We provide a nonparametric ‘revealed preference’ characterization of rational household behavior in terms of the collective consumption model, while accounting for general (possibly non-convex) individual preferences. We establish a Collective Axiom of Revealed Preference (CARP), which...

There is a general interest in ranking performances (e.g., in sports or policy), which essentially implies aggregating several performance dimensions. The usual approach considers a 'cardinal' linear weighting of the different single-dimensional performance indicators. We present an alternative...

This paper presents an ordered logit approach to model the optimal timing of buying a house during the life cycle. The model is applied to three recent Belgian household budget surveys. We find that households postpone homeownership or choose to be lifelong tenant due to an increase of the...

Microsimulation models for indirect taxation require detailed underlying demand systems, in order to be policy relevant. A possible solution for the econometric problem (lack of necessary degrees of freedom) is the separability concept and the closely related notion of two-stage budgeting. In...

In this paper, we present a collective model with public consumption. It is based on the more general model of Lewbel, Chiappori and Browning (2001). Rather than estimating a consumption technology, which captures all economies of scale of living in a couple, we determine a priori which goods...

In this paper, a collective discrete choice model is presented for female labour supply. Both preferences of females and the intrahousehold decision process are econometrically identifiable. The model incorporates nonparticipation and nonlinear taxation. It is applied to Belgian microdata and is...

In this paper, an empirical evaluation is presented of two competing flexible labour supply models. The first is a standard unitary model, while the second is based on the collective approach to household behaviour. The evaluation focuses on the testing of the models' theoretical implications,...

We compare the empirical performance of the unitary and the collective approach to modelling observed labour supply behaviour. Deviating from the mainstream literature, we conduct a nonparametric analysis, which avoids the distortive impact of an erroneously specified functional form for the...

Microsimulation models for indirect taxation require detailed underlying demand systems, in order to be policy relevant. A possible solution for the econometric problem (lack of necessary degrees of freedom) is the separability concept and the closely related notion of two-stage budgeting. In...

In the traditional approach to consumer behaviour it is assumed that households behave as if they were single decision making units. This approach has methodological, empirical and welfare economic deficiencies. A valuable alternative to the traditional model is the collective approach to...