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Intergenerational Welfare Assessments

Author

Listed:
  • Sergi Barcons

    (Toulouse School of Economics)

  • Eduardo D‡vila

    (Yale University)

  • Andreas Schaab

    (University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract

This paper studies welfare assessments in economies with rich demographic structures. First, we show that perpetual consumption is the only unit that enables interpersonal comparisons in demographically disconnected economies, in which there is no date in which all individuals are concurrently alive. Second, we show that there exist feasible perturbations of Pareto efficient allocations in demographically disconnected economies that feature positive Kaldor Hicks efficiency gains. Third, we show how welfare gains from reallocating consumption can be separately attributed to an incomplete markets and a demographic component. We use our results to derive new insights in three workhorse intergenerational models: i) Samuelson (1958) two-date-life model, exploring the desirability of young-to-old transfers; ii) Diamond (1965) growth model with capital, exploring capital taxation and the question of over-/under-accumulation of capital, and iii) Samuelson (1958) three-date-life model, decomposing the efficiency gains from intergenerational transfers into markets and demographic components.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergi Barcons & Eduardo D‡vila & Andreas Schaab, 2025. "Intergenerational Welfare Assessments," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2427, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:2427
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    File URL: https://cowles.yale.edu/sites/default/files/2025-02/d2427.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew B. Abel & N. Gregory Mankiw & Lawrence H. Summers & Richard J. Zeckhauser, 1989. "Assessing Dynamic Efficiency: Theory and Evidence," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 56(1), pages 1-19.
    2. Mark A. Aguiar & Manuel Amador & Cristina Arellano, 2023. "Pareto Improving Fiscal and Monetary Policies: Samuelson in the New Keynesian Model," NBER Working Papers 31297, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Louis Kaplow & Steven Shavell, 2001. "Any Non-welfarist Method of Policy Assessment Violates the Pareto Principle," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(2), pages 281-286, April.
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