Tony Addison is a Professor of Economics, University of Copenhagen in the Development Economics Research Group. He was a Chief Economist and Deputy Director of UNU-WIDER in Helsinki, Finland. He was previously Professor of Development Studies...
This project investigates several issues, such as: (i) distilling the policy lessons (for Latin America itself and other countries) arising from the 'Open Economy Redistribution With Growth' (OERWG) model developed during the last decade, with particular attention to the gains in the field of growth, inequality and poverty reduction; (ii) testing whether the policy shift which followed the transition to democracy and the election of centre-left and other regimes contributed to the growth acceleration and inequality decline of 2002-08; (iii) identify best practice policies in the policy areas illustrated above; (iv) analyse the extent of their distributive and growth effects; (v) assess the future sustainability of OERWG model, given the hurdles Latin American governments still face; (vi) discuss the problems of the OERWG model in the fields of industrial policy and diversification of output-exports towards the technology-intensive manufacturing sector; (vii) examine how Latin America can raise its domestic savings and reduce its costly dependence on volatile foreign savings; (viii) propose an extended version of the OERWG model addressing the structural handicaps still hampering improvements in the field of growth, inequality and poverty reduction in the region.
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Research Brief
The Evolution of Social Protection in Latin AmericaSocial insurance has not succeeded in reducing fiscal deficits and expanding coverage to more beneficiaries in Latin America Social assistance has had a greater impact on poverty and inequality than social insurance In lower-middle-income countries...
Research Brief
The Rise and Fall in Income Inequality in EcuadorDuring the 1990s, inequality in Ecuador increased because of a natural disaster and deep economic and financial crisis, as well as the impact of liberalization of the trade and financial sectors on labour markets Falling income equality in Ecuador...
Research Brief
The Causes of the Decline in Income Inequality in Latin AmericaLeft-of-centre governments emphasized fiscally-prudent but more equitable macroeconomic, tax, social expenditure and labour policies A drop in the premium paid to skilled workers following a rapid expansion of secondary education decreased wage...
Research Brief
International Economic Integration and Growth in Latin AmericaIntegration of Latin America into the international economy over the past quarter century has led to faster export growth, but not to faster GDP or productivity growth Contrary to mainstream analysis, under the current market reforms countries have...
Blog
Rising Inequality – How to Reverse It?30 October 2014 Dominik Etienne and Annett Victorero The last decade has witnessed a revival of concern over the impact of high-income concentration...
Research Brief
The Effect of Tax on Income Inequality and Growth in Latin AmericaAfter tax reforms in the 1980s and 1990s, income inequality increased in many Latin American countries The tax reforms of the 2000s have been more equalizing in terms of income inequality: Argentina, Honduras and Nicaragua have seen the most...
Book
Falling Inequality in Latin AmericaThe book aims to document and explain the sizeable decline of income inequality that has taken place in Latin America during the 2000s. It does so through an exploration of inequality changes in six representative countries, and ten policy chapters...
Blog
Inequality in Latin America: The Role of Conditional Cash Transfer – An Interview with Armando Barrientos24 January 2014 In this interview Professor Armando Barrientos reviews the recent UNU-WIDER project on inequality in Latin America which looks at the...
Working Paper
The Development Implications of External Integration in Latin AmericaThis paper analyses the links between the integration into the international economy and development in Latin America over the past quarter century. It argues that external liberalization led to faster export growth but not to faster GDP or...
Working Paper
Macroeconomic Policies, Growth, Employment, and Inequality in Latin AmericaThis paper examines the macroeconomic policies and outcomes experienced by the Latin American economies during the period 1990-2010. Macroeconomic policies refer to exchange rates, monetary and aggregate fiscal policies, while macroeconomic outcomes...
Working Paper
The Dynamics of Inequality Change in a Highly Dualistic EconomyWe examine the drivers of inequality change in Honduras between 1991-2007, trying to understand why inequality increased in Honduras until 2005, while it was falling in most other Latin American countries. Using annual household surveys, we document...
Working Paper
Changes in Labour Market Conditions and PoliciesLabour market incomes have been a major contributor to the important fall in inequality in Latin America during the 2000s. Indeed, it was the main contributor in countries where inequality fell more dramatically. A proper understanding of the...
Working Paper
Social Policies or Private Solidarity?This paper reviews the pattern of poverty rates and income inequality in El Salvador since the 1990s. It discusses some of the likely factors that explain the reduction in income inequality that has taken place in the country in the last decade...
Working Paper
Redistribution without Structural Change in EcuadorThis study examines the rise and fall in income inequality in Ecuador over the past two decades. Falling income equality during the 2000s partly coincides with the rise to power of a ‘new leftist’ government, but the trend was already set early in...
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Theme: Past, 2010-11