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On the impossibility of representing infinite utility streams

Author

Listed:
  • Juan Crespo
  • Carmelo Nuñez
  • Juan Rincón-Zapatero

Abstract

We show that, independently of the topology chosen on the set of all infinity utility streams, there is no Social Welfare Function preserving the von Weizsäcker’s overtaking criterion. With our proof we extend the impossibility result of Basu and Mitra.
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Suggested Citation

  • Juan Crespo & Carmelo Nuñez & Juan Rincón-Zapatero, 2009. "On the impossibility of representing infinite utility streams," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 40(1), pages 47-56, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:40:y:2009:i:1:p:47-56
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-008-0364-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rose-Anne Dana & Cuong Le Van & Tapan Mitra & Kazuo Nishimura, 2006. "Handbook on optimal growth (volume 1)," Post-Print halshs-00101345, HAL.
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    3. Geir Asheim & Bertil Tungodden, 2004. "Resolving distributional conflicts between generations," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 24(1), pages 221-230, July.
    4. Kaushik Basu & Tapan Mitra, 2003. "Aggregating Infinite Utility Streams with InterGenerational Equity: The Impossibility of Being Paretian," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(5), pages 1557-1563, September.
    5. Banerjee, Kuntal, 2006. "On the equity-efficiency trade off in aggregating infinite utility streams," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 63-67, October.
    6. Lauwers, Luc, 1998. "Intertemporal objective functions: Strong pareto versus anonymity," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 37-55, January.
    7. Basu, Kaushik & Mitra, Tapan, 2005. "Possibility Theorems for Aggregating Infinite Utility Streams Equitably," Working Papers 05-05, Cornell University, Center for Analytic Economics.
    8. Basu, Kaushik & Mitra, Tapan, 2005. "On the Existence of Paretian Social Welfare Relations for Infinite Utility Streams with Extended Anonymity," Working Papers 05-06, Cornell University, Center for Analytic Economics.
    9. Rose-Anne Dana & Cuong Le Van & Tapan Mitra & Kazuo Nishimura (ed.), 2006. "Handbook on Optimal Growth 1," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-540-32310-5, September.
    10. , R., 2007. "Can intergenerational equity be operationalized?," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 2(2), June.
    11. Tjalling C. Koopmans, 1959. "Stationary Ordinal Utility and Impatience," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 81, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. José Carlos R. Alcantud, 2013. "The impossibility of social evaluations of infinite streams with strict inequality aversion," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 1(2), pages 123-130, November.
    2. Dubey, Ram Sewak & Laguzzi, Giorgio & Ruscitti, Francesco, 2021. "On social welfare orders satisfying anonymity and asymptotic density-one Pareto," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 26-33.
    3. Geir B. Asheim & Kuntal Banerjee & Tapan Mitra, 2021. "How stationarity contradicts intergenerational equity," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 72(2), pages 423-444, September.
    4. MERTENS, Jean-François & RUBINCHIK, Anna, 2006. "Intergenerational equity and the discount rate for cost-benefit analysis," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2006091, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    5. Banerjee, Kuntal & Dubey, Ram, 2011. "Impatience for Weakly Paretian Orders: Existence and Genericity," Working Papers 2011-03, Department of Economics, Colgate University.
    6. Bossert, Walter & Cato, Susumu, 2021. "Superset-robust collective choice rules," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 126-136.
    7. Dubey, Ram Sewak & Laguzzi, Giorgio & Ruscitti, Francesco, 2020. "On the representation and construction of equitable social welfare orders," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 17-22.
    8. Susumu Cato, 2019. "The possibility of Paretian anonymous decision-making with an infinite population," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 53(4), pages 587-601, December.
    9. Michele Lombardi & Kaname Miyagishima & Roberto Veneziani, 2016. "Liberal Egalitarianism and the Harm Principle," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(597), pages 2173-2196, November.
    10. Mariotti, Marco & Veneziani, Roberto, 2012. "Allocating chances of success in finite and infinite societies: The utilitarian criterion," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 226-236.
    11. Banerjee, Kuntal & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2014. "Do all constructive strongly monotone inter-temporal orders exhibit impatience?," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 66-69.
    12. Banerjee, Kuntal & Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2013. "Impatience implication of weakly Paretian orders: Existence and genericity," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 134-140.
    13. José Carlos R. Alcantud & María D. García-Sanz, 2013. "Evaluations of Infinite Utility Streams: Pareto Efficient and Egalitarian Axiomatics," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 432-447, July.
    14. Dubey, Ram Sewak & Mitra, Tapan, 2014. "On construction of equitable social welfare orders on infinite utility streams," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 53-60.
    15. Alcantud, José Carlos R., 2013. "Fuzzy sets from the ethics of social preferences," MPRA Paper 53549, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Ram Sewak Dubey & Tapan Mitra, 2011. "On equitable social welfare functions satisfying the Weak Pareto Axiom: A complete characterization," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 7(3), pages 231-250, September.
    17. Henrik Petri, 2019. "Asymptotic properties of welfare relations," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 67(4), pages 853-874, June.
    18. Cato, Susumu, 2017. "Unanimity, anonymity, and infinite population," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 28-35.
    19. Dubey, Ram Sewak, 2011. "Fleurbaey–Michel conjecture on equitable weak Paretian social welfare order," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(4-5), pages 434-439.
    20. Dubey, Ram Sewak & Laguzzi, Giorgio, 2021. "Equitable preference relations on infinite utility streams," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social welfare function; Intergenerational equity; Pareto axiom; Overtaking criterion; D63; D71; D90;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General

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