Work

Lack of opportunities, non-paternalism, and priority to the worst off

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper presents a novel welfare approach that focuses on and prioritizes the worst-off. It bridges the gap between social welfare functions and poverty measures to provide a new tool for policy analysis. In contrast to social welfare functions, individuals are compared in terms of their lack of opportunities for a decent standard of living. In contrast to poverty measures, the assessment of individuals is non-paternalistic and respects individuals’ views of what constitutes a good life. The characterized social deprivation function is also generalized to differences in household needs.

Source: Social Choice and Welfare

DOI: 10.1007/s00355-025-01603-z

Author: Paolo G. Piacquadio

Institutions: University of Oslo, University of St.Gallen

Language: English

Topic: Income, Poverty, and Inequality

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: No poverty, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,890