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A non-dictatorial criterion for optimal growth models

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Abstract

There are two main approaches for defining social welfare relations for an economy with infinite horizon. The first one is to consider the set of intertemporal utility streams generated by a general set of bounded consumptions and define a preference relation between them. This relation is ideally required to satisfy two main axioms, the Pareto axiom, which guarantees efficiency and the Anonymity axiom, which guarantees equity. Basu and Mitra (2003) show that it is impossible to represent by a function a preference relation embodying both requirements, and Basu and Mitra (2007) propose and characterize a new welfare criterion called utilitarian social welfare relation. In the same framework, Chichilnisky (1996) proposes two axioms that capture the idea of sustainable growth: non-dictatorship of the present and non-dictatorship of the future, and exhibits a mixed criterion, adding a discounted utilitarian part, which gives a dictatorial role to the present, and a long term part, which gives a dictatorial role to the future. The drawback of Chichilnisky's approach is that it often does not allow to explicity characterize optimal growth paths with optimal control techniques. Our aim is less general than Chichilnisky's and Basu and Mitra's: we want to have a non-dictatorial criterion for optimal growth models. We restrict ourselves to the set of utilities of consumptions which are generated by a specific technology. We show that the undiscounted utilitarian criterion pioneered by Ramsey (1928) is not only convenient if one wants to solve an optimal growth problem but also sustainable, efficient and equitable

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  • Alain Ayong Le Kama & Cuong Le Van & Katheline Schubert, 2008. "A non-dictatorial criterion for optimal growth models," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne v08030, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    • Handle: RePEc:mse:cesdoc:v08030
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ayong Le Kama, Alain D., 2001. "Sustainable growth, renewable resources and pollution," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 25(12), pages 1911-1918, December.
    2. Le Van, Cuong & Schubert, Katheline & Nguyen, Tu Anh, 2010. "With exhaustible resources, can a developing country escape from the poverty trap?," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 145(6), pages 2435-2447, November.
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    5. Kaushik Basu & Tapan Mitra, 2003. "Aggregating Infinite Utility Streams with InterGenerational Equity: The Impossibility of Being Paretian," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(5), pages 1557-1563, September.
    6. Charles Figuières & Mabel Tidball, 2016. "Sustainable Exploitation of a Natural Resource: A Satisfying Use of Chichilnisky’s Criterion," Studies in Economic Theory, in: Graciela Chichilnisky & Armon Rezai (ed.), The Economics of the Global Environment, pages 207-229, Springer.
    7. David Gale, 1967. "On Optimal Development in a Multi-Sector Economy," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 34(1), pages 1-18.
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    9. Cuong Le Van & Rose-Anne Dana, 2003. "Dynamic Programming in Economics," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00119098, HAL.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Anonimity; intergenerational equity; natural resources; non-dictatorship of the future; non-dictatorship of the present; optimal growth models; Pareto; social welfare function; social welfare relation; sustainability; utilitarian undiscounted criterion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General

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