INCOME INEQUALITY, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME GAINS: EVIDENCE FROM THE U.S. STATES*
利用美国各州数据，研究发现收入不平等对经济增长的影响是非线性的，适度稳定不平等可能有利于增长；经济增长对各收入群体影响弹性接近1，教育和劳动力市场政策对促进增长和改善穷人收入增益很重要。
ABSTRACT This paper first investigates a relationship between economic growth and income inequality using U.S. states data, a state cost-of-living deflator, and nonlinearity. It then explores the distribution of income gains among different income groups. We find that the impact of inequality on growth is nonlinear. Lowering inequality or increasing it substantially reduces growth; thus stable inequality may be good for growth. Economic growth affects incomes of the poor, the middle-income group, and the rich similarly with the elasticity of one. Education and labor market policies become important in promoting growth and improving income gains of the poor.