IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/ipewps/1122018.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The limits to profit-wage redistribution: Endogenous regime shifts in Kaleckian models of growth and distribution

Author

Listed:
  • Köhler, Kasper

Abstract

A feature of Kaleckian models of distribution and growth that is often overlooked is that they describe a nonlinear relation between functional income distribution and demand and growth, because the size of the multiplier is affected by redistribution from wages to profits and vice versa. This paper addresses the nonlinearity of the standard post-Kaleckian model by examining its so-called IS-curves. It is found that changes in functional income distribution affect the "distribution-ledness" of an economy: redistribution towards wages reinforces the wage-led or profit-led character of an economy, while redistribution towards profits does the opposite. In addition, redistribution towards wages can turn an intermediate regime wage-led. A standard post-Kaleckian model with nonlinear investment behaviour is then presented. This model yields substantially different IS curves, such that an optimal functional income distribution can be derived. However, it is found that unlike in the standard model, this optimum is not the same for the different classes, such that true opposing interests appear in the model.

Suggested Citation

  • Köhler, Kasper, 2018. "The limits to profit-wage redistribution: Endogenous regime shifts in Kaleckian models of growth and distribution," IPE Working Papers 112/2018, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ipewps:1122018
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/188925/1/1041849001.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert A. Blecker, 2016. "Wage-led versus profit-led demand regimes: the long and the short of it," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 4(4), pages 373-390, October.
    2. Hyman P. Minsky, 1977. "The Financial Instability Hypothesis: An Interpretation of Keynes and an Alternative to“Standard” Theory," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 20-27, March.
    3. Joan Robinson, 1962. "A Model of Accumulation," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Essays in the Theory of Economic Growth, chapter 0, pages 22-87, Palgrave Macmillan.
    4. Leigh A. Riddick & Toni M. Whited, 2009. "The Corporate Propensity to Save," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(4), pages 1729-1766, August.
    5. Marc Lavoie, 2014. "Post-Keynesian Economics: New Foundations," Post-Print hal-01343652, HAL.
    6. Samuel Bowles and Robert Boyer., 1988. "Labor Discipline and Aggregate Demand: A Macroeconomic Model," Economics Working Papers 8875, University of California at Berkeley.
    7. Prante, Franz J., 2017. "Macroeconomic effects of personal and functional income inequality: Theory and empirical evidence for the US and Germany," IPE Working Papers 83/2017, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    8. Joan Robinson, 1962. "Essays in the Theory of Economic Growth," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-00626-7.
    9. Peter Skott, 2012. "Theoretical And Empirical Shortcomings Of The Kaleckian Investment Function," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 109-138, February.
    10. Thomas I. Palley, 2013. "Enriching the Neo-Kaleckian Growth Model: Nonlinearities, Political Economy, and Financial Factors," Working Papers wp335, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    11. Epstein,Gerald A. & Gintis,Herbert M., 2011. "Macroeconomic Policy after the Conservative Era," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521148412.
    12. Thomas Palley, 2012. "Wealth and wealth distribution in the neo-Kaleckian growth model," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(3), pages 453-474.
    13. Stockhammer, Engelbert, 2011. "Wage-led growth: An introduction," Economics Discussion Papers 2011-1, School of Economics, Kingston University London.
    14. Engelbert Stockhammer & Özlem Onaran & Stefan Ederer, 2009. "Functional income distribution and aggregate demand in the Euro area," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 33(1), pages 139-159, January.
    15. H. D. Kurz, 1991. "Technical Change, Growth and Distribution: A Steady-state Approach to ‘Unsteady’ Growth on Kaldorian Lines," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Edward J. Nell & Willi Semmler (ed.), Nicholas Kaldor and Mainstream Economics, chapter 24, pages 421-448, Palgrave Macmillan.
    16. Michalis Nikiforos, 2016. "Distribution-led growth in the long run," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 4(4), pages 391-408, October.
    17. Engelbert Stockhammer & Stefan Ederer, 2008. "Demand effects of the falling wage share in Austria," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 35(5), pages 481-502, December.
    18. Eckhard Hein, 2017. "Post-Keynesian macroeconomics since the mid 1990s: main developments," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(2), pages 131-172, September.
    19. Edward J. Nell & Willi Semmler (ed.), 1991. "Nicholas Kaldor and Mainstream Economics," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-10947-0.
    20. Thomas I. Palley, 2014. "Rethinking wage vs. profit-led growth theory with implications for policy analysis," IMK Working Paper 141-2014, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    21. Thomas I. Palley, 2013. "Cambridge and neo-Kaleckian growth and distribution theory: comparison with an application to fiscal policy," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 1(1), pages 79-104, January.
    22. Bhaduri, Amit & Marglin, Stephen, 1990. "Unemployment and the Real Wage: The Economic Basis for Contesting Political Ideologies," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 14(4), pages 375-393, December.
    23. Bowles, Samuel & Boyer, Robert, 1988. "Labor Discipline and Aggregate Demand: A Macroeconomic Model," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt8sb2623g, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    24. Taylor, Lance, 1990. "Real and Money Wages, Output and Inflation in the Semi-industrialized World," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 57(227), pages 329-353, August.
