Secular Changes in Wealth Inequality and Inheritance

Authors

• John Laitner

Abstract

Data suggest the distribution of wealth among households in the United States and the United Kingdom has become more equal over the last century — though the pattern may have reversed recently. This paper shows that a model in which all households save for life–cycle reasons and some for dynastic purposes as well offers a possible explanation: the model predicts rising cross–sectional equality of wealth when longevity increases. In terms of recent changes, the model suggests that expansion of social security programs and government debt can lead toward more wealth inequality, and that slower growth may do the same.

Citation

Laitner, John. “Secular Changes in Wealth Inequality and Inheritance.” The Economic Journal 111 (October 2001): 691-721.

Laitner, John "Simulating the Effects on Inequality and Wealth Accumulation of Eliminating the Federal Estate and Gift Tax in Gale and Slemrod (eds) Rethinking Estate and Gift Taxation." Brookings Institution Press 2001 258-298

Full Text

Download PDF

Project

• UM00-11: Modeling the Macroeconomic Implications of Social Security Reform

Paper ID

WP 2001-020

Publication Type

Working Paper

Publication Year

2001