“ Anthony B. Atkinson, Inequality – What Can Be Done ? Cambridge (Mass.) Harvard University Press, 2015, XI-384 p. ”
Résumé
The economist Anthony Atkinson has studied the issues of poverty and inequality for over four decades; an index of inequality is named after him. In his most recent work, Atkinson offers a fascinating, encouraging guide to what could be done to reduce monetary inequality. The importance of equal opportunity should not lead us to ignore inequality in outcomes, he explains, not only because the same efforts do not always produce the same results but also because inequality of outcome for one generation can become inequality of opportunity for the next: “today’s ex-post outcomes shape tomorrow’s ex-ante playing field” (p. 11). And though income is only one dimension, it is a major source of inequality. The book is divided into three parts: diagnosis; 15 proposals for action that, if implemented, would reduce inequality; and answers to the main objections to taking those actions.