nep-evo New Economics Papers
on Evolutionary Economics
Issue of 2013‒11‒09
three papers chosen by
Matthew Baker
City University of New York

  1. Geographical factors, Growth and Divergence By Nguyen Thang DAO; Julio DÁVILA
  2. Time preferences and lifetime outcomes By Lindahl L.; Golsteyn B.H.H.; Grönqvist H.
  3. Multiple-self models in neuroeconomics. A methodological critique By Marco Stimolo

  1. By: Nguyen Thang DAO (CORE, Université catholique de Louvain, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and Vietnam Centre for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR), Hanoi, Vietnam); Julio DÁVILA (CORE, Université catholique de Louvain, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and Paris School of Economics, Paris, France)
    Abstract: This paper develops a unied growth model capturing issues of endogenous economic growth, fertility, and technological progress considering the effects of geographical conditions to interpret the long transition from Malthusian stagnation, through demographic transition to modern sustained growth, and the great divergence in GDP per capita across societies. The paper shows how the interplay of size of "land" and its "accessibility" and technological progress play a very important role for an economy to escape Malthusian stagnation and to take off. Thus differences in these geographical factors lead to differences in take off timings, generating great divergence across societies.
    Keywords: Geographical land, land accessible, level of technology, human capital, fertility
    JEL: J11 O11 O33
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dpc:wpaper:1713&r=evo
  2. By: Lindahl L.; Golsteyn B.H.H.; Grönqvist H. (GSBE)
    Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between time preferences and lifetime social and economic behavior. We use a Swedish longitudinal dataset that links information from a large survey on childrens time preferences at age 13 to administrative registers spanning over four decades. Our results indicate a substantial adverse relationship between high discount rates and school performance, health, labor supply, and lifetime income. Males and high ability children gain significantly more from being future-oriented. These discrepancies are largest regarding outcomes later in life. We also show that the relationship between time preferences and long-run outcomes operates through early human capital investments.
    Keywords: Behavioral Economics: Underlying Principles; Intertemporal Consumer Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving; Labor Economics: General;
    JEL: D03 D91 J01
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:umagsb:2013065&r=evo
  3. By: Marco Stimolo
    Abstract: The idea of multiple-self models in economics is that individual identity is the equilibrium result of the strategic interaction between sub-personal selves. These models fill the gap of standard rational choice theory in explaining inter-temporal inconsistency of choices. This modelling procedure requires an extension of revealed preference theory to the sub-personal level. This extension is grounded in the assumption that sub-personal selves are economic agents to whom analytical tools of microeconomics apply. I claim that this assumption is false and entails the empirical methodology of functional localization that fails to provide robust results.
    Keywords: Multiple-self, rationality, as if, functional localization, robustness
    Date: 2012–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:icr:wpicer:07-2012&r=evo

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