BibTeX
@MISC{Doepke99fertility,income,
author = {Matthias Doepke},
title = {Fertility, Income Distribution, and Growth},
year = {1999}
}
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Abstract
In this paper I develop a unified theory of fertility, inequality, and growth. The model is consistent with a phase of stagnation during which the economy exhibits Malthusian features, followed by a transition to a balanced-growth regime. A special emphasis is placed on the role of education and child labor policies. I use the model to explain the different transition experiences of Brazil and Korea. While Korea had a fast demographic transition and consistently low inequality, the demographic transition was slow in Brazil, and the income distribution was unequal. Numerical experiments show that policy differences can explain these observations. In a further empirical application I show that the model can reproduce observed patterns in inequality and fertility in nineteenth-century England, once policy changes towards the end of the century are accounted for. # Preliminary, comments welcome. I thank the members of my thesis committee Robert Lucas (chair), Gary Becker, Edwar...
Keyphrases
income distribution policy change demographic transition observed pattern different transition experience labor policy special emphasis unified theory malthusian feature fast demographic transition numerical experiment policy difference gary becker balanced-growth regime thesis committee robert lucas low inequality nineteenth-century england empirical application
