Rising inequality in the new global economy

Abstract

The world is not ‘flat’. Globalization is disequalizing, rewarding the already rich while leaving the poor behind, making rising inequality more, not less likely. There are three reasons. First, the economic gains generated by efficient global markets are not equally shared. Second, global markets are imperfect and many developing countries do not have mechanisms for insuring (poor) people against market failures. Third, trade, migration, and intellectual property regimes at the global level naturally reflect the greater market power of the rich. To mitigate the asymmetric impacts of globalization we need a global polity that can address unequal endowments, whether in the form of lack of educational opportunities or weak institutions.