IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/ipewps/281766.html

Kaleckian models of conflict inflation, distribution and employment: A comparative analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Hein, Eckhard
  • Häusler, Christoph

Abstract

This paper conducts a systematic comparison of two main textbook variants within the Kaleckian tradition of post-Keynesian conflict inflation and distribution theory: the Blecker/Setterfield (2019) and Lavoie (1992, 2022) (BSL) model based on Dutt (1987), and the Hein (2023a) and Hein/Stockhammer (2011) (HS) model founded on Rowthorn (1977). Focusing on a basic closed economy framework sans government, we explore various iterations of each approach. Our analysis reveals that disparities chiefly centre around the treatment of price inflation expectations ('indexation') and the incorporation of bargaining power in wage- and price-inflation equations. BSL variants generally yield stable price Phillips curves, stable distribution and employment curves, and hence stable equilibria. Only the BSL3 variant with complete indexation and complete pass-through generates shifting Phillips and employment curves, implying instability. It is thus similar to the HS-0 approach, which has bargaining power and complete indexation representing adaptive expectations in wage inflation and incomplete pass-through in price inflation. Introducing a workers' wage share target directly into the wage-inflation equation, but keeping full indexation/adaptive expectations in wage inflation and incomplete pass-through in price inflation, allows for stable and even flat Phillips curves, stable distribution and employment curves, and hence stable equilibria in the HS approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Hein, Eckhard & Häusler, Christoph, 2024. "Kaleckian models of conflict inflation, distribution and employment: A comparative analysis," IPE Working Papers 225/2024, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ipewps:281766
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/281766/1/1878873806.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicholas Kaldor, 1955. "Alternative Theories of Distribution," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 23(2), pages 83-100.
    2. Joan Robinson, 1962. "Essays in the Theory of Economic Growth," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-00626-7, April.
    3. Marc Lavoie, 2006. "A Post‐Keynesian Amendment To The New Consensus On Monetary Policy," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 165-192, May.
    4. Eckhard Hein, 2006. "Wage Bargaining and Monetary Policy in a Kaleckian Monetary Distribution and Growth Model: Trying to Make Sense of the NAIRU," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 3(2), pages 305-329.
    5. Mario Cassetti, 2003. "Bargaining power, effective demand and technical progress: a Kaleckian model of growth," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 27(3), pages 449-464, May.
    6. Leonardo Vera, 2014. "The Simple Post-Keynesian Monetary Policy Model: An Open Economy Approach," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(4), pages 526-548, October.
    7. Marc Lavoie, 1992. "Foundations of Post-Keynesian Economic Analysis," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 275.
    8. Eckhard Hein & Engelbert Stockhammer, 2010. "Macroeconomic Policy Mix, Employment and Inflation in a Post-Keynesian Alternative to the New Consensus Model," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 317-354.
    9. Eckhard Hein & Engelbert Stockhammer (ed.), 2011. "A Modern Guide to Keynesian Macroeconomics and Economic Policies," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13962.
    10. Eduardo F Bastian & Mark Setterfield, 2020. "Nominal exchange rate shocks and inflation in an open economy: towards a structuralist inflation targeting agenda," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 44(6), pages 1271-1299.
    11. Ozlem Onaran & Thomas Obst, 2016. "Wage-led growth in the EU15 member-states: the effects of income distribution on growth, investment, trade balance and inflation," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 40(6), pages 1517-1551.
    12. Philip Arestis & Malcolm Sawyer, 2005. "Aggregate demand, conflict and capacity in the inflationary process," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 29(6), pages 959-974, November.
    13. Dutt, Amitava Krishna, 1987. "Alternative Closures Again: A Comment on 'Growth, Distribution and Inflation.'," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 11(1), pages 75-82, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Woodgate, Ryan, 2025. "A general theory of conflict inflation," IPE Working Papers 256/2025, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    2. Hein, Eckhard, 2025. "Kaleckian economics after Kalecki: A survey," IPE Working Papers 257/2025, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    3. Campana, Juan Manuel, 2024. "Currency devaluations, distribution conflict and inflation in a post-Kaleckian open economy model," IPE Working Papers 240/2024, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    4. Benjamin Jungmann & Eckhard Hein & Juan Manuel Campana, 2025. "A post-Keynesian open economy model of conflict inflation, distribution, employment, and external balance," FMM Working Paper 120-2025, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    5. Morlin, Guilherme Spinato & Stamegna, Marco & D'Alessandro, Simone, 2025. "Energy prices, inflation, and distribution: A simulation model and policy analysis for Italy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 28-39.

