Taste for Variety and Endogenous Fluctuations in a Monopolistic Competition Model

In past years, imperfect competition has been introduced in several dynamic models to show how mark-up variability, increasing returns (decreasing marginal cost), and monopoly profits affect the occurrence of endogenous fluctuations. In this paper, we focus on another possible feature of imperfectly competitive economies: consumers' taste for variety due to endogenous product diversity. Introducing monopolistic competition (Dixit and Stiglitz (1977), Bénassy (1996)) in an overlapping generations model where consumers have taste for variety, we show that local indeterminacy can occur under the three following conditions: a high substitution between capital and labor, increasing returns arbitrarily small and a not too elastic labor supply. The key mechanism for this result is based on the fact that, due to taste for variety, the aggregate price decreases with the pro-cyclical product diversity, which has a direct influence on the real wage and the real interest rate.Endogenous fluctuations; taste for variety; imperfect competition

Steady state analysis and endogenous fluctuations in a finance constrained model

The overlapping generations model, like the one studied by Reichlin (1986) or Cazzavillan (2001), can be interpreted as an optimal growth economy where consumption is totally constrained by capital income. In this paper, we analyze steady states and dynamic properties of an extended version of such framework by considering that only a share of consumption expenditures is constrained by capital income. We notably establish that the steady state is not necessarily unique. Moreover, in contrast to the intuition, consumer welfare can increase at a steady state following a raise of the share of consumption constrained by capital income, i.e. the market imperfection. Concerning dynamics, we show that endogenous fluctuations (indeterminacy and cycles) can emerge depending on two parameters : the elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption and the elasticity of capital-labor substitution. Such fluctuations appear when these two parameters take values in accordance with empirical studies and without introducing increasing returns or imperfect competition.Finance constraint, steady states, indeterminacy, endogenous cycles.

Taste for variety and endogenous fluctuations in a monopolistic competition model

In past years, imperfect competition has been introduced in several dynamic models to show how mark-up variability, increasing returns (decreasing marginal cost) and monopoly profits affect the occurence of endogenous fluctuations. In this paper, we focus on another possible feature of imperfectly competitive economies : consumers' taste for variety due to endogenous product diversity. introducing monopolistic competition (Dixit and Stiglitz (1977), Benassy (1996)) in an overlapping generations model where consumers have taste for variety, we show that local indeterminacy can occur under the three following conditions : a high substitution between capital and labor, increasing returns arbitrarily small and a not too elastic labor supply. The key mechanism for this result is based on the fact that, due to taste for variety, the aggregate price decreases with the pro-cyclical product diversity which has a direct influence on the real wage and the real interest rate.Endogenous fluctuations, taste for variety, imperfect competition.

On Rational Exuberance

In his seminal contribution, Tirole (1985) shows that an overlapping generations economy may monotonically converges to a steady state with a positive rational bubble, characterized by the dynamically efficient golden rule. The issue we address is whether this monotonic convergence to an efficient long-run equilibrium may fail, while the economy experiences persistent endogenous fluctuations around the golden rule. Our explanation leads on the features of the credit market. We consider a simple overlapping generations model with three assets : money, capital and a pure bubble (bonds). Collateral matters because increasing his portfolio in capital and bubble, the household reduces the share of his consumption paid by cash. From a positive point of view, we show that the bubbly steady state can be locally indeterminate under arbitrarily small credit market imperfections and, thereby, persistent expectation-driven fluctuations of equilibria with (rational) bubbles can arise. From a normative point of view, monetary policies that are not too expansive, are recommended in order to rule out the occurence of sunspot fluctuations and enhance the welfare evaluated at the steady state.Bubbles, collaterals, indeterminacy, cash-in-advance constraint, overlapping generations.

On the Role of Progressive Taxation in a Ramsey Model with Heterogeneous Households

The aim of this paper is to study the role of progressive tax rules on the allocations of steady state and the stability properties in a Ramsey economy with heterogeneous households and borrowing constraints. Since labor supply in elastic, considering different tax rates on capital and labor incomes is relevant. The steady state analysis allows us to highlight the existence of different types of stationary equilibria. While patient agents always hold capital, impatient ones have or not positive savings, depending on the leval of real interest rate. Furthermore, it is not always optimal for all households to have a positive labor supply. Studying the comparative statics and local dynamics, we focus on the steady state with a segmented population : patient households own the whole stock of capital, while the impatient ones are workers. Varying the population sizes and the tax rates, we underline the crucial role of fiscal progressivity and endogenous labor. Moreover, in contrast to many contributions, we prove that progressive tax rules can promote expectation-driven fluctuations and endogenous cycles which means that progressivity can be inopportune to stabilize macroeconomic volatility.Progressive taxation, heterogeneous agents, borrowing constraint, endogenous labor supply, steady state allocation, macroeconomic stability.

