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Savings growth and the path of utility

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  • Kirk Hamilton
  • Cees Withagen

Abstract

. We derive an expression relating the change in instantaneous utility to the growth of net (genuine) saving in an economy with multiple stocks and externalities that maximizes welfare in the utilitarian sense. This result is then shown to hold for decentralized competitive efficient economies as well, to yield an extension of the Hartwick rule: instantaneous utility is non‐declining along a development path if genuine saving is decreasing. By way of example the rule is applied as a constant genuine saving rate rule in a simple Dasgupta‐Heal‐Solow‐Stiglitz economy. The rule yields a path with unbounded consumption and higher wealth than on the standard Hartwick constant consumption path. l'auteur dérive une relation entre le changement d'utilité instantanée et la croissance de l'épargne nette (véritable) dans une économie à multiples stocks et externalités qui maximise le bien‐être dans un sens utilitariste. On montre que ce résultat tient pour des économies compétitives efficientes décentralisées, et donc génère une extension de la règle de Hartwick : l'utilité instantanée ne décline pas au fil d'un sentier de développement si l'épargne véritable décroît. On applique la règle en tant que règle de taux constant d'épargne véritable dans une économie à la Dasgupta‐Heal‐Solow‐Stiglitz. La règle engendre un sentier où la consommation n'est pas limitée et la richesse est plus grande que pour le sentier standard de consommation constante à la Hartwick.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirk Hamilton & Cees Withagen, 2007. "Savings growth and the path of utility," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(2), pages 703-713, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:40:y:2007:i:2:p:703-713
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.00427.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Asheim, Geir B. & Buchholz, Wolfgang & Hartwick, John M. & Mitra, Tapan & Withagen, Cees, 2007. "Constant savings rates and quasi-arithmetic population growth under exhaustible resource constraints," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 213-229, March.
    8. Dasgupta, Partha & Mäler, Karl-Göran, 2000. "Net national product, wealth, and social well-being," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 69-93, February.
    9. Hartwick, John M, 1977. "Intergenerational Equity and the Investing of Rents from Exhaustible Resources," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(5), pages 972-974, December.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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