Income Inequality

"This book is a valuable addition to the existing literature on economic inequality . . . This is an excellent book that is highly recommended to those with an interest in all aspects of income distribution in contemporary societies . . . [Gornick and Jntti] need to be congratulated for broadening the focus beyond a purely economic perspective on the issues under examination."Peter Saunders, Review of Income and Wealth "Janet C. Gornick and Markus Jntti's Income Equality is one fruit of this massive research effort. The book consists of studies of contemporary inequality trends using the [Luxembourg Income Study] data woven into a rich tapestry of understanding of a complex historical episode. The contributorseconomists, sociologists, political scientistsanalyze the data using powerful methodologies capable of laying bare the underlying structure that human intuition cannot access . . . The combination of high-quality data comparable across countries, international coverage of a period of major change, and insightful analysis based on sophisticated methodologies makes this book a major contribution to our understanding of income. Income Inequality will influence research for years to come."Franois Nielsen, American Journal of Sociology "A timely, informative volume for students and researchers concerned with income inequality . . . Recommended."R. S. Rycroft, CHOICE "This is one of the most important books on inequality published in the past decade. Focusing on what has happened to the middle class since the 1980s, during a period of substantial economic and political restructuring, this volume's remarkable insights and influence will span disciplines."Jason Beckfield, Harvard University

Janet C. Gornick is Professor of Political Science and Sociology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and Director of LIS. Markus Jntti is Professor of Economics at the Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University, and Research Director of LIS.

Introduction 1. How Has Income Inequality Grown? The Reshaping of the Income Distribution in LIS Countries 2. On the Identification of the Middle Class 3. Has Rising Inequality Reduced Middle-Class Income Growth? 4. Welfare Regimes, Cohorts and the Middle Classes 5. Political Sources of Government Redistribution in High-Income Countries 6. Income Distribution, Inequality Perception and Redistributive Preferences in 7. Women's Work, Inequality, and the Economic Status of Families 8. Women's Employment, Unpaid Work, and Economic Inequality 9. Women's Work, Family Earnings, and Public Policy 10. Wealth: The Distribution of Assets and Debt 11. The Joint Distribution of Income and Wealth 12. The Fourth Retirement Pillar in Rich Countries 13. Public Pension Entitlements and the Distribution of Wealth 14. Income and Wealth Inequality in Japan 15. Income and Wealth Inequality in Japan 16. Horizontal and Vertical Inequalities in India 17. Post-Apartheid Changes in South African Inequality Conclusion