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First presentation

„Transparancy data bank“ – More

distributive justice in Austria?

Palenik René

Supervisor: Dr. Rainer Bartel

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Agenda

■ Information about the „Transparancy data bank“

■ Goals of the diploma thesis

■ Approach

■ What is „distributive justice“?

■ Literature

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Transparancy data bank (I)

The possibility of a „Transparancy data monitoring“ for every natural or legal

person and the public authorities probably from 2014 on:

■ Illustration of the gross and net income

■ Illustration of all effectively received transfer payments

■ Illustration of all generally possible transfer payments

■ Illustration of the costs of the public sector for different transfer benefits like

education, health as an approximate amount of money per person

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Transparancy data bank (II)

Purposes:

• Combination of the data of the Ministry of Finance, the Public

Employment Service (AMS) and the Main Association of the Austrian

Social Security Institutions

• Information purpose for (potential) receiver of transfer payments

• Detection purpose for official channels

• Inspection and control purpose for the public authorities

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Transparancy data bank (III)

Aims:

• Higher social targeting

• Better incentives

• Elimination of market distortions

• Less misusage of transfer payments

• Budget stability and sustainable public finances

• Lower taxes

• Etc.

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Goals of the diploma thesis

■ Analysis of the „Transparancy data bank law“ and the goals, chances

and risks of the „Transparancy data bank“

■ Theoretical elaboration of distributive justice theories

■ Illustration of the distributive situation in Austria

■ Combination of both topics: The effects of the „Transparancy data

bank“ on the distributive justice in Austria

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Approach

1. Normative economics:

Elaboration of the different normative conceptions and

definition of distributive justice

2. Positive economics:

Illustration of the distributive situation in Austria

3. Analysis of the „Tranparancy data bank (law)“

4. Description of the effects of the „Transparancy data bank“ on the

distributive justice in Austria by reasoning

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Distributive justice (I)

■ Utilitarian conceptions

■ Trade-off between efficiency and equity

■ John Rawls‘ Theory of Justice

■ Social equity ideas

■ Equality objective

■ Goals of the welfare state

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Distributive justice (II)

Utilitarian conceptions:

■ Utility maximization

■ Efficiency orientated

■ Exclude the idea of justice/equity

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Distributive justice (III)

Trade-off between efficiency and equity:

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Distributive justice (IV)

John Rawls‘ Theory of Justice:

People should sign a social contract concerning the normative

values , which they can all agree on, behind the so-called veil of

ignorance

Social welfare depends on the position of the poorest member only

Society will only be better, if the welfare of the poorest member is

raised, all other changes are neutral

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Distributive justice (V)

Social equity ideas:

• An equitable situation exists when the society interprets the

situation as „fair“ or „just“.

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Distributive justice (VI)

Equality objective:

Equality = Identical chances/options = Identical total income

Total income = monetary + non-monetary income

Problems in the measurement of non-monetary income

Focus on monetary-income

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Distributive justice (VII)

Goals of the welfare state:

• Poverty reduction

• Social equality through redestribution

• Etc...

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Literature

• Barr, Nicholas (2004): Economics of the Welfare State, 4. Auflage, Oxford.

• Breyer, Friedrich / Buchholz, Wolfgang (2009): Ökonomie des Sozialstaates, 2.

Auflage, Berlin.

• Bundesministerium für Arbeit, Soziales und Konsumentenschutz (2012):

Sozialbericht 2012.

• Hinterberger, F. (1991): Monetäre Verteilungspolitik: Zur Begründung und Bewertung

verteilungspolitischer Maßnahmen am Beispiel Österreichs und der Bundesrepublik

Deutschland, Volkswirtschaftliche Schriften, Heft 408, Berlin.

• Rawls, J. (1971): A Theory of Justice, Oxford.

• TDBG (2012): Transparenzdatenbankgesetz 2012.

• Tinbergen, J. (1978): Einkommensverteilung: Auf dem Weg zu einer neuen

Einkommensgerechtigkeit, Wiesbaden.