The authors study social security legislated endogenously by altruistic, overlapping generations. Starting from a steady-state equilibrium without social security, both generations living in a period can gain from legislation that mandates transfers from young to old in that and all subsequent...

An important problem in theoretical biology is to explain how altruism can have positive selection value. We model socialization as a costly public good that raises altruism and we study evolution equations for altruistic preferences. Stable cultural (social) equilibria exist in which...

This paper presents an investment theory for the firm and the indu stry under rational expectations that encompasses: (1) classical capital theory; (2) a solid microeconomic basis for Keynes's investment theory; and (3) traditi onal neoclassical investment theory for the firm. These three types...

The authors analyze the welfare consequences of deficit finance in a gene ral equilibrium model fit to the U.S. economy. Current spending may b e financed with current and/or future distortionary taxes. The econom y is open to international capital flows. The welfare costs of financ ing marginal...