First published 2007
Income inequality shifted dramatically across the twentieth century, but the patterns varied sharply between nations. Economists Thomas Piketty and A.B. Atkinson examine how the wealthiest segments of society fared in ten OECD countries by mining a century of income tax records. Their research reveals that top earners lost significant ground during the first half of the 1900s, then recovered differently depending on geography. Continental European nations followed one trajectory while English-speaking countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia took another path entirely. The authors explain their data sources and analytical methods while tracing these divergent trends. This volume offers economists, policy researchers, and historically minded readers a detailed foundation for understanding modern debates about executive pay, taxation policy, and the economic consequences of major wars.
Genres: history, 20th-century, economics, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Period: Twentieth Century
608 pages · Hardcover · Oxford University Press