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Family Policies: What Does the Standard Endogenous Fertility Model Tell Us?

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  • THOMAS BAUDIN
Abstract
Very few studies have explored the optimality properties of the "standard model" of fertility where parents must determine their optimal trade-off between quality and quantity. The present paper works to fill that gap and find three main results. First, when there exist positive externalities in the accumulation of human capital, it is optimal to subsidize education and to tax births. Second, when the Social Welfare Function does not consist of the average utility, the social returns on educational in- vestments can be weaker than the private returns when the optimal population growth rate is negative. In this case, the optimal economic policy consists in subsidizing births and taxing education. Finally, when the health expenditure is introduced as another source of positive externalities, it can be optimal to tax the parental health expenditure to decentralize the first-best path even if this expenditure is always too low at the laissez-faire equilibrium.
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  • Thomas Baudin, 2011. "Family Policies: What Does the Standard Endogenous Fertility Model Tell Us?," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 13(4), pages 555-593, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jpbect:v:13:y:2011:i:4:p:555-593
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    3. Komada, Oliwia, 2024. "Raising America’s future: Search for optimal child-related transfers," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
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    7. Krzysztof Makarski & Joanna Tyrowicz & Magda Malec, 2019. "Fiscal and Welfare Effects of Raised Fertility in Poland: Overlapping Generations Model Estimates," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 45(4), pages 795-818, December.
    8. Stelter, Robert, 2014. "Over-aging: Are present human populations too old?," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 137, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics.
    9. Thomas Baudin, 2012. "The Optimal Trade-Off Between Quality and Quantity with Unknown Number of Survivors," Mathematical Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 94-113, April.
    10. Stelter, Robert, 2016. "Over-aging — Are present-day human populations too old?," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 116-143.
    11. Thomas Baudin & David de la Croix & Paula E. Gobbi, 2019. "Childlessness and Economic Development: A Survey," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2019001, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    12. Magdalena Smyk & Joanna Tyrowicz & Lucas van der Velde, 2021. "A Cautionary Note on the Reliability of the Online Survey Data: The Case of Wage Indicator," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(1), pages 429-464, February.
    13. Luigi Bonatti & Lorenza Alexandra Lorenzetti, 2022. "Long-Term Economic Implications of Demeny Voting: A Theoretical Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 10039, CESifo.
    14. Luigi Bonatti & Mauro Lorenza Alexandra Lorenzetti, 2022. "Long-term Economic Implications of Demeny. Voting: A Theoretical Analysis," DEM Working Papers 2022/6, Department of Economics and Management.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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