Base independence of equivalence scales and nonlinearity of Engel curves

等价尺度的基本独立性和恩格尔曲线的非线性

• 批准号: 277165179
• 负责人: Dr. Christian Dudel
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Lehrstuhl für Sozialpolitik und öffentliche Finanzen
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2014-12-31 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/277165179?language=en
• 关键词: Base; independence; equivalence; scales; nonlinearity

Equivalence scales are routinely applied in research on poverty and inequality and are used to guide policy decisions. A large number of different methods for empirical determination of equivalence scales has been proposed. The greater part of these methods makes use of household demand data and so called demand systems. Research conducted in Germany so far mostly used older methods due to data limitations. These methods imply one or both of two restrictive assumptions. First, Engel curves are assumed to be linear. Second, the so called base independence assumption is supposed to hold which requires equivalence scales to be independent of income and welfare level. The project aims to examine both assumptions using German data on household demand. Three methods are applied to reach this goal. First, the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System is estimated. Second, an improved version of a semiparametric test of base independence is used. Finally, a new nonparametric test is devised and applied which requires less restrictive assumptions than the other tests. Furthermore, the analyses also yield equivalence scales based on most recent data.

等值尺度通常用于贫穷和不平等问题的研究，并用于指导政策决定。已经提出了大量不同的方法来经验确定等效尺度。这些方法大部分利用家庭需求数据和所谓的需求系统。由于数据限制，迄今为止在德国进行的研究大多使用较旧的方法。这些方法包含两个限制性假设之一或两者。首先，假定恩格尔曲线是线性的。第二，所谓的基数独立性假设是成立的，它要求等价尺度独立于收入和福利水平。该项目旨在利用德国的家庭需求数据来检验这两种假设。有三种方法可以实现这一目标。首先，对二次几乎理想需求系统进行估计。其次，使用了改进的半参数检验的基础独立性。最后，一个新的非参数检验的设计和应用，需要较少的限制性假设比其他测试。此外，分析还根据最新数据得出等效量表。