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Heterogeneous Bequests and Social Inequalities

Author

Listed:
  • Kirill Borissov
  • Stefano Bosi
  • Thai Ha-Huy
  • Mikhail Pakhnin

Abstract

We study a growth model with two types of agents who are heterogeneous in their degree of family altruism. We prove that every equilibrium path converges to a unique steady state, and study the effect of altruism on the properties of steady-state equilibrium. We show that aggregate income is positively related to both level of altruism and altruism heterogeneity. When altruism heterogeneity is low, income inequality follows an inverse U-shaped pattern relative to the level of altruism, which is consistent with the cross-country Kuznets curve. When altruism heterogeneity is high, income inequality monotonically decreases with the level of altruism. Our results suggest that heterogeneous altruism is an important mechanism linking economic growth and income inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirill Borissov & Stefano Bosi & Thai Ha-Huy & Mikhail Pakhnin, 2023. "Heterogeneous Bequests and Social Inequalities," CESifo Working Paper Series 10717, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10717
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic growth; heterogeneous agents; altruism; bequests; inequality; Kuznets curve;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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