Why some people are rich and others poor can be explained in a number of ways. Income and Wealth focuses on who gets what and why. It explains the dynamics of income generation, how it is measured, and how such dramatic disparities in distribution come about. The book first defines various characteristics of income, with an emphasis on the gap between the rich and the poor, and reviews several theories to explain the disparities. Subsequent chapters discuss such timely topics as the vanishing middle class and the sky-high salaries of CEOs, Hollywood stars, and athletes. The final chapters consider the implications of policies, such as the minimum wage, taxes, immigration, and trade quotas, and expand the discussion to consider international comparisons. Featuring graphs and charts, a glossary of key terms, and a listing of references and resources, Income and Wealth explains the intricate, and often controversial, effects of economic policies on individuals, families, and communities. Moreover, it shows how the numbers can be manipulated by policymakers, pundits, journalists, and academics to promote various agendas—and shows readers how to recognize hyberbole and make better-informed decisions.

For 40 years, David Parker served as a teacher in San Francisco's inner-city schools. Unlike most of his colleagues, however, he did not place his faith and his future in the teachers' union or the government. Instead, he simultaneously became a real estate investor and entrepreneur, as well as a jazz musician. As Parker jokingly says, "I have 150 years of experience." His financial journey has been very successful. A perennial student as well as a teacher, to write "Income and Wealth," Parker went back to school to study math, finance and economics. It became clear that individual responsibility and initiative are essential keys to financial success, and that government regulation of important sectors of life including healthcare and education will always be a recipe for disaster. Parker's message is a positive one. He not only assures readers that financial independence is possible, regardless of annual income, but he provides a step-by-step plan for achieving this desirable goal. "Income and Wealth" will provide readers with thought-provoking insights into the way the economy really works. It is scholarly writing in political economy, yet provides useful insights into financial decision-making on a daily basis.

For every dollar owned by the average white family in the United States, the average family of color has less than a dime. Why do people of color have so little wealth? The Color of Wealth lays bare a dirty secret: for centuries, people of color have been barred by laws and by discrimination from participating in government wealth-building programs that benefit white Americans. This accessible book—published in conjunction with one of the country’s leading economics education organizations—makes the case that until government policy tackles disparities in wealth, not just income, the United States will never have racial or economic justice. Written by five leading experts on the racial wealth divide who recount the asset-building histories of Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans, this book is a uniquely comprehensive multicultural history of American wealth. With its focus on public policies—how, for example, many post–World War II GI Bill programs helped whites only—The Color of Wealth is the first book to demonstrate the decisive influence of government on Americans’ net worth.

This compact and original exposition of optimal control theory and applications is designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in economics. It presents a new elementary yet rigorous proof of the maximum principle and a new way of applying the principle that will enable students to solve any one-dimensional problem routinely. Its unified framework illuminates many famous economic examples and models. This work also emphasizes the connection between optimal control theory and the classical themes of capital theory. It offers a fresh approach to fundamental questions such as: What is income? How should it be measured? What is its relation to wealth? The book will be valuable to students who want to formulate and solve dynamic allocation problems. It will also be of interest to any economist who wants to understand results of the latest research on the relationship between comprehensive income accounting and wealth or welfare.

This book deals with the following issues: the analysis, estimation and assessment of alternatived models of income distribution, the specification and evaluation of income inequality measures the analysis and measurement of poverty and its rationale, the scope and methodological power of the social accounting matrix (SAM) in the analysis of the functional and personal distribution of income and the family income multiplier, the study of the source and reliability of income distribution data, the decomposition of income inequality measures, the asymptotic distributions and inferential analysis of income inequalities, and an inquiry on the income distribution and income inequality of Eastern European Countries under socialism. New models on income and wealth distribution are specified and their corresponding properties and goodness of fit are discussed. A multivariate approach to the measurement of poverty is developed and applied, and a compact survey of the literature is presented. The book can be used as a text in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses dealing with the theory, model specifications, methods and applications of income and wealth distribution, income inequality and poverty assessment in measurement and the use of SAMs in the analysis of income distribution.

The first monograph in econophysics focussed on the analyses and modelling of these distributions, ideal for physicists and economists.

Income inequality is rising. A quarter of a century ago, the average disposable income of the richest 10% in OECD countries was around seven times higher than that of the poorest 10%; today, it's around 9½ times higher. Why does this matter? Many fear this widening gap is hurting individuals, societies and even economies. This book explores income inequality across five main headings. It starts by explaining some key terms in the inequality debate. It then examines recent trends and explains why income inequality varies between countries. Next it looks at why income gaps are growing and, in particular, at the rise of the 1%. It then looks at the consequences, including research that suggests widening inequality could hurt economic growth. Finally, it examines policies for addressing inequality and making economies more inclusive.