I study decentralization of optimal allocations in an endowment OLG economy where private agents face endogenous borrowing constraints. Lenders constrain credit because of limited commitment of borrowers: they can declare bankruptcy and only lose the ability to make savings for retirement in the...

Data for the United States and countries in Western Europe indicate a negative correlation between the dependency ratio and both labor tax rates and the generosity of social transfers, after controlling for other factors that influence the size of the welfare state. This is despite the increased...

According to empirical studies, the life cycle of labor supply volatility exhibits a U-shaped pattern. This may lead to the conclusion that demographic change induces a drop in output volatility. We present an overlapping generations model that replicates the empirically observed pattern and...