A Note on Indeterminacy in Overlapping Generations Economies with Environment and Endogenous Labor Supply

We consider an overlapping generations model with environment and an elastic labor supply. In this framework, consumers have to choose between consumption, environmental quality, and leisure. We show the existence of both deterministic cycles and indeterminacy. In contrast to previous results, the emergence of endogenous fluctuations does not require a high emission rate of pollution.Environment ; labor supply ; overlapping generations ; indeterminacy ; endogenous cycles

MORTALITY DIFFERENTIAL, LABOR TAXATION AND GROWTH: WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE BARRO-BECKER MODEL?

We revisit the seminal paper on endogenous fertility by Barro and Becker (1989) taking into account households' heterogeneity in terms of capital endowments, mortality differential and cost per surviving child. Focusing on an endogenous growth version, we show at first that there exists a unique balanced growth path (BGP) where the population growth rates of all dynasties are identical. Then, we study the long-run effects of shocks on mortality rates (such as epidemics), mortality differential and total factor productivity (TFP) on the economic and demographic growth rates. The main mechanism rests on the adjustment of the average rearing cost of a surviving child. Finally, we extend the model considering the effects of labor taxation. We find that a higher tax rate may, on the one side, enhance growth but, on the other side, raise wealth inequalities.endogenous fertility, heterogeneous households, mortality differential, labor taxation, endogenous growth

Environment in an Overlapping Generations Economy with Endogenous Labor Supply : a Dynamic Analysis.

We consider an overlapping generations model with environment, where we introduce an elastic labor supply. In this framework, consumers have to choose between consumption, environmental quality and leisure. We establish that several steady states can coexist, even under a Cobb-Douglas technology, and we put in evidence a non monotonic relationship between pollution and per capita income, as suggested by the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Moreover studying local dynamics, we show the existence of deterministic cycles and endogenous fluctuations due to self-fulfilling expectations. In contrast to previous results, the occurrence of such fluctuations does not require a high emission rate of pollution. Finally, we discuss some welfare and policy implications of our results. Especially, we show that a government which would reduce pollution emissions can face a trade-off between an increase of steady state welfare and an intergenerational welfare inequality due to indeterminacy.Environment, Labor supply, Overlapping generations, Multiplicity of steady states, Environmental Kuznets Curve, Indeterminacy, Endogenous cycles.

Environmental quality, public debt and economic development

This article analyzes the consequences on capital accumulation and environmental quality of environmental policies financed by public debt. A public sector of pollution abatement is financed by a tax and/or public debt. We show that if the initial capital stock is high enough, the economy monotonically converges to a long-run steady state. On the contrary, when the initial capital stock is low, the economy is relegated to an environmental-poverty trap. We also explore the implications of public policies on the trap and on the long-run stable steady state. In particular, we find that government should decrease debt and increase pollution abatement to promote capital accumulation and environmental quality at the stable long-run steady state.Environmental policies; pollution abatement; public debt; economic development; poverty trap

Optimal Cycles and Social Inequality: What Do We Learn from the Gini Index?

One of the plausible explanations for macroeconomic fluctuations relies on the occurrence of endogenous deterministic cycles. In the last three decades, most of the relevant literature has rested on the assumption of a representative agent but, recently, a few papers have investigated the role of consumers' heterogeneity on endogenous fluctuations. Our article aims at taking a step forward in order to give a more suitable interpretation. To keep things as simple as possible, we introduce heterogeneous households in a two-sector optimal growth model and we study how wealth heterogeneity affects the occurrence of endogenous cycles. In contrast to previous results, we relate the existence of such cycles to the most commonly used inequality measure, the Gini index, and analyze the impact of consumers' heterogeneity on this index.Endogenous cycles ; two-sector models ;heterogeneous agents ; Gini index