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Viability of an economy with constrained inequality

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  • Krawczyk, Jacek B
  • Townsend, Wilbur

Abstract

Governments want to prevent high inequality while maintaining economic effi ciency. This paper investigates how an economy can satisfy both these constraints. We use the relative factor share as a proxy for inequality and so can use a representative agent model to understand how inequality evolves. Our representative agent model includes capital, consumption and debt which, like the relative factor share, are influenced by tax rates. Whether the model's evolutions can be constrained is understood as a problem of viability theory, and so we compute the viability kernels corresponding to our constraints. These kernels explain both how policy makers should act and why they act as they currently do. For example, we show that substantial government debt will require policy makers to reduce inequality. More importantly, we demonstrate that viability theory is a meaningful, interesting approach to understanding the tradeoff between inequality and efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Krawczyk, Jacek B & Townsend, Wilbur, 2015. "Viability of an economy with constrained inequality," Working Paper Series 19335, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:vuw:vuwecf:19335
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Krawczyk, Jacek & Kim, Kunhong, 2009. "Satisficing Solutions To A Monetary Policy Problem," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(1), pages 46-80, February.
    3. Martinet, V. & Doyen, L., 2007. "Sustainability of an economy with an exhaustible resource: A viable control approach," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 17-39, January.
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    5. Martinet, Vincent & Thebaud, Olivier & Doyen, Luc, 2007. "Defining viable recovery paths toward sustainable fisheries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 411-422, December.
    6. Jacek Krawczyk & Rishab Sethi, 2007. "Satisficing Solutions for New Zealand Monetary Policy," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series DP2007/03, Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
    7. Jacek Krawczyk & Alastair Pharo & Oana Serea & Stewart Sinclair, 2013. "Computation of viability kernels: a case study of by-catch fisheries," Computational Management Science, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 365-396, December.
    8. Bene, C. & Doyen, L. & Gabay, D., 2001. "A viability analysis for a bio-economic model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 385-396, March.
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    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/6869 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Jacek Krawczyk & Christopher Sissons & Daniel Vincent, 2012. "Optimal versus satisfactory decision making: a case study of sales with a target," Computational Management Science, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 233-254, May.
    12. Jacek Krawczyk & Kunhong Kim, 2014. "Viable Stabilising Non-Taylor Monetary Policies for an Open Economy," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 43(2), pages 233-268, February.
    13. Dominique Pujal & Patrick Saint-Pierre, 2006. "Capture Basin Algorithm for Evaluating and Managing Complex Financial Instruments," Computing in Economics and Finance 2006 186, Society for Computational Economics.
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