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Non-welfare economics and the well-being of phantom agents: an appeal to caution

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  • Bart Capéau
  • Erwin Ooghe

Abstract

Besley (1988) is one of the few exceptional articles containing non-welfarist optimal tax devices. Feehan(1990) reports an error in his first-best rules. The present note criticizes the fundamentals of Besley's second-best rules. These rules optimize the welfare or well-being of phantom agents rather than the corrected welfare of real existing agents in society.

Suggested Citation

  • Bart Capéau & Erwin Ooghe, 2001. "Non-welfare economics and the well-being of phantom agents: an appeal to caution," Public Economics Working Paper Series wpphnag, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centrum voor Economische Studiën, Working Group Public Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpe:papers:wpphnag
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    File URL: http://www.econ.kuleuven.ac.be/ew/academic/econover/Papers/wpphnag.pdf
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    1. FLEURBAEY, Marc & MANIQUET, François, 1998. "Optimal income taxation: and ordinal approach," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 1998065, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    2. Feehan, James P., 1990. "A simple model for merit good arguments : A comment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 127-129, October.
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