We develop an endogenous fertility model of social stratification with two hereditary classes: warriors and peasants. Our model shows that the extra cost warriors must incur to raise their children and to equip them for war is the key determinant of (1) the relative sizes of both classes, and (2) the warriors' economic privileges in terms of income and consumption. The higher the cost of warrior children, the greater the economic privileges of warriors will be, and the smaller the ratio of warriors to peasants will be. Historical evidence confirms this prediction.
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number
10115.
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.:
Eckstein, Zvi & Stern, Steven & Wolpin, Kenneth I, 1988.
"Fertility Choice, Land, and the Malthusian Hypothesis,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 29(2), pages 353-61, May.
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