The Benefits and Costs of Inequality for the Advantaged and Disadvantaged^*

Abstract

To test theoretical models intended to improve our understanding of the consequences of increased inequality for advantaged and disadvantaged populations. Copyright (c) 2007 Southwestern Social Science Association.

Income and cost of living: Are less equal places more costly?

“…Because Americans have a relatively high elasticity of demand for housing (Voith, 2000), income growth can quickly translate into upward pressure on the price of housing and other goods and services. Distributional issues emerge when income growth is concentrated in the upper deciles of the wage distribution, raising housing and other costs for all metropolitan residents including those at the lower end of the income distribution (also see Albrecht & Albrecht, 2007). To the extent these demand shifts materialize and do so in particular places (e.g., metropolitan areas with substantial high‐wage financial and technology sectors), the impact of income inequality on costs of living should be measurable and locationally specific.…”

Affluent Neighborhood Persistence and Change in U.S. Cities

“…Persistently affluent neighborhoods may enjoy steady or increasing investment, renovation and maintenance, and political power to help maintain their economic status (Briggs 2005;Albrecht and Albrecht 2007;Swanstrom, Dreier, and Mollenkopf 2002). Such beneficial neighborhood resources can help residents accumulate advantages over time (DiPrete and Eirich 2006).…”

“…An affluent neighborhood can fortify its residents’ affluence by providing an infrastructure of privacy, protection, resources, and/or social networks (Durlauf ). These structural benefits contribute to a process of cumulative advantage (DiPrete and Eirich ; Albrecht and Albrecht ). As affluent residents congregate and shape their neighborhood environment, the environment in turn increases safety, residential privacy, access to leisure space, and the quality of schools and other locally provided public resources.…”

Impacto de composición familiar en los niveles de pobreza de Perú

“…La literatura nos muestra a Estados Unidos como una de las sociedades donde más se ha estudiado este fenómeno. Los resultados de la Encuesta sobre la Situación actual de la Población (Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009) indican que la composición familiar se encuentra fuertemente asociada a la distribución de pobreza; trabajos como los desarrollados por Duncan y Ziol-Guest (2010), Albrecht (2007), Hoynes, Page y Huff Stevens (2006) y Manning y Lamb (2003) demuestran esta desigual distribución de pobreza y se asemejan a los obtenidos en la presente investigación.…”