Robert Ekelund Books
Robert Ekelund is an economist and professor emeritus at Auburn University.
Known for: The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate
Books by Robert Ekelund
The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate
This book challenges the prevailing narrative about income inequality in the United States. The authors argue that official statistics significantly overstate inequality by failing to account for taxes, transfers, and non-cash benefits. Drawing on decades of economic data, they contend that when these factors are properly included, the gap between rich and poor Americans is far smaller than commonly believed. The book also explores how mismeasurement distorts public policy and political debate.
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Historical Context
To understand the present confusion, we must look back at how America began measuring inequality. In the mid-twentieth century, when income statistics first became standard in federal reporting, the focus was narrow: income meant money earned through wages, salaries, and certain cash transfers. Over...
From The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate
Defining Income
Before we can talk about inequality, we must define what we mean by 'income.' Economists often use the term broadly to capture all resources that improve a household’s ability to consume and save. Yet America's most trusted surveys use a much narrower version, omitting key forms of compensation and ...
From The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate
About Robert Ekelund
Robert Ekelund is an economist and professor emeritus at Auburn University.
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Robert Ekelund is an economist and professor emeritus at Auburn University.
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