Economie des solidarités -II- Familles, Etat, et contrat générationnel

Being the second part of the study devoted to the economics of "solidarity", this paper deals, more specifically, with the problem of adequate financial provisions for the old days and its possible solutions : count only on oneself ; rely on chidren's and familial support ; rely ont the welfare state, that is on health and retirement public transfers. In traditional societies, models of exchange-motivated bequests appear most relevant (inheritance being a deferred means of payment for child's services in old days). In modern and developed societies, there are two conflicting views concerning the financing of retirement as well as of education. The first, neoliberal one, wants to reduce public transfers to the old, giving a bigger role, in compensation, to the market and to family support. The second, Beckerian one, gives, on the contrary, complementary roles to the family and the State ; surprisingly enough, it is in favour of a high level of public intergenerational redistribution to the young and to the old : such redistribution should engender mutually advantageous cooperation between generations, while being more equitable and fostering macroeconomic growth -a magic cocktail which deserves further explanation.