    25. S. A. Marglin & A. Bhaduri, 1991. "Profit Squeeze and Keynesian Theory," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Edward J. Nell & Willi Semmler (ed.), Nicholas Kaldor and Mainstream Economics, chapter 8, pages 123-163, Palgrave Macmillan.
    26. Taylor, Lance, 1985. "A Stagnationist Model of Economic Growth," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 9(4), pages 383-403, December.
    27. Onaran, Özlem & Galanis, G., 2013. "Is aggregate demand wage-led or profit-led? A global model," Greenwich Papers in Political Economy 16222, University of Greenwich, Greenwich Political Economy Research Centre.
    28. Dutt, Amitava Krishna, 1984. "Stagnation, Income Distribution and Monopoly Power," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 8(1), pages 25-40, March.
    29. Blecker, Robert A, 1989. "International Competition, Income Distribution and Economic Growth," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 13(3), pages 395-412, September.
    30. C. W.M. Naastepad & Servaas Storm, 2007. "OECD demand regimes (1960-2000)," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., vol. 29(2), pages 211-246, January.
    31. Eckhard Hein, 2014. "Distribution and Growth after Keynes," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15903.
    32. Bowles, Samuel & Boyer, Robert, 1988. "Labor Discipline and Aggregate Demand: A Macroeconomic Model," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(2), pages 395-400, May.
    33. You, Jong-Il, 1994. "Macroeconomic Structure, Endogenous Technical Change and Growth," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 18(2), pages 213-234, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert A. Blecker, 2016. "Wage-led versus profit-led demand regimes: the long and the short of it," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 4(4), pages 373-390, October.
    2. Eckhard Hein, 2017. "Post-Keynesian macroeconomics since the mid 1990s: main developments," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(2), pages 131-172, September.
    3. Michalis Nikiforos & Duncan K. Foley, 2012. "Distribution And Capacity Utilization: Conceptual Issues And Empirical Evidence," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 200-229, February.
    4. Michalis Nikiforos & Duncan Foley, 2011. "Distribution and Capacity: Conceptual Issues and Empirical Evidence September," Working Papers 1105, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    5. Cem Oyvat & Oğuz Öztunalı & Ceyhun Elgin, 2020. "Wage‐led versus profit‐led demand: A comprehensive empirical analysis," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(3), pages 458-486, July.
    6. Stefan Ederer & Miriam Rehm, 2021. "Wealth inequality and aggregate demand," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 405-424, May.
    7. Eckhard Hein & Artur Tarassow, 2010. "Distribution, aggregate demand and productivity growth: theory and empirical results for six OECD countries based on a post-Kaleckian model," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 34(4), pages 727-754.
    8. Brenck, Clara & Carvalho, Laura, 2020. "The equalizing spiral in early 21st century Brazil: a Kaleckian model with sectoral heterogeneity," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 298-310.
    9. Engelbert Stockhammer & Ozlem Onaran, 2013. "Wage-led growth: theory, evidence, policy," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 1(1), pages 61-78, January.
    10. Eckhard Hein, 2019. "Karl Marx: an early post-Keynesian? A comparison of Marx's economics with the contributions by Sraffa, Keynes, Kalecki and Minsky," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 16(2), pages 238-259, September.
    11. Eckhard Hein, 2020. "Gender Issues in Kaleckian Distribution and Growth Models: On the Macroeconomics of the Gender Wage Gap," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 640-664, October.
    12. Prante, Franz J., 2019. "Income distribution and the multiplier: An exploration of nonlinear distribution effects in linear Kaleckian distribution and growth models," IPE Working Papers 121/2019, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    13. Santiago José Gahn & Alejandro González, 2022. "On the empirical content of the convergence debate: Cross‐country evidence on growth and capacity utilisation," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(3), pages 825-855, July.
    14. Armon Rezai, 2015. "Demand and distribution in integrated economies," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 39(5), pages 1399-1414.
    15. Hein, Eckhard, 2018. "Inequality and growth: Marxian and post-Keynesian/Kaleckian perspectives on distribution and growth regimes before and after the Great Recession," IPE Working Papers 96/2018, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    16. Michalis Nikiforos, 2015. "Uncertainty and Contradiction: An Essay on the Business Cycle," Working Papers 1514, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    17. Prabirjit Sarkar, 1993. "Distribution and Growth: A Critical Note on "Stagnationism"," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 25(1), pages 62-70, March.
    18. Ozan Ekin Kurt, 2020. "Functional income distribution, capacity utilization, capital accumulation and productivity growth in Turkey: A post‐Kaleckian analysis," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(4), pages 734-766, November.
    19. Hein, Eckhard & Prante, Franz, 2018. "Functional distribution and wage inequality in recent Kaleckian growth models," IPE Working Papers 110/2018, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    20. Cárdenas, Luis & Fernández, Rafael, 2020. "Revisiting francoist developmentalism: The influence of wages in the Spanish growth model," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 260-268.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    distribution; growth; nonlinearity; demand and growth regimes; Kaleckian models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B59 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Other
    • E11 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Marxian; Sraffian; Kaleckian
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E25 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Aggregate Factor Income Distribution
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:ipewps:1122018. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iphwrde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.