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Optimal cycles and social inequality: What do we learn from the Gini index?

Author

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  • Stefano Bosi

    (EPEE - Centre d'Etudes des Politiques Economiques - UEVE - Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne)

  • Thomas Seegmuller

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Bosi & Thomas Seegmuller, 2006. "Optimal cycles and social inequality: What do we learn from the Gini index?," Post-Print halshs-00194182, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00194182
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rie.2005.12.003
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00194182
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Santos, Manuel S., 1992. "Differentiability and comparative analysis in discrete-time infinite-horizon optimization," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 222-229.
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    5. Berthold Herrendorf & Akos Valentinyi & Robert Waldmann, 2000. "Ruling Out Multiplicity and Indeterminacy: The Role of Heterogeneity," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 67(2), pages 295-307.
    6. Ghiglino, Christian, 2005. "Wealth inequality and dynamic stability," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 124(1), pages 106-115, September.
    7. Christian Ghiglino & Marielle Olszak-Duquenne, 2001. "Inequalities and fluctuations in a dynamic general equilibrium model," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 17(1), pages 1-24.
    8. Fabrice Gilles, 2004. "An Attempt to Evaluate the Impact of Reorganization on the Way Working Time Reduction Has Been Implemented by French Firms since 1996," Documents de recherche 04-19, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    9. Becker, Robert A. & Tsyganov, Eugene N., 2002. "Ramsey Equilibrium in a Two-Sector Model with Heterogeneous Households," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 188-225, July.
    10. Jess Benhabib & Kazuo Nishimura, 2012. "Competitive Equilibrium Cycles," Springer Books, in: John Stachurski & Alain Venditti & Makoto Yano (ed.), Nonlinear Dynamics in Equilibrium Models, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 75-96, Springer.
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    1. Bosi, Stefano & Seegmuller, Thomas, 2008. "Can heterogeneous preferences stabilize endogenous fluctuations," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 624-647, February.
    2. Druckman, A. & Jackson, T., 2008. "Measuring resource inequalities: The concepts and methodology for an area-based Gini coefficient," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 242-252, April.
    3. F. Aleskerov & I. Frumin & E. Kardanova, 2016. "Heterogeneity of the educational system: an introduction to the problem," Papers 1701.07322, arXiv.org.
    4. Meishu Wang & Hui Gong, 2018. "Imbalanced Development and Economic Burden for Urban and Rural Wastewater Treatment in China—Discharge Limit Legislation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-12, July.
    5. 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.
    6. Chen, Haitao & Zhang, Bin & Wang, Zhaohua, 2022. "Hidden inequality in household electricity consumption: Measurement and determinants based on large-scale smart meter data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Christian Ghiglino & Alain Venditti, 2008. "The role of the wealth distribution on output volatility," Working Papers halshs-00281379, HAL.
    8. Sun, Chuanwang & Zhang, Yifan & Peng, Shuijun & Zhang, Wencheng, 2015. "The inequalities of public utility products in China: From the perspective of the Atkinson index," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 751-760.
    9. Yuan, Qiang & McIntyre, Neil & Wu, Yipeng & Liu, Yichao & Liu, Yi, 2017. "Towards greater socio-economic equality in allocation of wastewater discharge permits in China based on the weighted Gini coefficient," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 196-205.
    10. Sun, Tao & Zhang, Hongwei & Wang, Yuan & Meng, Xiangming & Wang, Chenwan, 2010. "The application of environmental Gini coefficient (EGC) in allocating wastewater discharge permit: The case study of watershed total mass control in Tianjin, China," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 54(9), pages 601-608.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Endogenous cycles; two-sector models; heterogeneous agents; Gini index;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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