Does the Indexing of Government Transfers Make Carbon Pricing Progressive?

Don Fullerton (), Garth Heutel and Gilbert Metcalf

No 16768, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We analyze both the uses side and the sources side incidence of domestic climate policy using an analytical general equilibrium model, taking into account the degree of government program indexing. When transfer programs such as Social Security are explicitly indexed to inflation, higher energy prices automatically lead to cost-of-living adjustments for recipients. We show results with no indexing, 100 percent indexing, and partial indexing based on our analysis of actual transfer programs. When households are classified by annual income, the indexing of U.S. transfers is not enough to offset the regressive uses side, but when they are classified by annual expenditures as a proxy for permanent income, transfer indexing does offset regressivity across the lowest income groups.

JEL-codes: H23 H55 Q43 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-02
Note: EEE PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Published as Don Fullerton & Garth Heutel & Gilbert E. Metcalf, 2012. "Does the Indexing of Government Transfers Make Carbon Pricing Progressive?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 94(2), pages 347-353.

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Journal Article: Does the Indexing of Government Transfers Make Carbon Pricing Progressive? (2012)
Working Paper: Does the Indexing of Government Transfers Make Carbon Pricing Progressive? (2011)
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