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Efficiency and Equilibrium when Preferences are Time-Inconsistent

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Author Info
Erzo G J Luttmer
Thomas Mariotti

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Abstract

We consider an exchange economy with time-inconsistent consumers whose preferences are additively separable. When these consumers trade in a sequence of markets, their time-inconsistency may introduce a non-convexity that gives them an incentive to trade lotteries. If there are many consumers, competitive equilibria with and without lotteries exist. The existence of symmetric equilibria may require lotteries. Symmetric equilibria that do not require lotteries are generically locally unique. Allocations that are Pareto efficient at the initial date are also renegotiation-proof. Competitive equilibria are Pareto efficient in this sense, and for generic endowments, if and only if preferences are locally homothetic. For non-homothetic preferences, the introduction of lottery markets has an ambiguous impact on the equilibrium welfare of consumers at the initial date.

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Paper provided by Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE in its series STICERD - Theoretical Economics Paper Series with number 446.

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Date of creation: Jan 2003
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Handle: RePEc:cep:stitep:446

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Keywords: Dynamic inconsistency; competitive equilibrium; lotteries; generic inefficiency.;

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  1. Erzo G. J. Luttmer & Thomas Mariotti, 2003. "Subjective Discounting in an Exchange Economy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 111(5), pages 959-989, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Krusell, Per & Kuruscu, Burhanettin & Smith Jr., Anthony A, 2001. "Equilibrium Welfare and Government Policy with Quasi-Geometric Discounting," CEPR Discussion Papers 2693, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Christopher Harris & David Laibson, 1999. "Dynamic Choices of Hyperbolic Consumers," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1886, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
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  4. Erzo G J Luttmer & Thomas Mariotti, 2003. "Efficiency and Equilibrium when Preferences are Time-Inconsistent," STICERD - Theoretical Economics Paper Series 446, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Laibson, David, 1997. "Golden Eggs and Hyperbolic Discounting," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 112(2), pages 443-77, May.
  6. Peleg, Bezalel & Yaari, Menahem E, 1973. "On the Existence of a Consistent Course of Action when Tastes are Changing," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 40(3), pages 391-401, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1982. "The Inefficiency of the Stock Market Equilibrium," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(2), pages 241-61, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. Gabrieli, Tommaso & Ghosal, Sayantan, 2009. "Non-Existence of Competitive Equilibria with Dynamically Inconsistent Preferences," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 900, University of Warwick, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Luttmer, Erzo & Mariotti, Thomas, 2004. "Efficiency and Equilibrium when Preferences are Time-Inconsistent," IDEI Working Papers 335, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse. [Downloadable!]
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