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Risk Sharing and the Dynamics of Inequality

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  • Ezra Friedman

Abstract

Risk averse agents who engage in risky production activities frequently participate in some sort of arrangement to share risk. When there are issues of moral hazard, optimal risk sharing typically involves spreading risk over time as well as over space. Agents who suffer bad outcomes can spread risk over time by borrowing against future earnings to supplement present consumption. In this paper I analyze the effect that such intertemporal risk sharing has on the distribution of consumption and utility. I find that in most cases intertemporal risk sharing leads to a spreading of the utility weight distribution. Under the optimal contract agents who suffer negative shocks respond by working harder and bearing more risk, exposing them to the likelihood of more negative shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Ezra Friedman, 1998. "Risk Sharing and the Dynamics of Inequality," Discussion Papers 1235, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:nwu:cmsems:1235
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthias Messner & Nicola Pavoni, 2004. "On the Recursive Saddle Point Method," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000000050, UCLA Department of Economics.
    2. Mele, Antonio, 2014. "Repeated moral hazard and recursive Lagrangeans," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 69-85.
    3. Carrasco, Vinicius & Fuchs, William & Fukuda, Satoshi, 2019. "From equals to despots: The dynamics of repeated decision making in partnerships with private information," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 402-432.
    4. Ramon Marimon, 2011. "New Results in Recursive Contract Theory," 2011 Meeting Papers 752, Society for Economic Dynamics.

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