The micro economics of group behavior: General characterization

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chiappori, P. A.; Ekeland, I.
• 署名单位: Columbia University; University of British Columbia
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0531
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2005.01.007
• 发表日期: 2006
• 页码: 1-26
• 关键词: demand theory; aggregation; Group behavior

摘要

We study the demand function of a group of S members facing a global budget constraint. Any vector belonging to the budget set can be consumed within the group, with no restriction on the form of individual preferences, the nature of individual consumptions or the form of the decision process beyond efficiency. Moreover, only the group aggregate behavior, summarized by its demand function, is observable. We provide necessary and (locally) sufficient restrictions that fully characterize the group's demand function, with and without distribution factors. We show that the private or public nature of consumption within the group is not testable from aggregate data on group behavior. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Inc.