Economic inequalities 2400-ENSM115B

Socio-economic inequalities (income, consumption, wealth, but also inequalities in health or happiness) have recently become one of the most important and popular research topics in economics. A strong impetus in this direction was provided by Thomas Piketty's influential book (Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Harvard University Press, 2014), which presents a vision of a serious increase in economic inequalities in capitalism that will lead to a return to patrimonial societies (inheritance of economic position). However, the issue of economic inequalities and their inevitability in capitalism was also studied in economics much earlier, including in the works of Karl Marx and Vilfredo Pareto.
Within this master's seminar, empirical and analytical works may be developed concerning the verification of economic theories (created among others by Piketty, Marx, Pareto, and others) that have specific predictions regarding economic inequalities. These predictions may concern the inevitability of inequality growth, determinants of inequality growth, or the socio-economic consequences of growing economic inequalities. Within the seminar, empirical works may be developed using international inequality data or concerning a selected country (USA, Poland, etc.). Theoretical, comparative, or historical works concerning economic theories related to inequalities are also possible. Such works may concern, for example, a comparison of Piketty's theses with Marx's economic theories or an attempt to understand (or relate to contemporary times) historical theories related to economic inequalities.
In particular, empirical works may concern the following issues:
• verification of T. Piketty's assumptions and theses regarding the growth of income and wealth inequality in capitalism
• verification of K. Marx's theses concerning changes in economic inequalities
• empirical testing of V. Pareto's theses regarding the form (power law) of income, wealth, and other economic variable distributions
• empirical study of the effects of growing inequalities in the context of their impact on economic growth, innovation, happiness, crime, health, social and political conflicts, etc.
• study of trends, determinants, and effects of economic inequalities in Poland
• measurement and explanation of inequalities in health, happiness, and other dimensions of well-being
• study of the impact of wealthy individuals (and the group of wealthiest individuals) on the course of economic and political processes
• measurement of inequality of opportunities to achieve income, health, and happiness
• analysis of the impact of technological progress on inequality
• relationships between institutions and inequality
• impact of the recent economic crisis on economic inequalities.