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Factor Substitution, Income Distribution, and Growth in a Generalized Neoclassical Model

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  • Andreas Irmen
  • Rainer Klump

Abstract

We analyze a generalized neoclassical growth model that combines a normalized CES production function and possible asymmetries of savings out of factor incomes. This generalized model helps to shed new light on a recent debate concerning the impact of factor substitution and income distribution on economic growth. We can show that this impact relies on both an efficiency and an acceleration effect, where the latter is caused by the distributional consequences of an increase in the elasticity of substitution. While the efficiency effect is always positive, the direction of the acceleration effect depends on the particular savings hypothesis. However, if savings out of capital income are substantial so that a certain threshold value is surpassed we find that the efficiency effect dominates and higher factor substitution can work as a major engine of growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Irmen & Rainer Klump, 2007. "Factor Substitution, Income Distribution, and Growth in a Generalized Neoclassical Model," CESifo Working Paper Series 2148, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_2148
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Klump, Rainer & Saam, Marianne, 2008. "Calibration of normalised CES production functions in dynamic models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 256-259, May.
    2. Klump, Rainer & McAdam, Peter & Willman, Alpo, 2008. "Unwrapping some euro area growth puzzles: Factor substitution, productivity and unemployment," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 645-666, June.
    3. Ben S. Bernanke & Kenneth Rogoff, 2001. "Editorial in "NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2000, Volume 15"," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2000, Volume 15, pages 1-4, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    5. de La Grandville, Olivier, 1989. "In Quest of the Slutsky Diamond," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(3), pages 468-481, June.
    6. Ben S. Bernanke & Refet S. Gürkaynak, 2002. "Is Growth Exogenous? Taking Mankiw, Romer, and Weil Seriously," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2001, Volume 16, pages 11-72, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Olivier de La Grandville & Rainer Klump, 2000. "Economic Growth and the Elasticity of Substitution: Two Theorems and Some Suggestions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(1), pages 282-291, March.
    8. Ben S. Bernanke & Kenneth S. Rogoff (ed.), 2001. "NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2000," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262523140, December.
    9. Klump, Rainer & McAdam, Peter & Willman, Alpo, 2004. "Factor substitution and factor augmenting technical progress in the US: a normalized supply-side system approach," Working Paper Series 367, European Central Bank.
    10. Kaz Miyagiwa & Chris Papageorgiou, 2003. "Elasticity of substitution and growth: normalized CES in the Diamond model," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 21(1), pages 155-165, January.
    11. Ben S. Bernanke & Kenneth Rogoff, 2001. "NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2000, Volume 15," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number bern01-1, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xue, Jianpo & Yip, Chong K., 2012. "Factor Substitution And Economic Growth: A Unified Approach," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 625-656, September.
    2. Rainer Klump & Peter McAdam & Alpo Willman, 2012. "The Normalized Ces Production Function: Theory And Empirics," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 769-799, December.
    3. Bjarne S. Jensen, 2009. "Dynamic Extensions of the Solow Growth Model (1956): Editorial," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 10, pages 378-383, November.
    4. Manuel Gómez, 2016. "Factor substitution is an engine of growth in a model with productive public expenditure," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 37-48, January.
    5. Gómez, Manuel A., 2018. "Factor substitution and convergence speed in the neoclassical model with elastic labor supply," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 89-92.
    6. Gómez, Manuel A., 2017. "Factor substitution and long-run growth in the Lucas model with elastic labor supply," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 180-184.
    7. Yoseph Yilma Getachew, 2011. "Public Investment Policy, Distribution, and Growth: What Levels of Redistribution through Public Investment Maximize Growth?," DEGIT Conference Papers c016_072, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    8. Manuel A. Gómez, 2020. "Factor substitution, long‐run growth, and speed of convergence in the one‐sector convex endogenous‐growth model," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(1), pages 2-21, February.
    9. Bjarne S. Jensen, 2009. "Dynamic Extensions of the Solow Growth Model (1956): Editorial," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 10(4), pages 378-383, November.
    10. Gómez, Manuel A., 2018. "Economic growth and factor substitution with elastic labor supply," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 49-57.
    11. Irmen, Andreas, 2011. "Steady-state growth and the elasticity of substitution," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1215-1228, August.
    12. Gómez, Manuel A., 2015. "Capital–labor substitution and long-run growth in a model with physical and human capital," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 106-113.
    13. Manuel Gómez, 2014. "Optimal size of the government: the role of the elasticity of substitution," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 111(1), pages 29-53, February.
    14. Zhu, Xuehong & Zeng, Anqi & Zhong, Meirui & Huang, Jianbai, 2021. "Elasticity of substitution and biased technical change in the CES production function for China's metal-intensive industries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    15. Madziwa, Lawrence & Pillalamarry, Mallikarjun & Chatterjee, Snehamoy, 2023. "Integrating flexibility in open pit mine planning to survive commodity price decline," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    16. Jianpo Xue & Chong K. Yip, 2015. "Balanced-Budget Rules, Elasticity of Substitution, and Macroeconomic (In)Stability," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 17(2), pages 196-218, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    capital accumulation; elasticity of substitution; income distribution; neoclassical growth model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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