TY - JOUR
AU - Martin, Kathleen C.
AB - REVIEWS 765 global income inequality." (213) Second, by placing his discussion of the theo­ retieal literature after the presentation of his method and evidence, Firebaugh has an awkward connection with the literature. In essence, the book argues that we haven't been complicated enough about measuring inequality, but too complicated in explaining it. A few simple factors-the shift from agrieulture to industry in the West during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the same shift in Asian during the late twentieth century, the end of Communism--explain the bulk of the decline. Fancy de­ pendency, post-industrial, or information society theories often are inconsistent with the data. Firebaugh believes when it comes to theory, it is best to keep in simple. One exception is Firebaugh's discussion of institutionalism, to whieh he grants some explanatory power. In contrast to his detailed discussion of between-country inequality, his as, sessment of the growth of within-country inequality is disappointing. His data analvsis indicates that within-nation inequality has exploded in the West. Be, tween 1980 and 1995, the inequality index increased by about 10 percent in Western Europe, 20 percent in "Western offshoots" (the United States, Canada, Australia, etc.), and about 100 percent in Eastern Europe. In 
TI - Blame Welfare, Ignore Poverty and Inequality. By Joel F. Handler and Yeheskel Hasenfeld (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 401pp.)
JO - Journal of Social History
DO - 10.1353/jsh.2008.0055
DA - 2008-01-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/blame-welfare-ignore-poverty-and-inequality-by-joel-f-handler-and-z3cGG3o8UP
SP - 765
EP - 767
VL - 41
IS - 3
DP - DeepDyve
ER -