abstract: 'This study examines the impact of agrarian structures on income

  inequality over the long run. First, it exhibits the relationship

  between land and income distribution by developing a theoretical model

  based on Harris and Todaro (1970) and Lewis (1954). High land inequality

  increases income Gini coefficients in the urban sector as well as the

  rural sector, not only by creating congestion in the urban subsistence

  sector, but also by feeding the growth of the urban reserve army of

  labor, which pulls down the wages in the urban capitalist sector.

  Next, the study investigates the empirical relationship between land

  inequality, level of urbanization and income inequality using

  cross-country datasets. The estimation results support the theoretical

  model and indicate that the level of land inequality has a significant

  impact on determining the level of urbanization, and urban and overall

  income inequalities. Moreover, the analysis finds that overurbanization

  increases income inequality. The empirical analysis controls for

  institutional factors like education inequality and the level of

  democracy. The results present a stronger evidence on the land

  inequality''s influence through urbanization than through education and

  democracy.

  These results suggest that policymakers should have a broader view as to

  the importance of agrarian policies. A progressive land reform or/and

  subsidies protecting small peasantry can also reduce urban income

  inequality and poverty over the long run. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All

  rights reserved.'
affiliation: 'Oyvat, C (Corresponding Author), Univ Greenwich, London SE18 6PF, England.

  Oyvat, Cem, Univ Greenwich, London SE18 6PF, England.'
author: Oyvat, Cem
author_list:
- family: Oyvat
  given: Cem
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.01.019
eissn: 1873-5991
files: []
issn: 0305-750X
journal: WORLD DEVELOPMENT
keywords: distribution; urbanization; informality; economic development
keywords-plus: 'INCOME-DISTRIBUTION; URBAN EMPLOYMENT; DATA SET; MIGRATION; LABOR;

  GROWTH; GLOBALIZATION; UNEMPLOYMENT; CAPITALIST; POVERTY'
language: English
month: JUL
number-of-cited-references: '149'
pages: 207-230
papis_id: 107d89c66aecb1ffcab317b99093fdc9
ref: Oyvat2016agrarianstructures
times-cited: '31'
title: Agrarian Structures, Urbanization, and Inequality
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000375628900015
usage-count-last-180-days: '3'
usage-count-since-2013: '63'
volume: '83'
web-of-science-categories: Development Studies; Economics
year: '2016'