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Generational Accounts, Aggregate Saving and Intergenerational Distribution

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  • Willem H. Buiter

Abstract

Are generational accounts informative about the effect of the budget on the intergenerational distribution of resources and on aggregate saving? First, the usefulness of generational accounts lives or dies with the strict life‐cycle model of household consumption. Second, even if the life‐cycle model holds, generational accounts ignore the intergenerational redistribution associated with the government's provision of public goods and services and with intergenerational externalities. Third, generational accounting ignores the effect of the budget on tax and transfer bases and on before‐tax and ‐transfer quantities and prices. That is, it does not handle incidence or general equilibrium repercussions.

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  • Willem H. Buiter, 1997. "Generational Accounts, Aggregate Saving and Intergenerational Distribution," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 64(256), pages 605-626, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:64:y:1997:i:256:p:605-626
    DOI: 10.1111/1468-0335.00102
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    1. repec:bla:scandj:v:94:y:1992:i:2:p:303-18 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Alan J. Auerbach & Jagadeesh Gokhale & Laurence J. Kotlikoff, 1994. "Generational Accounting: A Meaningful Way to Evaluate Fiscal Policy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 73-94, Winter.
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    5. Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Willi Leibfritz, 1999. "From Deficit Delusion to the Fiscal Balance Rule: Looking for an Economically Meaningful Way to Assess Fiscal Policy," NBER Chapters, in: Generational Accounting around the World, pages 9-30, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    10. Willem H. Buiter, 1990. "Principles of Budgetary and Financial Policy," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262524139, April.
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    1. Jabłonowski, Janusz & Müller, Christoph & Raffelhüschen, Bernd, 2010. "A fiscal outlook for Poland using generational accounts," FZG Discussion Papers 47, University of Freiburg, Research Center for Generational Contracts (FZG).
    2. André Masson, 2002. "Méthodes et usages des comptes générationnels : un regard décalé," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 154(3), pages 1-24.
    3. Joaquim Levy & Ousmane Dore & Willi Leibfritz, 1999. "Generational Accounting for France," NBER Chapters, in: Generational Accounting around the World, pages 239-276, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Otto Gandenberger, 2000. "Is the Fiscal Deficit Misconceived? Proponents of Generational Accounting Overstate their Case," CESifo Working Paper Series 282, CESifo.
    5. John Ablett, 1996. "Generational Accounting and Intergenerational Balance," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 3(4), pages 407-418.
    6. Robert P. Hagemann & Christoph John, 1997. "Fiscal Reform In Sweden: What Generational Accounting Tells Us," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 15(3), pages 1-12, July.
    7. SHIMASAWA Manabu & OGURO Kazumasa, 2016. "Will Abenomics Save Future Generations?," Discussion papers 16100, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    8. Janusz Jablonowski & Christoph Mueller & Bernd Raffelhüschen, 2011. "A fiscal outlook for Poland using Generational Accounts," NBP Working Papers 85, Narodowy Bank Polski.
    9. Jorge Pinheiro, 2021. "Generational Accounting in Portugal," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 20(2), pages 181-221, May.
    10. Svend E.. Hougaard Jensen & Bernd Raffelhuschen & Willi Leibfritz, 1999. "Public Debt, Welfare Reforms, and Intergenerational Distribution of Tax Burdens in Denmark," NBER Chapters, in: Generational Accounting around the World, pages 219-238, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Jan Babecky & Kamil Dybczak, 2009. "The Impact of Population Ageing on the Czech Economy," Working Papers 2009/1, Czech National Bank.
    12. Nick Draper & Alex Armstrong, 2007. "GAMMA; a simulation model for ageing, pensions and public finances," CPB Document 147, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    13. Sebald,Alexander C. & Neubourg,Chris,de, 2003. "Paying for Pensions and Other Public Expenditures: Overtaxing our Children?," Research Memorandum 062, Maastricht University, Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organization (METEOR).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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