Uneven Distribution Of Wealth Research Articles

Pool competition and centralization in PoS blockchain network

ABSTRACT In Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain network, stakeholders spend tokens for consumption while competing for network transaction fee with unspent tokens. Stakeholders are incentivized to form staking pools to compete with each other, but continued staking pool merge does not occur given fixed pool operating cost. Unlike other blockchain networks and traditional payment systems, token price in PoS blockchain network is a direct result of competition among service providers (staking pools) and is strongly positively correlated with network decentralization level. As an extension, we show that uneven wealth distribution or biased validator selection function enhances stake centralization and sabotage token price.

Rising carbon inequality and its driving factors from 2005 to 2015

Carbon inequality is the gap in carbon footprints between the rich and the poor, reflecting an uneven distribution of wealth and mitigation responsibility. Whilst much is known about the level of inequality surrounding responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, little is known about the evolution in carbon inequality and how the carbon footprints of socio-economic groups have developed over time. Inequality can be reduced either by improving the living standards of the poor or by reducing the overconsumption of the rich, but the choice has very different implications for climate change mitigation. Here, we investigate the carbon footprints of income quintile groups for major 43 economies from 2005 to 2015. We find that most developed economies had declining carbon footprints but expanding carbon inequality, whereas most developing economies had rising footprints but divergent trends in carbon inequality. The top income group in developing economies grew fastest, with its carbon footprint surpassing the top group in developed economies in 2014. Developments are driven by a reduction in GHG intensity in all regions, which is partly offset by income growth in developed countries but more than offset by the rapid growth in selected emerging economies. The top income group in developed economies has achieved the least progress in climate change mitigation, in terms of decline rate, showing resistance of the rich. It shows mitigation efforts could raise carbon inequality. We highlight the necessity of raising the living standard of the poor and consistent mitigation effort is the core of achieving two targets.

The Effect of Federal Reserves Monetary Policy on Wealth Inequality During COVID-19

The term wealth in wealth inequality is referred to the total asset of a household, and the wealth inequality implies the uneven distribution of wealth within a community. While many papers have discussed and investigated the change in wealth inequality in the past, this paper aims to investigate the change in wealth inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic (Q4 2019 to Q2 2022) in the United States. This approach was to take a snapshot of the wealth distribution of the top 0.1% and the bottom 50% at the start of Q4 2019 and forecast the change in wealth from changes in asset prices. Conclusive evidence from this paper and from prior research indicates that wealth inequality and the Federal Reserves monetary policy are inversely proportional; in other words, as the FED loosens its policy, wealth inequality expands.

The wider the gap between rich and poor the higher the flood mortality

Economic inequality is rising within many countries globally, and this can significantly influence the social vulnerability to natural hazards. We analysed income inequality and flood disasters in 67 middle- and high-income countries between 1990 and 2018 and found that unequal countries tend to suffer more flood fatalities. This study integrates geocoded mortality records from 573 major flood disasters with population and economic data to perform generalized linear mixed regression modelling. Our results show that the significant association between income inequality and flood mortality persists after accounting for the per-capita real gross domestic product, population size in flood-affected regions and other potentially confounding variables. The protective effect of increasing gross domestic product disappeared when accounting for income inequality and population size in flood-affected regions. On the basis of our results, we argue that the increasingly uneven distribution of wealth deserves more attention within international disaster-risk research and policy arenas.

Uneven Distribution of Wealth through Political Manipulation as Expressed in J. M. Magaisa’s Poetry: A Moral-Philosophical Perspective on the Politics of the New Era

Most Africans in the democratic South Africa face challenges of extreme poverty and are subject to laws that were created for them without proper consultation and relayed to them in the form of the Constitution. This is contrary to the ideologies proclaimed during the struggle for liberation from colonial rule as well as the promises made by the politicians when canvassing for elections. This article serves as a reminder to the politicians who use political manipulation to get into power, and then forget about their promises and the Constitution of South Africa. Using the moral-philosophical approach and the text analysis method to examine the protest poems by J. M. Magaisa in Xikolokolo nguvu ya Pitori (1987), the paper aims at demonstrating that true democracy is “government for the people by the people” and it helps its citizens alleviate poverty rather than voting and then remaining in dire conditions while politicians amass wealth. Different areas of disempowerment through uneven distribution of wealth will be illustrated. Only the stanzas relevant to the discussion will be analysed. The findings, recommendations and conclusions will be provided.

