How Pronounced is the U-Curve? Revisiting Income Inequality in the United States, 1917–60

2022/03/08 by Vincent Geloso, Phillip Magness, John Allphin Moore +1 · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Income, Poverty, and Inequality #Economic Theory and Policy #Economic Theory and Institutions

paper · doi:10.1093/ej/ueac020

openalex publication_date 2022/03/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Abstract Piketty and Saez (2003) found a pronounced U-curve pattern of American income inequality since 1917, displaying a precipitous decline during World War II to a level that would hold until 1980. We offer revisions to their income inequality estimates prior to 1960 with three important findings. First, Piketty and Saez overstate inequality levels in this period. Second, the decline during World War II was smaller than depicted. Third, the Great Depression, rather than World War II, played the more significant role. These findings indicate a need to re-evaluate commonly held assumptions about the evolution of inequality during the period of the ‘great levelling’, as well as the nature of its posited relationship to tax policy.

Citations

• Wealth Inequality in the United States since 1913: Evidence from Capitalized Income Tax Data *
• Earnings Inequality and Mobility in the United States: Evidence from Social Security Data since 1937*
• Top Incomes in the Long Run of History

Cited by

• Income inequality in the United States [wikipedia]

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