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Wealth distribution and output fluctuations

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  • Ghiglino, Christian
  • Venditti, Alain

Abstract

We explore the link between wealth inequality and output fluctuations in a general two-sector neoclassical growth model with endogenous labor and heterogeneous agents. When agents have homogeneous CRRA preferences and individual wealth is Pareto distributed, a sufficiently large rise in the Gini index typically leads to an increase in endogenous fluctuations of output. For general economies, we show that under plausible conditions on the fundamentals, wealth inequality is still a destabilizing factor.

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  • Ghiglino, Christian & Venditti, Alain, 2011. "Wealth distribution and output fluctuations," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(6), pages 2478-2509.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:146:y:2011:i:6:p:2478-2509
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2011.06.004
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    1. Chatzouz, Moustafa, 2014. "Government Debt and Wealth Inequality: Theory and Insights from Altruism," MPRA Paper 77007, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. A. Tidu, 2023. "Dissecting inequality: conceptual problems, trends and drivers," Working Paper CRENoS 202313, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wealth inequality; Pareto distribution; Gini index; Elastic labor supply; Endogenous equilibrium business cycles;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D30 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - General
    • D50 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - General
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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