The Ramsey (1928) equation decomposes the real discount rate into the pure rate of time preference plus a term that accounts for the changing marginal utility of consumption. Discussions about the appropriate discount rate to apply in Cost Benefit Analysis sometimes refer to variations induced...

This report estimates the "social rate of time preference" (SRTP) for New Zealand public policy appraisal using a Ramsey equation. It uses the Weitzman (1998) method to derive a declining discount rate schedule of 2% (real) for years 1-30, 1.5% for years 31-100, and 1% for years 101 on. The...

Dynamic consistency is crucial for credible evaluation of intergenerational choice plans that inherently lack commitment. We offer a general characterization for dynamically consistent intergenerational welfare aggregation. The aggregation is characterized by envy-guilt asymmetry in discounting...

The preference to receive benefits as early as possible and delay costs as much as possible is natural for people. That means a positive discount rate in the intertemporal choice, which is a common assumption in economics. However, as research in behavioral economics proves, in certain...

As a project appraisal tool, the preliminary feasibility study (PFS) has contributed to enhancing the efficiency of public investment decisionmaking in the Republic of Korea over the last two decades. To overcome the limitations of the efficiency-oriented cost-benefit analysis, the PFS...

Background: Digital health interventions (DHI) have been identified as a tool that has the potential to meet the growing demand for healthcare, improve the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare, and increase the accessibility and quality of care. The adoption and use of DHI for healthcare...

Purpose - The main purpose of this paper is to determine the discount function which better fits the individuals' preferences through the empirical analysis of the different functions used in the field of intertemporal choice. Design/methodology/approach - After an in-depth revision of the...

Current theories of the discount rate have a theoretical basis focused on risk; risk-free rate and risk premium. The basic component of the discount rate, the risk-free rate as purely empirical has a natural infirmity which consequently weakens the final theory. Similarly, the risk premium...

In settings where other-regarding motives are likely to be (and some would argue, should be) at the forefront of our minds, how much of our behavior can still be explained by narrow pecuniary self-interest by itself? In an experiment where subjects are asked to vote between two income...

This article studies socially optimal allocations, from the point of view of a benevolent social planner, in environments characterized by fixed resources, endogenous fertility, and full information. Individuals in our environment are fully rational and altruistic toward their descendants. Our...