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Dominance Criteria for Critical-Level Generalized Utilitarianism

Author

Listed:
  • Alain Trannoy

    (EHESS and GREQAM-IDEP)

  • John Weymark

    (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)

Abstract

Social welfare dominance criteria based on critical-level generalized utilitarian social welfare functions are investigated. An analogue of a generalized Lorenz curve called a generalized concentration curve is introduced. For a fixed critical utility level c, a partial order of utility distributions based on these curves is defined and shown to coincide with the partial order obtained by declaring one utility distribution to be weakly preferred to a second if and only if the former is weakly preferred to the latter for all inequality averse critical-level c generalized utilitarian social welfare functions. An extension of this result that allows for a range of critical levels is also established.

Suggested Citation

  • Alain Trannoy & John Weymark, 2007. "Dominance Criteria for Critical-Level Generalized Utilitarianism," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 0707, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:0707
    as

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    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/pubs/VUECON/vu07-w07.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Ronny Aboudi & Dominique Thon & Stein Wallace, 2010. "Inequality comparisons when the populations differ in size," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(1), pages 47-70, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Critical-level utilitarianism; generalized Lorenz dominance; social welfare dominance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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