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On Ramseyʼs conjecture

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  • Mitra, Tapan
  • Sorger, Gerhard

Abstract

Studying a one-sector economy populated by finitely many heterogeneous households that are subject to no-borrowing constraints, we confirm a conjecture by Frank P. Ramsey according to which, in the long run, society would be divided into the set of patient households who own the entire capital stock and impatient ones without any physical wealth. More specifically, we prove (i) that there exists a unique steady state equilibrium that is globally asymptotically stable and (ii) that along every equilibrium the most patient household owns the entire capital of the economy after some finite time. Furthermore, we prove that despite the presence of the no-borrowing constraints all equilibria are efficient. Our results are derived for the continuous-time formulation of the model that was originally used by Ramsey, and they stand in stark contrast to results that – over the last three decades – have been found in the discrete-time version of the model.

Suggested Citation

  • Mitra, Tapan & Sorger, Gerhard, 2013. "On Ramseyʼs conjecture," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(5), pages 1953-1976.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:148:y:2013:i:5:p:1953-1976
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2013.05.003
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    1. Robert Becker & Ram Dubey & Tapan Mitra, 2014. "On Ramsey equilibrium: capital ownership pattern and inefficiency," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 55(3), pages 565-600, April.
    2. Kirill Borissov, 2011. "On Equilibrium Dynamics with Many Agents and Wages Paid ex ante," EUSP Department of Economics Working Paper Series 2011/05, European University at St. Petersburg, Department of Economics, revised 28 Apr 2011.
    3. Becker, Robert A & Foias, Ciprian, 1994. "The Local Bifurcation of Ramsey Equilibrium," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 4(5), pages 719-744, August.
    4. Becker, Robert A. & Mitra, Tapan, 2012. "Efficient Ramsey Equilibria," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(S1), pages 18-32, April.
    5. Becker, Robert A. & Foias, Ciprian, 1987. "A characterization of Ramsey equilibrium," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 173-184, February.
    6. Kirill Borissov, 2011. "On Equilibrium Dynamics with Many Agents and Wages Paid ex ante," EUSP Department of Economics Working Paper Series Ec-05/11, European University at St. Petersburg, Department of Economics, revised 28 Apr 2011.
    7. Fisher, Irving, 1907. "The Rate of Interest," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number fisher1907.
    8. Robert A. Becker, 1980. "On the Long-Run Steady State in a Simple Dynamic Model of Equilibrium with Heterogeneous Households," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 95(2), pages 375-382.
    9. Robert Becker & Ram Dubey & Tapan Mitra, 2014. "On Ramsey equilibrium: capital ownership pattern and inefficiency," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 55(3), pages 565-600, April.
    10. Robert A. Becker, 2006. "Equilibrium Dynamics with Many Agents," Springer Books, in: Rose-Anne Dana & Cuong Le Van & Tapan Mitra & Kazuo Nishimura (ed.), Handbook on Optimal Growth 1, chapter 13, pages 385-442, Springer.
    11. Bewley, Truman, 1982. "An integration of equilibrium theory and turnpike theory," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2-3), pages 233-267, September.
    12. Sorger, Gerhard, 1994. "On the Structure of Ramsey Equilibrium: Cycles, Indeterminacy, and Sunspots," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 4(5), pages 745-764, August.
    13. Rae, John, 1834. "Statement of Some New Principles on the Subject of Political Economy," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number rae1834.
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    Cited by:

    1. Masakazu Emoto & Tamotsu Nakamura, 2021. "Intertemporal elasticity of substitution and the transitional dynamics and steady state of wealth distribution," Discussion Papers 2101, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    2. Boucekkine, Raouf & Nishimura, Kazuo & Venditti, Alain, 2015. "Introduction to financial frictions and debt constraints," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 271-275.
    3. Takashi Hayashi, 2020. "Investment in time preference and long-run distribution," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 171-190, April.
    4. Borissov, Kirill & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2015. "A characterization of Ramsey equilibrium in a model with limited borrowing," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 67-78.
    5. Becker, Robert A. & Borissov, Kirill & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2015. "Ramsey equilibrium with liberal borrowing," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 296-304.
    6. Robert Becker & Ram Dubey & Tapan Mitra, 2014. "On Ramsey equilibrium: capital ownership pattern and inefficiency," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 55(3), pages 565-600, April.
    7. Shinya Tsukahara, 2017. "Habit formation, growth, and Ramsey's conjecture," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(4), pages 2871-2880.
    8. Borissov, Kirill & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2015. "A characterization of Ramsey equilibrium in a model with limited borrowing," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 67-78.
    9. Becker, Robert A. & Borissov, Kirill & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2015. "Ramsey equilibrium with liberal borrowing," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 296-304.
    10. Borissov, Kirill & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2020. "Growth with many agents and wages paid ex ante," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 101-107.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ramsey equilibrium; Ramsey conjecture; Continuous-time formulation; Turnpike property; Global asymptotic stability; Efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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