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On the role of progressive taxation in a Ramsey model with heterogeneous households

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  • Bosi, Stefano
  • Seegmuller, Thomas

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the role of progressive tax rules on the steady state and the stability properties in a Ramsey economy with heterogeneous households and borrowing constraints. Since labor supply is elastic, considering different tax rates on capital and labor incomes matters. Showing the existence of steady states where only the most patient households hold capital, we argue that working could not be optimal for them. Dynamics are addressed through a local analysis. In contrast to many contributions, progressive tax rules can promote expectation-driven fluctuations and endogenous cycles. Hence, progressivity can be an inopportune device to stabilize macroeconomic volatility.

Suggested Citation

  • Bosi, Stefano & Seegmuller, Thomas, 2010. "On the role of progressive taxation in a Ramsey model with heterogeneous households," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 977-996, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:mateco:v:46:y:2010:i:6:p:977-996
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    Cited by:

    1. Bosi, Stefano & Seegmuller, Thomas, 2010. "On the role of progressive taxation in a Ramsey model with heterogeneous households," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 977-996, November.
    2. Nishimura, Kazuo & Nourry, Carine & Seegmuller, Thomas & Venditti, Alain, 2016. "Public Spending As A Source Of Endogenous Business Cycles In A Ramsey Model With Many Agents," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(2), pages 504-524, March.
    3. Mohanad ISMAEL, 2009. "Social Inequalities and Macroeconomic Instability," EcoMod2009 21500044, EcoMod.
    4. Shu-Hua Chen & Jang-Ting Guo, 2019. "Progressive taxation as an automatic destabilizer under endogenous growth," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 127(1), pages 47-71, June.
    5. Koyuncu, Murat, 2011. "Can progressive taxation account for cross-country variation in labor supply?," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1474-1488, September.
    6. Kirill Borissov & Joseph Hanna & Stéphane Lambrecht, 2019. "Public goods, voting, and growth," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 21(6), pages 1221-1265, December.
    7. Lise Clain-Chamosset-Yvrard & Thomas Seegmuller, 2013. "The Stabilizing Virtues of Fiscal vs. Monetary Policy on Endogenous Bubble Fluctuations," Working Papers halshs-00854536, HAL.
    8. KONDO Atsumasa, "undated". "The Role of Productivity Growth Rates for Rising Inequality in an Economy with Heterogeneous Agents," ESRI Discussion paper series 326, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    9. Mohanad Ismael, 2014. "Progressive income taxes and macroeconomic instability," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 10(2), pages 49-61.
    10. Mohanad Ismael, 2010. "Progressive income taxes and macroeconomic instability," Documents de recherche 10-13, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    11. Kirill Borissov & Joseph Hanna & Stéphane Lambrecht, 2019. "Public goods, voting, and growth," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 21(6), pages 1221-1265, December.
    12. Maxime Menuet & Alexandru Minea & Patrick Villieu, 2019. "Budget Rules, Distortionnary Taxes, and Aggregate Instability: A reappraisal," Working Papers hal-02153856, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Progressive taxation Heterogeneous agents Borrowing constraint Endogenous labor supply Steady state allocation Macroeconomic stability;

    JEL classification:

    • C62 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Existence and Stability Conditions of Equilibrium
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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