Finite Horizon, Externalities, and Growth

Wendner, Ronald (2008): Finite Horizon, Externalities, and Growth.

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of externalities on economic growth in an AK model. In contrast to the existing literature, the paper considers finitely-lived agents along the continuous time, overlapping generations literature. A series of new results, not holding for infinitely-lived agent economies, emerge. Consumption externalities generally introduce a distortion (inefficiency), even when labor supply is exogenous and there is no concurrent production externality. A negative consumption externality implies overconsumption, and growth is lower than optimal. Transition paths are considered. The model employed encompasses the infinitely-lived agent economy as a special case, thus helps understanding the differences in results between finite-horizon overlapping-generations and infinitely-lived agents economies.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: AK growth, externality, finite lifetime, overlapping generations, optimum
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D9 - Intertemporal Choice > D91 - Intertemporal Household Choice ; Life Cycle Models and Saving; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E2 - Consumption, Saving, Production, Investment, Labor Markets, and Informal Economy > E21 - Consumption ; Saving ; Wealth; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O4 - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity > O40 - General

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