Accelerating urbanization serves to reduce income inequality without sacrificing energy efficiency – Evidence from the 78 countries

Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of wealth among population, amongst the discussion it has generated, the issue of equality-based efficiency has become a development goal pursued by many countries. In order to better understand the relationship between income inequality and energy efficiency, the static threshold effect approach and the dynamic threshold effect approach were applied in this article based on panel data of 78 countries. In these approaches, income inequality is the explanatory variable, urbanization and industrialization are the threshold variables, while energy efficiency is the explained variable. The results show that there is a positive coefficient between income inequality and energy efficiency, and the coefficient of this positive relationship decreases when urbanization level rises above the two thresholds 42.68% and 93.16% respectively, and so does it when industrialization level rises above 12.76% and 19.12%. In addition, urbanization plays a greater role than industrialization in reducing the correlation between income inequality and energy efficiency. Therefore, accelerating industrialization, especially urbanization, can serve to reduce income inequality without sacrificing energy efficiency.

Bringing Labour Back to Migration History: A Report on the Activities of the Working Group Labour Migration History

While the search for (better) employment and the uneven distribution of wealth are among the principal triggers of migration worldwide, migration is often discussed as a humanitarian emergency, a social and a security problem, but rarely as a labour issue. This paper aims to foster debate on the interconnectedness of migration and labour history. Re-reading migration and labour history by exploring their interconnectedness is crucial to overcoming Eurocentric and nation-state centric approaches to labour and migration history. This paper discusses the findings of papers presented at two events organised by the ELHN Working Group Labour Migration History in 2021. The first part suggests new lines of inquiry which critically reassess Western-centric understandings and experiences of labour migration during the Cold War. The second part argues in favour of cross-disciplinary study of relations between migration, workers, and the state firmly contextualised as part of global processes of change.

Using Latent Class Analyses to Examine Health Disparities among Young Children in Socially Disadvantaged Families during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Rising income inequality is strongly linked to health disparities, particularly in regions where uneven distribution of wealth and income has long been a concern. Despite emerging evidence of COVID-19-related health inequalities for adults, limited evidence is available for children and their parents. This study aimed to explore subtypes of families of preschoolers living in the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Hong Kong based on patterns of family hardship and to compare their patterns of parenting behavior, lifestyle practices, and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1338 preschoolers and their parents during March to June 2020. Latent class analysis was performed based on 11 socioeconomic and disease indicators. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine associations between identified classes and variables of interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four classes of family hardship were identified. Class 1 (45.7%) had the lowest disease and financial burden. Class 2 (14.0%) had the highest financial burden. Class 3 (5.9%) had the highest disease burden. Class 4 (34.5%) had low family income but did not receive government welfare assistance. Class 1 (low hardship) had lower risks of child maltreatment and adjustment problems than Class 2 (poverty) and Class 3 (poor health). However, children in Class 1 (low hardship) had higher odds of suffering psychological aggression and poorer physical wellbeing than those in Class 4 (low income), even after adjusting for child age and gender. The findings emphasize the need to adopt flexible intervention strategies in the time of large disease outbreak to address diverse problems and concerns among socially disadvantaged families.

Internal boundary and religious conflicts: the problems of national integration in post-colonial Nigeria

We investigated Nigerian’s post-colonial resurgences of internal boundary and religious conflicts that have bedeviled the country since independence based on the problems of national integration in post-colonial Nigeria. It argued that resurgences of internal boundary and religious conflicts in the country since liberation in 1960 are crops of expansionism in the sense that colonialism, while the post-colonial state could not avert the ills of colonial rule but rather re-invented the foreign strategy of division and law. It also argues that the scuffles for control of the naturally found resources in the localities are a result of “oppression, marginalization and government influence, uneven distribution of wealth and resources, nepotism and socio-religious bigotry,” which have over the years led religious groups, communities, local governments and States to a long-drawn-out deadly boundary and religious conflicts. The objective of this research is not only aim at highlighting the impact of internal boundary and religious conflicts on the Nigerian federation but also to draw the attention of Nigerian policymakers and researchers to the “neglect” of these issues, which have pitted groups between and even within states in the country, with deadly consequences, thereby questioning the principle of national integration and its essence in Nigeria. The methodology used in this research is the secondary source that has to do with published and unpublished works on the internal boundary, religious conflicts, and national integration. The paper submits that the existence of different natural resources found within the country should not always lead to the internal boundary and religious conflicts but cooperation amongst the people.

Fostering Art and Cultural Entrepreneurship in Underserved Communities: A Case of Newark, NJ

Policymakers worldwide have invested in art and cultural industries (ACIs) as important vehicles for economic development. However, the issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and inequality have not been sufficiently addressed. This study investigates the factors that enable or constrain art and cultural entrepreneurship (ACE) in Newark, NJ. The findings suggest that a sense of place and the social identities of diverse business owners significantly impact the process of launching and operating creative businesses. Insufficient market opportunity, lack of resources in the community, and uneven distribution of wealth across racial groups are among the biggest challenges they face. Despite these challenges, these artist-entrepreneurs have proactively worked as both business owners and art-industrial gatekeepers to promote themselves and other underrepresented groups in the marketplace. The study also highlights universities’ role in the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem in promoting ACIs. It calls for policy and practices fostering minority entrepreneurship in ACIs, bringing artists to the core of entrepreneurship and development strategies in these communities.

