what are some of the dimensions of economic inequality and what is considered income?

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
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Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
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-what are some of the dimensions of economic inequality and what is considered income?

 

Capitalism and Inequality
is done by different entities using different measurements,
resulting in a disparity in outcomes. In fact, commonly, wealth
is narrowly defined as financial wealth-namely, cash on hand
and the money value of tangible and nonliquid assets. Even just
the market valuation of financial portfolios is commonly used to
define financial wealth. However, some may extend the definition
to include the value of income streams and insurance rights that,
for the most part, cannot be transacted or encumbered. These
include Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. When such
transfers and public assistance are included, the poor and many
elderly could benefit, reducing the wealth disparity (Galbraith
2016). To obtain net wealth, the value of the debts are subtracted
subtracted from the value of the assets. Galbraith stated that
financial wealth is the most unequal and that
much of the US population has no net financial
wealth, and this is especially true for African
American and immigrant households. Even for
the middle class, the value of financial assets may
be smaller than the value of a mortgage debt, held
against housing.
In measuring global poverty, the World Bank Group (2016) and
the World Bank national accounts (2015) first created a measure
of well-being that shows the differences in the quality of life across
an entire population. To determine the standard for well-being,
a survey was conducted. The survey determined the quality of
life based on the data range of consumption and income, which
is created by dividing the population into those with the highest
and lowest of well-being. This is done in order to better compare
the data, which are the monetary values that are given to different
variables that establish a point where income and consumption are
deemed insufficient to have good quality of life. When that point
3
Transcribed Image Text:Capitalism and Inequality is done by different entities using different measurements, resulting in a disparity in outcomes. In fact, commonly, wealth is narrowly defined as financial wealth-namely, cash on hand and the money value of tangible and nonliquid assets. Even just the market valuation of financial portfolios is commonly used to define financial wealth. However, some may extend the definition to include the value of income streams and insurance rights that, for the most part, cannot be transacted or encumbered. These include Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. When such transfers and public assistance are included, the poor and many elderly could benefit, reducing the wealth disparity (Galbraith 2016). To obtain net wealth, the value of the debts are subtracted subtracted from the value of the assets. Galbraith stated that financial wealth is the most unequal and that much of the US population has no net financial wealth, and this is especially true for African American and immigrant households. Even for the middle class, the value of financial assets may be smaller than the value of a mortgage debt, held against housing. In measuring global poverty, the World Bank Group (2016) and the World Bank national accounts (2015) first created a measure of well-being that shows the differences in the quality of life across an entire population. To determine the standard for well-being, a survey was conducted. The survey determined the quality of life based on the data range of consumption and income, which is created by dividing the population into those with the highest and lowest of well-being. This is done in order to better compare the data, which are the monetary values that are given to different variables that establish a point where income and consumption are deemed insufficient to have good quality of life. When that point 3
Albert Duncan
is statistically defined, it is called the poverty line. There is also
an established point that marks the minimum food consumption
that can sustain life, which is called the extreme poverty line. That
point will differ from one country to the next due to a change in
the circumstances of the population, but the process remains the
same. With that information, we can understand how many people
live below the poverty line. In addition, the World Bank uses the
International Comparison Program in order to create a benchmark
to measure extreme poverty, which was at US $1.90 a day in the
2011 purchasing power parity (PPP). This would mean that at US
$1.90, a person would be able to purchase a sufficient quantity and
quality of food to meet his or her daily caloric need. Most of the
world's extremely impoverished people live in Sub-Saharan Africa
and Southern Asia. While over one in ten people live in extreme
poverty globally, in Sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is four in ten,
representing 389 million people, which is more poor people than
all other regions combined (World Bank Group 2016).
The international measure of poverty is not applicable to
advanced countries, like the United States, due to their relative
prosperity. In fact, the measurement of inequality and poverty in
America is complex and multidimensional that, at times, can cause
the official figures not to be an accurate reflection of the economic
well-being of households and individuals. Given that there are
diverse ways of calculating income, there must be disparities in the
measurements of the income mean, median, and Gini coefficient.
In the United States, poverty is income that is measured below
a certain minimum level, and in there, the US Census Bureau
and the Department of Commerce prepare annual measures
of poverty. According to Frumkin (2000), “Poverty has an
evolving dimension over time and involves raising the standards
periodically to reflect improvement in living conditions and higher
aspirations afforded by the advancements in technology" (p. 86).
This situation normally raises the number of persons living in
4
Transcribed Image Text:Albert Duncan is statistically defined, it is called the poverty line. There is also an established point that marks the minimum food consumption that can sustain life, which is called the extreme poverty line. That point will differ from one country to the next due to a change in the circumstances of the population, but the process remains the same. With that information, we can understand how many people live below the poverty line. In addition, the World Bank uses the International Comparison Program in order to create a benchmark to measure extreme poverty, which was at US $1.90 a day in the 2011 purchasing power parity (PPP). This would mean that at US $1.90, a person would be able to purchase a sufficient quantity and quality of food to meet his or her daily caloric need. Most of the world's extremely impoverished people live in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. While over one in ten people live in extreme poverty globally, in Sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is four in ten, representing 389 million people, which is more poor people than all other regions combined (World Bank Group 2016). The international measure of poverty is not applicable to advanced countries, like the United States, due to their relative prosperity. In fact, the measurement of inequality and poverty in America is complex and multidimensional that, at times, can cause the official figures not to be an accurate reflection of the economic well-being of households and individuals. Given that there are diverse ways of calculating income, there must be disparities in the measurements of the income mean, median, and Gini coefficient. In the United States, poverty is income that is measured below a certain minimum level, and in there, the US Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce prepare annual measures of poverty. According to Frumkin (2000), “Poverty has an evolving dimension over time and involves raising the standards periodically to reflect improvement in living conditions and higher aspirations afforded by the advancements in technology" (p. 86). This situation normally raises the number of persons living in 4
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