This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Intergenerational Habits, Fiscal Policy, and Welfare

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Delia Velculescu (International Monetary Fund)
Abstract

The present paper explores the fiscal policy implications of intergenerational habit formation in a Blanchard overlapping generations small open economy model. Three main conclusions emerge. (1) When individuals are finitely lived and have habits which they pass on to their descendants, the dynamic response of a small open economy to shocks exhibits sluggishness in consumption in the short run and may display damped cycles in the long run. (2) With habits, optimal fiscal policy takes the form of a social insurance scheme, allowing present and unborn cohorts to share in the consequences of macroeconomic shocks. In contrast, in an economy devoid of habits, the optimal fiscal response to a permanent shock is a one time abrupt adjustment, whereby the present generations bear the entire burden of the shock. (3) If habits exist but policy is conducted as though habits did not exist, the welfare losses for society can be substantial.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1129&context=bejm
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: Subscription to the journal may be required to access full texts.

As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.

Publisher Info
Article provided by Berkeley Electronic Press in its journal Topics in Macroeconomics.

Volume (Year): 4 (2004)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 1129-1129
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:bep:mactop:v:4:y:2004:i:1:p:1129-1129

Note: oai:bepress:bejm-1129
Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.bepress.com/bejm/topics/

Order Information:
Web: http://www.bepress.com/subscriptions.html

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Christopher F. Baum).

Related research
Keywords: habit formation optimal fiscal policy overlapping generations

Find related papers by JEL classification:
E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomics: Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Abel, Andrew B, 1990. "Asset Prices under Habit Formation and Catching Up with the Joneses," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 38-42, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Mansoorian, Arman, 1996. "On the Macroeconomic Policy Implications of Habit Persistence," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 28(1), pages 119-29, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Carroll, Christopher D. & Weil, David N., 1994. "Saving and growth: a reinterpretation," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 133-192, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Blanchard, Olivier J, 1985. "Debt, Deficits, and Finite Horizons," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(2), pages 223-47, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Christopher D. Carroll & Jody Overland & David N. Weil, 2000. "Saving and Growth with Habit Formation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(3), pages 341-355, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Spinnewyn, Frans, 1981. "Rational habit formation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 91-109. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Buiter, Willem H, 1988. "Death, Birth, Productivity Growth and Debt Neutrality," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 98(391), pages 279-93, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Diaz, Antonia & Pijoan-Mas, Josep & Rios-Rull, Jose-Victor, 2003. "Precautionary savings and wealth distribution under habit formation preferences," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 1257-1291, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Calvo, Guillermo A & Obstfeld, Maurice, 1988. "Optimal Time-Consistent Fiscal Policy with Finite Lifetimes," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 56(2), pages 411-32, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Hindy, Ayman & Huang, Chi-fu & Zhu, Steven H., 1997. "Optimal consumption and portfolio rules with durability and habit formation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 525-550. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Hamid Faruqee & Douglas Laxton, 2000. "Life-Cycles, Dynasties, Savings: Implications for Closed and Small, Open Economies," IMF Working Papers 00/126, International Monetary Fund.
  12. Constantinides, George M, 1990. "Habit Formation: A Resolution of the Equity Premium Puzzle," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(3), pages 519-43, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Giavazzi, Francesco & Wyplosz, Charles, 1985. "The Zero Root Problem: A Note on the Dynamic Determination of the Stationary Equilibrium in Linear Models," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(2), pages 353-57, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Narayana R. Kocherlakota, 1996. "The Equity Premium: It's Still a Puzzle," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 42-71, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  15. Lahiri, Amartya & Puhakka, Mikko, 1998. "Habit Persistence in Overlapping Generations Economies under Pure Exchange," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 176-186, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  16. Becker, Gary S & Murphy, Kevin M, 1988. "A Theory of Rational Addiction," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(4), pages 675-700, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Daniel Leigh & Jan-Peter Olters, 2006. "Natural-Resource Depletion, Habit Formation, and Sustainable Fiscal Policy: Lessons from Gabon," IMF Working Papers 06/193, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? Apart from a small start up grant in the 1990's, RePEc has received no funding and lives on the help of volunteers.

This page was last updated on 2008-11-13.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.