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The Spirit of Capitalism, Precautionary Savings, and Consumption

Author

Listed:
  • YULEI LUO
  • WILLIAM T. SMITH
  • HENG-FU ZOU

Abstract

Recent research has shown that the "spirit of capitalism"-a preference for wealth itself, in addition to consumption-has important implications for growth and asset pricing. This paper explores how the spirit of capitalism affects saving and consumption behavior. We demonstrate that the spirit of capitalism may reduce the importance of precautionary savings. It can also explain the excess sensitivity puzzle: the spirit of capitalism causes dramatic deviations from a random walk. It may also offer a partial explanation of the excess smoothness puzzle. Copyright (c) 2009 The Ohio State University.

Suggested Citation

  • Yulei Luo & William T. Smith & Heng-Fu Zou, 2009. "The Spirit of Capitalism, Precautionary Savings, and Consumption," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(2-3), pages 543-554, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:mcb:jmoncb:v:41:y:2009:i:2-3:p:543-554
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    Cited by:

    1. Aihua Zhang, 2010. "A closed-form solution for the continuous-time consumption model with endogenous labor income," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 33(2), pages 149-167, November.
    2. Hao Li & Gaowang Wang & Jun Yu, 2025. "Revisiting Optimal Capital Taxation with the Spirit of Capitalism," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 26(2), pages 501-524, November.
    3. Zaifu Yang & Rong Zhang, 2024. "Consumption, Wealth, Frugality, and Economic Growth," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 25(1), pages 31-61, May.
    4. Yulei Luo & William T. Smith & Heng-fu Zou, 2009. "The Spirit of Capitalism and Excess Smoothness," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 10(2), pages 281-301, November.
    5. Yulei Luo & Jun Nie & Heng-fu Zou, 2021. "Wealth in the Utility Function and Consumption Inequality," Research Working Paper RWP 21-17, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    6. Shu-Hua Chen, 2012. "On the Growth and Stability Effects of Habit Formation and Durability in Consumption," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 13(2), pages 283-298, November.
    7. Yuanping Wang & Yingjie Niu & Siwen Gong, 2022. "Robust consumption policy with the desire for wealth accumulation," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 993-1025, September.
    8. Marco Airaudo, 2017. "Complex stock price dynamics under Max Weber’s spirit of capitalism hypothesis," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 64(1), pages 47-73, June.
    9. Mathias Hoffmann, 2014. "The Consumption–Income Ratio, Entrepreneurial Risk, and the U.S. Stock Market," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(6), pages 1259-1292, September.
    10. Wang, Haijun, 2016. "Precautionary saving demand and consumption dynamics with the spirit of capitalism and regime switching," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 48-65.
    11. Yanzhao Liu & Liutang Gong & Jianjian Liu & Chan Wang, 2022. "Dynamic Efficiency in an OLG Model With the Spirit of Capitalism," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 23(2), pages 315-328, November.
    12. Niu, Yingjie & Wu, Yaoyao & Zhao, Siqi & Zou, Zhentao, 2024. "Consumption dynamics with law of small numbers," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 915-923.
    13. Shiyuan Pan & Mengbo Zhang & Heng-fu Zou, 2013. "The Effects of Patent Protection: A Growth Model with Status Preference," CEMA Working Papers 574, China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics.
    14. Wang, Gaowang & Zou, Heng-fu, 2025. "Romer Meets Weber-Schumpeter: The Spirit of Capitalism, Entrepreneurial Drive and Long-Run Growth," MPRA Paper 126518, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Zaifu Yang & Rong Zhang, 2021. "Generalized Cumulative Offer Processes," Discussion Papers 21/08, Department of Economics, University of York.
    16. Pan, Shiyuan & Zhang, Mengbo & Zou, Heng-Fu, 2018. "Status Preference And The Effects Of Patent Protection: Theory And Evidence," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(4), pages 837-863, June.
    17. Qin Wang & Yiheng Zou & Yu Ren & Zhuo Huang, 2015. "The Spirit of Capitalism and the Equity Premium," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 16(2), pages 493-513, November.
    18. Gaowang Wang & Heng-fu Zou, 2018. "The Effects of Macroeconomic Policies in a Mercantilist Economy," Frontiers of Economics in China-Selected Publications from Chinese Universities, Higher Education Press, vol. 13(2), pages 171-195, June.
    19. Qichun He & Yulei Luo & Jun Nie & Heng-fu Zou, 2023. "Money, Growth, and Welfare in a Schumpeterian Model with the Spirit of Capitalism," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 47, pages 346-372, January.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic 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

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