Bivariate income distributions for assessing inequality and poverty under dependent samples

As indicators of social welfare, the incidence of inequality and poverty is of ongoing concern to policy makers and researchers alike. Of particular interest are the changes in inequality and poverty over time, which are typically assessed through the estimation of income distributions. From this, income inequality and poverty measures, along with their differences and standard errors, can be derived and compared. With panel data becoming more frequently used to make such comparisons, traditional methods which treat income distributions from different years independently and estimate them on a univariate basis, fail to capture the dependence inherent in a sample taken from a panel study. Consequently, parameter estimates are likely to be less efficient, and the standard errors for between-year differences in various inequality and poverty measures will be incorrect. This paper addresses the issue of sample dependence by suggesting a number of bivariate distributions, with Singh–Maddala or Dagum marginals, for a partially dependent sample of household income for two years. Specifically, the distributions considered are the bivariate Singh–Maddala distribution, proposed by Takahasi (1965), and bivariate distributions belonging to the copula class of multivariate distributions, which are an increasingly popular approach to modelling joint distributions. Each bivariate income distribution is estimated via full information maximum likelihood using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey for 2001 and 2005. Parameter estimates for each bivariate income distribution are used to obtain values for mean income and modal income, the Gini inequality coefficient and the headcount ratio poverty measure, along with their differences, enabling the assessment of changes in such measures over time. In addition, the standard errors of each summary measure and their differences, which are of particular interest in this analysis, are calculated using the delta method.     

Notes on some present day Questions regarding Mortality

Abstract

In the absence of any definite development of actuarial science in Great Britain which would be a suitable subject for this paper I considered that the most useful course would be to discuss some of the problems which are at present exercising my own mind, and no doubt the minds of many of my colleagues. Probably, many of these questions are akin to others which arise in other countries, so that their discussion at a meeting such as this may prove of mutual interest, while even if they are peculiar to ourselves, a disclosure of our doubts and difficulties will indicate the directions in which future developments may be expected. I must, however, emphasize that any views expressed are purely personal, and do not in any way pretend to represent a consensus of British actuarial opinion. Throughout this paper only Ordinary (as opposed to Industrial) business in considered.     

重庆直辖前后农村居民消费与收入纵向对比实证分析

本文运用Keynesian的绝对收入假设消费函数模型，充分考虑重庆直辖前后的差异，将消费与收入的数据分为直辖前和直辖后两个阶段分别进行协整检验并建立误差修正模型，然后对两个阶段所表现出的显著差异进行纵向对比分析，最后提出当前形势下刺激农村居民消费扩大的政策建议。     

高校企业所得税问题探讨

随着高等教育体制改革不断深入,高校适应市场经济的能力不断加强,高校的经济活动日益频繁。为调节相关经济活动,国家出台了一系列高校企业所得税税收政策,加强高校的税收管理工作。通过全面了解高校企业所得税税收政策,掌握高校企业所得税有关优惠待遇,研究高校企业所得税的核算方法,探讨高校企业所得税存在的问题及改革对策,并提出对高校企业所得税缓征及免征的建议。     

Income inequality and economic growth

Despite the extensive existing literature on income inequality and economic growth, there remains considerable disagreement on the effect of inequality on economic growth. Existing literatures find either a positive or a negative relationship. In this paper, we attempt to theoretically examine that relationship with a stochastic optimal growth model. We make the disagreement clear within a single model. We conclude (i) that both are possible – that is, higher inequality can retard growth in the early stage of economic development, and can encourage growth in a near steady state, (ii) that income redistribution by high income tax does not always reduce income inequality. Income inequality can be reduced by higher income tax in a near steady state, but it cannot be reduced in the early stage of economic development, and (iii) that two government polices – rapid economic growth and low income inequality – can be achieved by low income tax in the early stage of economic development, but both cannot be achieved simultaneously in a near steady state.     

论证券投资基金的收益及其分配

证券投资基金的收益主要包括利息收入，股利收入和资本利得。在甸证券市场发育不完善的现阶段，出于会计谨慎性原则的考虑，证券投资基金的收益不应包括股票股利和未实现的资本利得。在收益分配方面，管理层对证券投资基金收益分配政策的限制过程多过死，不利于投资基金业的健康发展，基金持有人大会在基金收益分配政策的制定上应当享有更多的决定权。     

从出口、消费和投资看当前国债政策

出口、消费和投资是促进经济增长的主要动力之一。本文通过对1998年以来出口环境、收入与消费和投资等方面进行分析 ,认为出口对经济增长的净贡献率将进一步下降 ;随着新旧分配格局的转换 ,居民收入增幅开始下降 ,不同层次居民间收入差距拉大 ,居民总体消费倾向降低 ,影响了消费对经济增长的促进作用。以国债为核心的积极财政政策正是在这种背景下理所当然成为政府的首选。     

影响农民收入水平提高的因素刍议

当前落后的二元经济结构、乡镇企业吸纳农村剩余劳动力能力减弱、第三产业发展不充分和农民自身素质有限、城镇化水平低、农民负担重等因素，都对农民收入水平的提高产生重要影响。     

"按族裔划分家庭年均收入"标准的实质

通过对各族裔家庭年均收入差距形成的原因进行分析,探讨了当今美国社会中流行的“模范少数民族”理论和“文化缺损理论”,并指出了以家庭年均收入水平为标准来衡量各族裔在美国社会中对经济资源的占有是不科学的,这个标准的提出是多数族裔掩盖各族裔在社会经济资源占有上实质上的不平等的体现。它的使用是多数族裔的政治性行为,其目的是为了巩固多数族裔已取得的政治、经济和社会地位。     

我国金融发展对居民收入分配影响的实证研究

我国金融发展对城乡居民收入分配影响的实证研究结果表明:金融发展规模是城乡居民收入差距的格兰杰原因;金融发展效率与城乡居民收入差距具有双向的格兰杰因果关系.金融发展规模的扩张扩大了城乡居民收入差距,金融发展效率的提升则缩小了城乡居民收入差距.