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Inequality, Environmental Protection and Growth

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  • Laura Marsiliani

    (W. Allen Wallis Institute of Political Economy, University of Rochester)

  • Thomas Renstrom

    (W. Allen Wallis Institute of Political Economy, University of Rochester and CEPR)

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    Abstract

    We analyze how, in representative democracies, income distribution influences the stringency of environmental policy and economic growth. Individuals (who differ in abilities) live for two periods, working when young and owning capital when old. Externalities are caused by a polluting factor. The revenue from pollution taxation, as well as capital-income taxation, is redistributed lump-sum to the old. The fiscal decision, at each point in time, is taken by a majority elected representative. In politico-economic equilibrium, more inequality (in terms of the skewness of the distribution) yields a lower pollution tax, a larger capital tax, and lower growth.

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    File URL: http://www.wallis.rochester.edu/WallisPapers/wallis_35.pdf
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    Bibliographic Info

    Paper provided by University of Rochester - Wallis Institute of Political Economy in its series Wallis Working Papers with number WP35.

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    Length: pages
    Date of creation: Nov 2002
    Date of revision:
    Handle: RePEc:roc:wallis:wp35

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    Postal: University of Rochester, Wallis Institute, Harkness 109B Rochester, New York 14627 U.S.A.

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    Keywords: Environmental policy; redistribution; inequality; political economy; growth.;

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    1. Bovenberg, A Lans & Smulders, Sjak A, 1996. "Transitional Impacts of Environmental Policy in an Endogenous Growth Model," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 37(4), pages 861-93, November.
    2. Smulders, Sjak & Gradus, Raymond, 1996. "Pollution abatement and long-term growth," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 505-532, November.
    3. Bovenberg, A.L. & Mooij, R.A. de, 1994. "Environmental tax reform and endogenous growth," Discussion Paper 1994-98, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
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    9. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo, 2000. "Inequality and Growth: What Can the Data Say?," NBER Working Papers 7793, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Marsiliani, L. & Renstrom, T.I., 2000. "Inequality, Environmental Protection and Growth," Discussion Paper 2000-34, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
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    14. Persson, Torsten & Tabellini, Guido, 1994. "Is Inequality Harmful for Growth?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(3), pages 600-621, June.
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    17. Aidt, Toke S., 1998. "Political internalization of economic externalities and environmental policy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 1-16, July.
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    19. Meltzer, Allan H & Richard, Scott F, 1981. "A Rational Theory of the Size of Government," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(5), pages 914-27, October.
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    21. Oates, Wallace E. & Schwab, Robert M., 1988. "Economic competition among jurisdictions: efficiency enhancing or distortion inducing?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 333-354, April.
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    23. Kristin J. Forbes, 2000. "A Reassessment of the Relationship between Inequality and Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(4), pages 869-887, September.
    24. Bovenberg, A.L. & Smulders, S., 1993. "Environmental Quality and Pollution-Saving Technological Change in Two- Sector Endogenous Growth Model," Papers 9321, Tilburg - Center for Economic Research.
    25. Smulders, J.A. & Gradus, R.H.J.M., 1993. "The trade-off between environmental care and long-term growth: Pollution in three proto-type growth models," Open Access publications from Tilburg University urn:nbn:nl:ui:12-153405, Tilburg University.
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