Alfani, Guido. The lion's share : inequality and the rise of the fiscal state in preindustrial Europe

Folger bibliographic ID: 358134
Folger call number: HC308.V4 A44 2019
Folger holdings ID: 506493

This is the most in-depth analysis of inequality and social polarization ever attempted for a preindustrial society. Using data from the archives of the Venetian Terraferma, and compared with information available for elsewhere in Europe, Guido Alfani and Matteo Di Tullio demonstrate that the rise of the fiscal-military state served to increase economic inequality in the early modern period. Preindustrial fiscal systems tended to be regressive in nature, and increased post-tax inequality compared to pre-tax - in contrast to what we would assume is the case in contemporary societies. This led to greater and greater disparities in wealth, which were made worse still as taxes were collected almost entirely to fund war and defence rather than social welfare. Though focused on Old Regime Europe, Alfani and Di Tullio's findings speak to contemporary debates about the roots of inequality and social stratification

General notes

This is the most in-depth analysis of inequality and social polarization ever attempted for a preindustrial society. Using data from the archives of the Venetian Terraferma, and compared with information available for elsewhere in Europe, Guido Alfani and Matteo Di Tullio demonstrate that the rise of the fiscal-military state served to increase economic inequality in the early modern period. Preindustrial fiscal systems tended to be regressive in nature, and increased post-tax inequality compared to pre-tax - in contrast to what we would assume is the case in contemporary societies. This led to greater and greater disparities in wealth, which were made worse still as taxes were collected almost entirely to fund war and defence rather than social welfare. Though focused on Old Regime Europe, Alfani and Di Tullio's findings speak to contemporary debates about the roots of inequality and social stratification Includes bibliographical references and index

Contents

The Venetian fiscal system : centre and periphery -- The rich and the poor -- Economic inequality in the long run -- Taxation, redistribution and inequality -- Appendix: Building regional distributions of wealth for the Republic of Venice and for Veneto

Extended title: The lion's share : inequality and the rise of the fiscal state in preindustrial Europe / Guido Alfani, Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy, Matteo Di Tullio, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Italy

Venice (Italy) Fiscal policy Income distribution Equality Economic history Italy

author: Alfani, Guido, 1976-
author: Di Tullio, Matteo