On the Road to Empire

Scholars have long considered the transcontinental railroad as the hallmark of U.S. modernity. Historians have poured ink over the robber barons, industrial might, and the ability of railroads to shrink time and space. Yet, as the United States undergoes what might be a second “Gilded Age”—with the increasingly uneven distribution of wealth as well as anxieties over immigration and unrestrained corporate development—the transcontinental railroad evokes the excesses of the past and the present. American Studies scholar Manu Karuka argues the transcontinental railroad resulted from continental imperialism, a system that persists in the United States and the world. Empire’s Tracks features nine thematic chapters rather than offering a chronological narrative. One can read the book all the way through or pick and choose between essays that explore rumor and archive; case studies of Indigenous modes of relationships; or a global history of railroad colonization. The book concludes with an assessment of...

A balance for fairness: fair distribution utilising physics

The problem of ‘uneven distribution of wealth’ accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the chaotic modern society, there is an increasing demand for the realisation of true ‘fairness’. In this study, we propose a fair distribution method ‘using physics’, which imitates the Greek mythology, Themis, having a ‘balance of judgement’ in her left hand, for the profit in games of characteristic function form. Specifically, we show that the linear programming problem for calculating ‘nucleolus (a solution for the fair distribution)’ can be efficiently solved by considering it as a physical system in which gravity works. In addition to significantly reducing the computational complexity, the proposed scheme provides a new perspective to open up a physics-based policymaker that is adaptable to real-time changes. We will be able to implement it not only in liquid systems but also in many other physical systems, including semiconductor chips. The fair distribution problem can be solved immediately using physical systems, which should reduce disputes and conflicts based on inaccurate information and misunderstandings, eliminating fraud and injustice.

How Different Forms of Corruption Affect the Economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Research Project

Corruption is globally viewed as dishonest and illegal behavioral activity that has negative influence on the overall economic and social environment. The aim of this research paper is to identify and examine effects of bribery, fraud, and favoritism on the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The research was conducted on the territory of B&H including two hundred economic experts. The objective was to collect participants’ opinions and experiences with corruption and its forms. Secondary data was extracted from books, journals, articles, and web pages. The findings show that majority of the participants encountered corruption but they did not report because they were mainly afraid of the illegal consequences they may face. The most widespread corruption form in B&H is bribery and the participants emphasized some of the effects of corruption on the economy such as uneven distribution of wealth, inefficient allocation of resources, lower growth rates, unfavorable business environment, demotivation of workers, slower process towards the European Union (EU) membership, etc. I concluded that as B&H needs more time to become EU member, it loses the opportunity to establish fair and efficient trade, higher EU protection, larger budget, etc. Also, I realized that there is a high presence of corruption in B&H which does not decrease from year to year and appears in both public and private sector. This also destroys the legitimacy of the state and the quality of public services as well as the economic growth of B&H.

Review: Black Rights / White Wrongs: The Critique of Racial Liberalism, by Charles W. Mills

Review: Black Rights / White Wrongs: The Critique of Racial Liberalism, by Charles W. Mills

Capacity Building of the Trade Bodies to Boost Private Sector Development

According to the Global Wealth Report 2019, the amount of global aggregate wealth is USD 360.6 trillion, which means per capita wealth is USD 70,850 and each living adult is supposed to have USD 70,850 of his own. Nobody should be poor; no hunger should be there around the world. But the reality is only 1% people own 45% wealth of the world and the top 10% people owns 82% of the global wealth. From macroeconomic perspective, the 16 wealthiest countries own the maximum wealth of this planet. This uneven distribution of wealth is not happening deliberately, there are many reasons for that. Social scientists, policy makers, government and development partners are trying to reduce this disparity and make a poverty-free, hunger-free world for us. To achieve this objective poverty alleviation is the number one target. This single target cannot be achieved by a single stakeholder i.e. government, private sector, development partners etc. United effort of all the stakeholders is required to achieve it. Private sector development is the easiest option to alleviate poverty and reduce social disparity. Making everyone economically rich is not possible but ensuring livelihoods and economic empowerment for all is essentially an achievable target. A country is developed when its private sector is developed. Economic development is essential for social security, safety net, better standard of living, good governance so on and so forth. Private sector development is also the number one objective of the government. Government is trying to formulate pro-private sector policies and facilitate private sector participation in decision making.

| Preface |

The 5th Friendly City International Conference (FCIC 5), organized by Architecture Department, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan - Indonesia is considered to be a media for research results and experience exchange in exploring and developing ideas of friendly city in various aspects and perspectives and also as synchronization media between academic research and practical application in solving urban problems, in developing countries.A friendly city is not just demonstrated by a good and appropriate infrastructure and space but very dependent on how communities are involved and their needs are met. The needs of the communities can vary from place to place, depending on the environment, culture and traditions. The interconnectedness of culture in the development of the city, is considered not just as a “patch”, but it should be integrated comprehensively. UN Habitat stressed the importance of culture by “re-humanizing” urban environment. Further, it must increase social cohesion, counter segregation (social and spatial) and uneven distribution of wealth, and aim for more equitable distribution and access to urban resources and more integration andconnection among residents.Lis of Introduction, General Purpose, Keynote Speakers, Participants, Conference Venue and Schedule, Schedules, Social Media and Contact Person FCIC 5 – 2019 are available in this pdf.

