During the period that Mrs Thatcher was in office, the post-war trend towards greater equality of income was reversed. Although some of the changes the Labour government has made since 1997 have helped those on lower incomes, the rise in incomes at the top of the scale has meant that the gap between rich and poor has widened again. The article below from the Guardian looks at the latest figures on income inequality.
Inequality at same level as under Thatcher Guardian (18/5/07)
Questions |
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| 1. | Define the terms (a) Lorenz curve and (b) Gini coefficient. |
| 2. | Given the changes in income distribution outlined in the article, discuss how the value of the Gini coefficient has changed since 1997. |
| 3. | Draw Lorenz curves to show the changes that have taken place in income distribution during Mrs Thatcher’s period in office and during Tony Blair’s time in office. |
| 4. | Analyse two policies that the government could introduce to reverse these income distribution trends. |