Rent Seeking into the Income Distribution
利用美国50个州的截面数据，研究发现利益集团对政治过程影响力越大的州，收入分配越不平等（基尼系数更高），且这种不平等主要通过预算外渠道实现。
This paper uses cross-sectional data from the 50 U.S. states to explore the impact of special-interest groups on the distribution of income. Holding educational attainment, median income, state government expenditures relative to gross state product, population density, race and other factors constant, we find that incomes are distributed more unequally (the Gini coefficient is higher) in states where interest groups have greater influence on the political process. Combined with a further result suggesting that public spending tends to level the income distribution, ceteris paribus, a key empirical implication of the analysis is that interest groups promote inequality primarily through off-budget channels.