Segregating socioeconomic classes leads to an unequal redistribution of wealth

Social living groups are organised in social hierarchies often exhibiting inequalities in beings. Investigating class segregation and the use of punishment applied downward in the rank acts as a key aspect to ascertain how dominant and subordinate partners cooperate to achieve mutual profit. In human subjects coming from countries with an uneven wealth distribution, this mutual profit may be reduced, especially for the lower socioeconomic classes. We implemented an Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma Game experiment in one such country with starkly high inequality, China. We split relatively richer and poorer subjects into separate classes and gave only one the authority to punish the other. When rich subjects could unidirectionally punish poor subjects (as in a segregated society), rich subjects decreased their cooperation effort while punishing poor subjects. When rich and poor subjects, instead, could punish each other in random combinations (as in an integrated society) they decreased defections so they could punish more. In the segregated society model, the punishing classes earned twice as much as the non-punishers. Conversely, in the integrated society model, weak differences in earnings were found, leading to a decrease in inequality. These results were confirmed by an agent-based simulation mirroring the human experiments and repeated during a very large number of rounds. From our research, we conclude that, especially in developing economies, if the states enacted that the dominant and subordinate individuals relinquished their almost segregated state, this would lead to a redistribution of wealth and power.

Wealth Distribution in the Bitcoin Ecosystem

The paper deals with the problems of measuring uneven wealth distribution in the bitcoin ecosystem. All existing bitcoin distribution models depend on the analysis of bitcoin wallets and bitcoin addresses. They are based on the Bitcoin Rich List. This approach is insufficient due to the inscrutable relationships between people owning bitcoin, bitcoin wallets, and bitcoin addresses. In this paper, we used the methods of comparative analysis resulted in graphics as represented by Lorentz and Lamé curves and distribution of the Gini coefficients and the Kolkata index. We identified empirical cumulative functions of wealth distribution and the number of addresses with positive balance during the bubble and after its explosion. Approximations of the distribution of ‘poor’ and ‘rich’ addresses have been obtained and compared with the other results from the cited literature. The general public views the equality of network members as synonymous with the equal distribution of wealth among them. Emerging financial bubbles, especially in the US financial markets, lead to an increase in income inequality. However, after a bubble explodes, the inequality falls to the initial level.

Clinical Therapeutics in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a compact territory in Southern China that enjoys a high degree of autonomy. Despite its dense population and uneven wealth distribution, infant mortality is low and life expectancy is long. The health service is more hospital and clinic based than community based. This seems cost-effective while professional standards are high and rigorously maintained. Drug registration follows American and European requirements. Hong Kong is a part of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme, which brings a high standard of drug regulation. Hong Kong is a good choice for clinical trials because the subjects are Chinese and protocols in English do not need to be translated. There are also 2 well-established clinical trials centers in university hospitals that also run Phase I and clinical pharmacology studies.

Revisiting the Relationship between Financial Wealth, Housing Wealth, and Consumption: A Panel Analysis for the U.S.

Based on the seminal paper of Case, Quigley, and Shiller (2013), we investigated the effects of financial and housing wealth on consumption. Using quarterly data from 1975 to 2016 for all states of the U.S. economy, and a different methodology in measuring wealth, we report relatively greater financial effects than housing effects on consumption. Specifically, in our basic utilized model, the calculated elasticity for financial wealth was 0.060, while for housing it was 0.045. The results were not in agreement with the ones obtained by Case, Quigley, and Shiller. In an attempt to investigate this disparity, we proceeded by incorporating the introduction of the Tax Reform Act in 1986, which increased incentives for owner-occupied housing investments. Finally, due to distributional factors at work, and taking into account the pronounced uneven distribution of wealth, we investigated the effects of wealth for eight states that included the metropolitan areas comprising the well-known Case–Shiller 10 City Composite Index. Now the housing effect on consumption was much stronger and larger than the financial effect. Additionally, we forecasted the consumption changes at the time of high rise and large drops in house prices for these states. Forecasts showed a recession from the fall of Lehman Brothers until the fourth quarter of 2011. These forecasts were not verified. Probably, the new techniques used by policies played an important role. We also found that extreme behaviors cannot be predicted.