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A Non‐unitary Discount Rate Model

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  • Takeo Hori
  • Koichi Futagami

Abstract

We develop a simple macroeconomic model in which agents discount their utility from consumption and the utility from leisure at different rates. Under this setting, time‐inconsistency emerges for the preferences of agents. Moreover, the time‐inconsistency problem generates two types of inefficiencies: intratemporal and intertemporal. We examine the welfare effects of savings subsidy and consumption tax. The effects of taxation in our model are quite different from those in the standard model. If the discount rate for consumption is higher (lower) than that for leisure, today's self cares less (more) about the consumption of the future selves than the leisure of the future selves. Depressing (stimulating) the consumption of future selves improves the utility of today's self. Hence a positive (negative) consumption tax rate improves the utility level of all selves.

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  • Takeo Hori & Koichi Futagami, 2019. "A Non‐unitary Discount Rate Model," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 86(341), pages 139-165, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:86:y:2019:i:341:p:139-165
    DOI: 10.1111/ecca.12250
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    2. Takeo Hori & Koichi Futagami, 2019. "A Non‐unitary Discount Rate Model," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 86(341), pages 139-165, January.
    3. Koichi Futagami & Daiki Maeda, 2022. "Naive Agents with Non-unitary Discounting Rate in a Monetary Economy," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 21-28, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    4. Ryoji Ohdoi & Koichi Futagami & Takeo Hori, 2015. "Welfare and Tax Policies in a Neoclassical Growth Model with Non-unitary Discounting," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 15-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    5. Ubfal, Diego, 2016. "How general are time preferences? Eliciting good-specific discount rates," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 150-170.
    6. Marco Desogus & Beatrice Venturi, 2023. "Stability and Bifurcations in Banks and Small Enterprises—A Three-Dimensional Continuous-Time Dynamical System," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Kumar, Pradeep & Kant, Shashi, 2019. "Endogenous time preferences of forest goods and community-based forest management," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 205-214.
    8. Howard, Gregory, 2013. "Discounting for personal and social payments: Patience for others, impatience for ourselves," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 583-597.
    9. Ryoji Ohdoi & Koichi Futagami, 2021. "Welfare implications of non-unitary time discounting," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 90(1), pages 85-115, February.
    10. Takeo Hori & Koichi Futagami & Shoko Morimoto, 2021. "Time-inconsistent discounting and the Friedman rule: roles of non-unitary discounting," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 73(3), pages 1200-1217.
    11. Daiki Maeda, 2019. "A Monetary Search Model with Non-unitary Discounting," ISER Discussion Paper 1062, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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