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Good and Bad Equilibria with the Informal Sector

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  • Bouwe R. Dijkstra

Abstract

We examine whether an economy can have a bad (small or no formal sector, high taxes) as well as a good (small or no informal sector, low taxes) equilibrium. The government maximizes a combination of instantaneous welfare and the rate of decline of the informal sector. When the instantaneous welfare component only contains formal-sector welfare, multiple equilibria can occur if the elasticity of average to marginal cost for the public good is less than one. More regard for the informal sector leads to a worse equilibrium and to a higher prevalence of multiple equilibria.

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  • Bouwe R. Dijkstra, 2011. "Good and Bad Equilibria with the Informal Sector," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 167(4), pages 668-685, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:jinste:urn:sici:0932-4569(201112)167:4_668:gabewt_2.0.tx_2-b
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    2. Marcelo Arbex & Flavia Chein & Isabela Furtado & Enlinson Mattos, 2017. "Publicly Provided Private Goods and Informal Labor Supply," Working Papers 1710, University of Windsor, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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