IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/byu/byumcl/201410.html

When are There Natural Limits on Inequality?

Author

Listed:
  • Scott S. Condie

    (Department of Economics, Brigham Young University)

  • Richard W. Evans

    (Department of Economics, Brigham Young University)

  • Kerk L. Phillips

    (Department of Economics, Brigham Young University)

Abstract

This paper examines Thomas Piketty's thesis that there are no natural limits on accumulation of wealth. We undertake our examination in the context of a simple general equilibrium model with infintely-lived dynasties. We show that extreme wealth accumulation does not happen in general equilibrium unless capital and labor are substitutes, an assumption which also leads to unbalanced growth. We also show that even with unbalanced growth, differences in rates of return and effective labor are not sufficient to cause unbounded inequality. Only savings rate differences can lead to extreme wealth concentration. Finally, we show that while a flat wealth tax will not eliminate extreme wealth concentration, both a graduated wealth tax and a flat income tax will.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott S. Condie & Richard W. Evans & Kerk L. Phillips, 2014. "When are There Natural Limits on Inequality?," BYU Macroeconomics and Computational Laboratory Working Paper Series 2014-10, Brigham Young University, Department of Economics, BYU Macroeconomics and Computational Laboratory.
    • Handle: RePEc:byu:byumcl:201410
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6KGaihAO5TJSjVJNzQwcDY1anc/edit
    File Function: First version, 2014
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Odran Bonnet & Pierre-Henri Bono & Guillaume Flamerie de La Chapelle & Etienne Wasmer, 2014. "Does housing capital contribute to inequality? A comment on Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) hal-03460508, HAL.
    2. Roger McCain, 2014. "The Piketty Curve and the Elasticity of Substitution," School of Economics Working Paper Series 2014-8, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University.
    3. Kent Smetters, 2003. "The (Interesting) Dynamic Properties of the Neoclassical Growth Model with CES Production," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 6(3), pages 697-707, July.
    4. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/30nstiku669glbr66l6n7mc2oq is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/30nstiku669glbr66l6n7mc2oq is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Debraj Ray, 2015. "Nit-Piketty: A Comment on Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty First Century," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 16(01), pages 19-25, May.
    2. Farzin, Y. Hossein & Wendner, Ronald, 2013. "Saving Rate Dynamics in the Neoclassical Growth Model – Hyperbolic Discounting and Observational Equivalence," MPRA Paper 45518, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Alvaredo, Facundo & Atkinson, Anthony B. & Morelli, Salvatore, 2018. "Top wealth shares in the UK over more than a century," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 26-47.
    4. Huikang Ying, 2014. "Growth and Structural Change in a Dynamic Lagakos-Waugh Model," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 14/639, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    5. Farzin, Y. Hossein & Wendner, Ronald, "undated". "The Time Path of the Saving Rate: Hyperbolic Discounting and Short-Term Planning," Climate Change and Sustainable Development 178243, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    6. Lawrence E. Blume & Steven N. Durlauf, 2015. "Capital in the Twenty-First Century: A Review Essay," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 123(4), pages 749-777.
    7. Roberto Torrini, 2015. "Labour, Profit and Housing Rent Shares in Italian GDP: Long-Run Trends and Recent Patterns," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 275-314.
    8. Andreas Irmen & Amer Tabakovic, 2020. "Factor Income Distribution And Endogenous Economic Growth: Piketty Meets Romer," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(3), pages 1342-1361, July.
    9. Gianni La Cava, 2016. "Housing prices, mortgage interest rates and the rising share of capital income in the United States," BIS Working Papers 572, Bank for International Settlements.
    10. Manuel García‐Santana & Josep Pijoan‐Mas & Lucciano Villacorta, 2021. "Investment Demand and Structural Change," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(6), pages 2751-2785, November.
    11. Facchini, Francois & Couvreur, Stéphane, 2015. "Inequality: The original economic sin of capitalism? An Evaluation of Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the twenty-first century"," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 281-287.
    12. Loukas Karabarbounis & Brent Neiman, 2014. "Capital Depreciation and Labor Shares Around the World: Measurement and Implications," NBER Working Papers 20606, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Litina, Anastasia & Palivos, Theodore, 2010. "The Behavior Of The Saving Rate In The Neoclassical Optimal Growth Model," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(4), pages 482-500, September.
    14. Guo, Jang-Ting & Lansing, Kevin J., 2009. "Capital-labor substitution and equilibrium indeterminacy," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 1991-2000, December.
    15. Albert, Juan-Francisco & Peñalver, Antonio & Perez-Bernabeu, Alberto, 2020. "The effects of monetary policy on income and wealth inequality in the U.S. Exploring different channels," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 88-106.
    16. Greg Fuller & Alison Johnston & Aidan Regan, 2018. "Bringing the Household Back in. Comparative Capitalism and the Politics of Housing Markets," Working Papers 201807, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    17. Marisa Civardi & Renata Targetti Lenti, 2018. "Can the link between functional and personal income distribution enhance the analysis of inequality?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(2), pages 137-156, June.
    18. Yu Zheng & Raul Santaeulalia & Dongya Koh, 2015. "Labor Share Decline and the Capitalization of Intellectual Property Products," 2015 Meeting Papers 844, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    19. Waldenström, Daniel, 2024. "Wealth and history: A reappraisal," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    20. Dongya Koh & Raül Santaeulàlia‐Llopis & Yu Zheng, 2020. "Labor Share Decline and Intellectual Property Products Capital," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(6), pages 2609-2628, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H30 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - General
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:byu:byumcl:201410. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kerk Phillips The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask Kerk Phillips to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/debyuus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.