Email drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com

    THANK YOU VERY MUCH

    ReplyDelete
  4. TESTIMONY ON HOW I GOT MY LOAN AMOUNT FROM A RELIABLE AND TRUSTED LOAN COMPANY LAST WEEK. Email for immediate response drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com

    Hello everyone, My name is Mrs. Carolin Glowski, I'm from Europe, am here to testify of how i got my loan from BENJAMIN LOAN FINANCE after i applied Two times from various loan lenders who claimed to be lenders right here this forum, i thought their lending where real and i applied but they never gave me loan until a friend of mine introduce me to {Dr. Benjamin Scarlet Owen} the C.E.O of BENJAMIN LOAN FINANCE who promised to help me with a loan of my desire and he really did as he promised without any form of delay, I never thought there are still reliable loan lenders until i met {Dr. Benjamin Scarlet Owen} who really helped me with my loan and changed my life for the better. I don't know if you are in need of an urgent loan also, So feel free to contact Dr. Benjamin Scarlet Owen on his email address drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com


    THANKS

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Guy's
    FULLZ AVAILABLE
    USA UK CANADA All States & Cities available
    Fullz with DL available as well

    FRESH SSN DL FULLZ DLSCAN MVR MMN HIGH CS PROS SHOP TELE: leadsupplier

    USA SSN DOB DL ADDRESS|DL SCAN (front+Back+ssn)
    UK NIN Dob DL ADDRESS SORT CODE|DL SCAN (Front+Back+Selfie)
    CANADA SIN DOB DL ADDRESS MMN PHONE EMAIL|DL SCAN (Front+Back+Selfie)
    High Credit Scores Pros 700+ with DL Scan Docs
    W-2 Form with employee fullz
    Real DL SCAN with selfie & SSN plus Driving Docs
    Young & Old Age Fullz of every state
    CC with CVV & Dumps with pin 101 & 202
    Passport Photos with Selfie
    CA-AU-UK-RU-IT-FR-GR ETC DL Scan available

    SMTP|RDP|C-Panels|Web-Mailers
    Carding, Cash Out, Dumps Cash out Tutorials
    SMTP Linux Root
    CC Cash out & Transfers Methods

    Genuine Stuff
    Valid & Guaranteed
    24/7 available
    No testing for Tools, CC's & DLscan
    Docs for KYC available as well

    What' App : +1.. 7577.. 886.. 129

    Tele : @ leadsupplier / @ killhacks

    Skype : @ peeterhacks

    E mail : dghacks2 at g mail . com

    ReplyDelete