The theoretical literature has predicted that inequality affects long-run growth by reducing human and physical capital, particularly in the presence of imperfect credit markets and other contractual frictions. We test these four mechanisms using measures of inequality at the country-level,...

The worldwide problem with pay-as-you-go (PAYG) social security systems isn't just financial. This study indicates that these systems may have exerted adverse effects on key demographic factors, private savings, and long-term growth rates. Through a comprehensive endogenous-growth model where...

We trace the impact of pay-as-you-go (PAYG) social security taxes on demographic and economic trends through an endogenous-growth model where human capital is the engine of growth, family choices affect its formation in children, and family formation itself is a choice variable. We show that...