Provides an up-to-date synthesis of the many strands of distributional analysis used in the fields of social policy, welfare theory and public finance. Develops a consistent mathematical approach into a self-contained and unified treatment of the distribution and redistribution of income. Thoroughly updated edition of a well adopted textbook. Substantially enhanced by the inclusion of two new chapters on Poverty and Horizontal Inequity (unfairness in income taxes) - issues of popular interest in which there has been a great deal of recent theoretical research. A reference and resource work spanning several areas of economics not drawn together elsewhere.

Peter Lambert is Professor of Economics at the University of York

1. Introduction and summary
2. The size distribution of income
3. Lorenz curves and welfare comparisons
4. Social welfare and inequality aversion
5. Abbreviated social welfare functions and inequality indices
6. Poverty
7. The income tax
8. A progressive income tax schedule
9. Income tax reform and social welfare
10. Differences in income tax treatment
11. The net fiscal system
Bibliography