This paper formally describes the Human Capital Theory as a Research Programme that fits into the classical economic Research Programmes. The fundamental ¿hard core¿ assumption which converts the Human Capital Theory into a Research Programme itself in Lakatosian terms is based upon the...

The provision of pensions for the old and public education for the young represent a large share of public budgets. In most Western countries, current Social Security systems are under a big financial stress. Several reforms have been proposed to solve this problem. This paper deals with the...

We study an overlapping generations economy with altruistic agents in which the productivity of a child?s labour endowment depends on an idiosyncratic shock and on the resources spent by her parent in education her. The parent cannot borrow but can leave a nonnegative bequest which earns a...