Justifying social discounting: The rank-discounted utilitarian approach

Stéphane Zuber and Geir Asheim

Journal of Economic Theory, 2012, vol. 147, issue 4, 1572-1601

Abstract: The discounted utilitarian criterion for infinite horizon social choice has been criticized for treating generations unequally. We propose an extended rank-discounted utilitarian (ERDU) criterion instead. The criterion amounts to discounted utilitarianism on non-decreasing streams, but it treats all generations impartially: discounting becomes the mere expression of intergenerational inequality aversion. We show that more inequality averse ERDU societies have higher social discount rates when future generations are better off. We apply the ERDU approach in two benchmark economic growth models and prove that it promotes sustainable policies that maximize discounted utilitarian welfare.

Keywords: Intergenerational equity; Social discounting; Discounted utilitarianism; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 H43 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (56)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Justifying Social Discounting: The Rank-Discounted Utilitarian Approach (2010)
Working Paper: Justifying social discounting: the rank-discounted utilitarian approach (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:147:y:2012:i:4:p:1572-1601

DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2011.08.001

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