Sukanta Bhattacharya (University of Calcutta)

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 Centre for Development Economics
and
Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics

ANNOUNCE A SEMINAR

Income Inequality and the Quality of Public Services:
A Developing Country Perspective

by

Sukanta Bhattacharya
University of Calcutta

Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.

Venue : AMEX Conference Room (Second Floor)
Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics

All are cordially invited

Abstract

That the high growth, rising inequality phenomenon – experienced by many high growth developing economies in the recent past – may lead to discontent among the poor is a well-discussed issue. This paper argues that as the demand for higher quality of the public services rises with income, the rising income in the hands of the rich leads to dissatisfaction among the rich about the quality of available public services, inducing them to form their own club for self-provision of the public services whenever possible. But this results in a lowering of quality available to the others outside the club despite less crowding at the publicly provided facilities.