具生產性政府支出模型下，探討社會地位、累進稅率對總體穩定性及成長之影響

Abstract

本篇論文利用具生產性政府支出的外生成長模型和內生成長模型，探討社會地位及累進稅率對總體經濟長期穩定性及成長之影響。家計單位累積資本不僅是追求資本本身所帶來消費能力的提升，更是為了提升社會地位進而累積資本。然而，投資動機也會受所得稅的累進程度影響。本研究發現，在外生成長模型中，當家計單位較在乎自身的社會地位時，會累積較多的資本，進而使產出增加；當稅率更為累進時，會導致社會的投資及產出下降。在內生成長模型中，家計單位追求社會地位會促使經濟成長；然而，更高的累進稅制會對經濟成長產生負面的影響。在總體經濟穩定性方面，外生成長模型的收斂路徑為唯一的馬鞍路徑，此路徑不受在乎社會地位程度及累進稅率所影響。內生成長模型的穩定性受所得稅率水準、政府支出外部性程度及稅率累進程度所影響。

This paper has theoretically investigated the effects of households’ desires for social status and progressive income taxation on economic growth and stability properties in exogenous- and endogenous-growth models with productive government spending. Households accumulate capital not only for their implied consumption, but for the resulting social status; however, this motive for investment is also influenced by the degree of progressivity of the income tax. We found that in the exogenous-growth model, when households were relatively concerned about their social status, they accumulated more capital, thus promoting output; when the income tax became more progressive, it depressed the investment and output. In the endogenous-growth model, pursuing for social status drove economic growth, whereas a higher progressivity of the income tax harmed the rate of growth. On the other side, concerning the stability property, there was a saddle-path equilibrium which was proven unaffected by the spirit of capitalism and the progressive income tax in the exogenous-growth model. However, the stability of the endogenous-growth model was analytically determined by three factors below: (i) the level of the income tax schedule; (ii) the degree of productivity of government spending; and (iii) the extent of progressivity of the income tax.