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Intergenerational preferences and sensitivity to the present

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  • Toyotaka Sakai

    (Department of Economics, University of Rochester)

Abstract

This paper discusses the existence of binary relations on the set of intergenerational welfare paths in an infinite horizon setting. We show that any binary relation that satisfies anonymity and sup norm continuity is not sensitive to changes in welfare levels of the present generations. This result generalizes the impossibility theorems by Diamond [Econometrica 33 (1965) 170-177] and Sakai [Social Choice and Welfare, 16 (2003) 176-167].

Suggested Citation

  • Toyotaka Sakai, 2003. "Intergenerational preferences and sensitivity to the present," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 4(26), pages 1-5.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-03d60001
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    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/pubs/EB/2003/Volume4/EB-03D60001A.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Toyotaka Sakai, 2006. "Equitable Intergenerational Preferences on Restricted Domains," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 27(1), pages 41-54, August.
    2. Fleurbaey, Marc & Michel, Philippe, 2003. "Intertemporal equity and the extension of the Ramsey criterion," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 777-802, September.
    3. Luc Lauwers, 1996. "Rawlsian equity and generalised utilitarianism with an infinite population (*)," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 9(1), pages 143-150.
    4. Toyotaka Sakai, 2003. "An axiomatic approach to intergenerational equity," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 20(1), pages 167-176.
    5. Graciela Chichilnisky, 1996. "An axiomatic approach to sustainable development," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 13(2), pages 231-257, April.
    6. Luc Lauwers, 1997. "Continuity and equity with infinite horizons," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 14(2), pages 345-356.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. José Alcantud, 2013. "Liberal approaches to ranking infinite utility streams: when can we avoid interference?," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 41(2), pages 381-396, July.
    2. José Carlos R. Alcantud & María D. García-Sanz, 2013. "Evaluations of Infinite Utility Streams: Pareto Efficient and Egalitarian Axiomatics," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 432-447, July.
    3. Asier Estevan & Roberto Maura & Óscar Valero, 2023. "Quasi-Metrics for Possibility Results: Intergenerational Preferences and Continuity," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Susumu Cato, 2009. "Characterizing the Nash social welfare relation for infinite utility streams: a note," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(3), pages 2372-2379.
    5. Mabrouk, Mohamed, 2006. "Allais-anonymity as an alternative to the discounted-sum criterion in the calculus of optimal growth I: Consensual optimality," MPRA Paper 10512, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Asier Estevan & Roberto Maura & Oscar Valero, 2024. "Intergenerational Preferences and Continuity: Reconciling Order and Topology," Papers 2402.01699, arXiv.org.
    7. Geir B. Asheim & Tapan Mitra & Bertil Tungodden, 2007. "A New Equity Condition for Infinite Utility Streams and the Possibility of being Paretian," International Economic Association Series, in: John Roemer & Kotaro Suzumura (ed.), Intergenerational Equity and Sustainability, chapter 4, pages 55-68, Palgrave Macmillan.

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    JEL classification:

    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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