FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION, DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, AND INCOME INEQUALITY: NEW INSIGHTS FROM PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between financial liberalization, democratic institutions, and income inequality in Pakistan by using a two-state Markov switching (MS) methodology for the period 1972–2017. The dynamic factor modelling approach is used to construct the financial liberalization index. The impact of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007–2008 on financial liberalization–institutions–inequality nexus was checked using the Chow breakpoint test. The result reveals no significant effect of GFC on Pakistan’s economy. Results from the MS model divulge that financial liberalization lessens income inequality in the high-income inequality regime as well as in the low-income inequality regime. The result further discloses that democratic institutions enhance income inequality in high-income inequality regimes while reduce income inequality in the low-inequality regime. While studying the joint role of democratic institutions and financial liberalization, it is observed that the weak role of democratic institutions offsets the benefits of financial liberalization in the high-income inequality regime; however, institutions and financial liberalization are supportive in reducing income inequality in the low-inequality regime. Besides, the results also confirm the existence of Kuznets hypothesis in Pakistan. Therefore, there is a need for further reforms to revamp institutions to reduce income inequality in Pakistan.