La fonction d'utilité de l’ homo oeconomicus est synonyme d'absence d'interactions sociales entre agents économiques et d'indépendance des préférences individuelles. Ce postulat d'utilité, dite absolue, est l'objet de nombreuses vérifications empiriques basées à la fois sur des...

This paper reexamines the Barro growth model taking into account status-seeking behavior. Agents care about both consumption and social status, which is determined by their relative consumption in society. Public capital as production input is financed by income tax or lumpsum tax. We discuss...

We investigate the wealth distribution and endogenous fiscal policy in a two-classes growth model in which individuals exhibit a desire for social status. The latter is in- creasing with individual wealth and decreasing with the average level of the society. First, we show that status seeking is...

Cet article présente un modèle géographique de croissance à deux pays dans lequel les salaires nominaux des pays peuvent diverger. Ecartant l’hypothèse classique selon laquelle chaque pays a toujours un secteur traditionnel, cette étude montre qu’avec la libéralisation du commerce, un...

We develop a geographic growth model where nominal wages are allowed to diverge between the two considered countries. Removing the standard assumption entailing that both countries always own a traditional sector, we argue that, as trade gets freer, the traditional sector of one country might...

Concession, project-financing and public-private partnership schemes are investment projects that are generally submitted to valuation criteria based on discounted cash flow analysis. The theoretical basis of these valuation criteria are now at issue. Pursuant to recent advances in relational...

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Application of the social discount rate to public sector projects is one of the most crucial parameters in cost benefit analysis. Because of its importance some countries have a formal discount rate and method of discounting policies. The United Kingdom was one of the earliest to adopt a policy...

Time discounting in the public sector remains a source of confusion and some academic controversy. The very concept of a ”social” discount rate, not revealed by the market, is rejected by mainstream financial economics. Elsewhere the setting of public sector discount rates equal to the...

In this paper we study the link between elections, fiscal policy and aggregate fluctuations. The set-up is a stylized dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model incorporating both technology and political re-election shocks. The later are incorporated via a two-party model with elections. The...