    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. Hein, Eckhard, 2023. "Inflation is always and everywhere … a conflict phenomenon: Post-Keynesian inflation theory and energy price driven conflict inflation," IPE Working Papers 224/2023, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    2. Hein, Eckhard, 2025. "Kaleckian economics after Kalecki: A survey," IPE Working Papers 257/2025, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    3. Eckhard Hein, 2017. "Post-Keynesian macroeconomics since the mid 1990s: main developments," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(2), pages 131-172, September.
    4. Hein, Eckhard, 2022. "Varieties of demand and growth regimes: Post-Keynesian foundations," IPE Working Papers 196/2022, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    5. Eckhard Hein & Artur Tarassow, 2010. "Distribution, aggregate demand and productivity growth: theory and empirical results for six OECD countries based on a post-Kaleckian model," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 34(4), pages 727-754.
    6. Eckhard Hein, 2019. "Harrodian instability in Kaleckian models and Steindlian solutions," FMM Working Paper 46-2019, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    7. Gabriel Montes-Rojas & Fernando Toledo, 2021. "Shocks externos y tensiones inflacionarias en argentina: una aproximación empírica poskeynesiana-estructuralista," Documentos de trabajo del Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política IIEP (UBA-CONICET) 2021-64, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política IIEP (UBA-CONICET).
    8. Abeles, Martín & Cherkasky, Martín, 2019. "Monetary regimes and labour institutions: an alternative interpretation of the downward trend in exchange-rate passthrough in peripheral countries," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    9. Eckhard Hein, 2006. "Money, interest and capital accumulationin Karl Marx's economics: a monetary interpretation and some similaritiesto post-Keynesian approaches," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 113-140.
    10. Hein, Eckhard, 2011. "Distribution, ‘Financialisation’ and the Financial and Economic Crisis – Implications for Post-crisis Economic Policies," MPRA Paper 31180, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Prante, Franz & Hein, Eckhard & Bramucci, Alessandro, 2021. "Varieties and interdependencies of demand and growth regimes in finance-dominated capitalism," IPE Working Papers 173/2021, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    12. Benjamin Jungmann & Eckhard Hein & Juan Manuel Campana, 2025. "A post-Keynesian open economy model of conflict inflation, distribution, employment, and external balance," FMM Working Paper 120-2025, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    13. Eckhard Hein & Lena Vogel, 2007. "Distribution and growth reconsidered - empirical results for Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA," IMK Working Paper 03-2007, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    14. Ohno, Takashi, 2014. "The role of the Taylor principle in the neo-Kaleckian model when applied to an endogenous market structure," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 32-42.
    15. Hiroaki Sasaki & Ryunosuke Sonoda & Shinya Fujita, 2013. "International Competition and Distributive Class Conflict in an Open Economy Kaleckian Model," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(4), pages 683-715, November.
    16. OHNO, Takashi, 2014. "The Role of the Taylor Principle in the neo-Kaleckian Model when applied to an Endogenous Market Structure," CCES Discussion Paper Series 54, Center for Research on Contemporary Economic Systems, Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University.
    17. Hein, Eckhard, & Mundt, Matthias., 2012. "Financialisation and the requirements and potentials for wage-led recovery : a review focussing on the G20," ILO Working Papers 994709323402676, International Labour Organization.
    18. Engelbert Stockhammer & Paul Ramskogler, 2009. "Post-Keynesian economics How to move forward," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 6(2), pages 227-246.
    19. Hein, Eckhard & van Treeck, Till, 2024. "Financialisation and demand and growth regimes: A review of post-Keynesian contributions," ifso working paper series 32, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Socioeconomics (ifso).
    20. Olivier Allain, 2006. "La modération salariale : le point de vue des (néo-)kaleckiens," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00196500, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E25 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Aggregate Factor Income Distribution
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation

    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:zbw:ipewps:281766. 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: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iphwrde.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.