THE ROLE OF SOCIAL PROTECTION EXPENDITURES IN REDUCING INCOME INEQUALITY: EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

Income inequality is one of the most important social problems of our time due to the potential problems it poses for social peace and well-being. This study aims to measure the effectiveness of social protection programs in solving the problem of increasing income inequality. In this context, the extent to which social protection expenditures are effective in reducing income inequality at the cumulative and functional level is tried to be determined. The impact of different expenditure components on income inequality was analyzed for European countries between 2005 and 2017. The results show that public expenditures and total social protection expenditures as a whole contribute more to reducing income inequality. Moreover, expenditures on old age, disability, family benefits, unemployment and housing are effective in reducing income inequality.

Keywords

• Public Expenditures
• Social Protection Expenditures
• Social Protection
• Income Inequality.

GELİR EŞİTSİZLİĞİNİN AZALTILMASINDA SOSYAL KORUMA HARCAMALARININ ROLÜ: AVRUPA ÜLKELERİNDEN KANITLAR

Abstract

Toplumsal huzur ve barış açısından ortaya çıkardığı potansiyel sorunlar nedeniyle gelir eşitsizliği çağımızın en önemli toplumsal sorunlarından biridir. Bu çalışma, artan gelir eşitsizliği sorununun çözümünde sosyal koruma programlarının etkinliğini ölçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda sosyal koruma harcamalarının kümülatif ve fonksiyonel düzeyde gelir eşitsizliğini azaltmada ne derece etkili olduğu saptanmaya çalışılmıştır. Farklı harcama bileşenlerinin gelir eşitsizliği üzerindeki etkisi 2005-2017 yılları arasında Avrupa ülkeleri üzerinden analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlar kamu harcamalarının ve toplam sosyal koruma harcamalarının bir bütün olarak gelir eşitsizliğinin azaltılmasına daha fazla katkıda bulunduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca, yaşlılık, malullük, aile yardımları, işsizlik ve konut harcamaları gelir eşitsizliğinin azaltılmasında etkindir.

Keywords

• Kamu Harcamaları
• Sosyal Koruma Harcamaları
• Sosyal Koruma
• Gelir Eşitsizliği.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma, Ankara Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Çalışma Ekonomisi ve Endüstri İlişkileri Anabilim Dalı'nda Yusuf Can ÇALIŞIR tarafından Prof. Dr. Şenay GÖKBAYRAK danışmanlığında hazırlanan ve başarılı bir şekilde savunulan “Sosyal Koruma Harcamalarının Gelir Eşitsizliği Üzerindeki Etkisi: OECD Ülkelerine Yönelik Ampirik Bir Değerlendirme” başlıklı doktora tezinden türetilmiştir.

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