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Thomas Piketty and the Rate of Time Preference

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Using a standard model where the individual consumption path is computed solving an optimal control problem, we investigate central claims of Piketty (2014) Rather than r>g (confirmed in the data) r-s>g - with s being the rate of time preference - matters. If this condition holds and the elasticity of substitution in the production function is larger than one, the capital share converges to one in the long run. Nevertheless, this does not have major impact on the distribution of wealth. The latter, however, converges to maximum inequality for heterogeneous time preferences or rates of interest (either persistent or stochastic).

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  • Fischer, Thomas, 2017. "Thomas Piketty and the Rate of Time Preference," Working Papers 2017:1, Lund University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:hhs:lunewp:2017_001
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    Cited by:

    1. Galanis, Giorgos & Veneziani, Roberto & Yoshihara, Naoki, 2018. "The Dynamics of Exploitation and Inequality in Economies with Heterogeneous Agents," Discussion Paper Series 679, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    2. Richard A. Brecher & Till Gross, 2020. "Unemployment and income‐distribution effects of economic growth: A minimum‐wage analysis with optimal saving," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 16(3), pages 243-259, September.
    3. Kevin Luo & Tomoko Kinugasa & Kai Kajitani, . "Dynamic Efficiency in World Economy," Prague Economic Papers, University of Economics, Prague, vol. 0.
    4. Kevin Luo & Tomoko Kinugasa & Kai Kajitani, 2020. "Dynamic Efficiency in World Economy," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(5), pages 522-544.
    5. Böhl, Gregor & Fischer, Thomas, 2017. "Can taxation predict US top-wealth share dynamics?," IMFS Working Paper Series 118, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    6. Borissov, K. & Pakhnin, M., 2018. "A Division of Society into the Rich and the Poor: Some Approaches to Modeling," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 40(4), pages 32-59.
    7. Kevin Luo & Tomoko Kinugasa & Kai Kajitani, 2018. "Dynamic efficiency in world economy," Discussion Papers 1801, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wealth inequality; optimal control path; dynamic efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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