Yes, Obamacare clearly redistributes from the rich to the poor, but even this redistribution doesn't quite fit what Chait describes as a "clean upward-downward economic tug-of-war".
We should be celebrating the fact that America redistributes wealth from rich regions to poor ones.
Oil exporters buy a lot more of their imports from Europe and Asia than from America, so a shift in the "terms of trade", which redistributes income from oil consumers to oil producers, tends to reduce the relative demand for American goods.
Those on the left peddle the opposite view: that the government redistributes far too little because the tax system is skewed to benefit the rich and America's welfare state is the skimpiest in the developed world.Both sides are wrong.
America's government raises revenues inefficiently and redistributes them oddly: too much from young to old, too much in the form of health care, and ever less from rich to poor.Start with taxes.
That system, which redistributes votes from eliminated candidates until someone crosses the 50% line, is marginally helpful to smaller parties, and very helpful for those, such as the Lib Dems, who might hope to form electoral pacts, as it allows supporters to give allies their second preferences.
America's government, they argue, redistributes far too much from a shrinking pool of "makers" to a vast number of loafers.
Whether Sunday trading increases sales overall or just redistributes them is debated.
The maximum individual contract simply redistributes income from the game's superstars to its upper middle class, distorting the labour market and making "manipulations" like that of Mr Bosh, Mr James and Mr Wade far more likely.
European leaders may also create a separate euro-zone budget.In this section The dictator of a pluralistic country A Basque case Tip of the boot Marching season Tusk, tusk Givers and takers The Swedish model The battle of the budget ReprintsBy contrast, Germany's system redistributes states' revenues, irrespective of their indebtedness or spending, thus reducing differences in funding per person.
After a year of unethical bankers, swindling MPs and the defacement of war memorials by students, I am starting to think that the government is looking in the wrong place for Britain's "character".Joanne Harrower Brussels* SIR – A letter to the editor stated that "because of the upper limit on payroll taxes, Social Security is regressive and redistributes wealth to the rich" (December 4th).
