Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 975-987 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | European Journal of Political Economy |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2007 |
Abstract
We study the military draft as a form of intergenerational redistribution, taking into account endogenous human capital formation. Introducing the military draft initially benefits the older generation while it harms the young and all future generations. As it distorts human capital formation more severely than an equivalent intergenerational transfer using public debt or pay-as-you-go pensions, the draft can be abolished in a Pareto-improving way if age-dependent taxes are available. In the absence of age-specific taxes, the political allure of the draft can be explained by the specific intergenerational incidence of its costs and benefits.
Keywords
- Education, Intergenerational fairness, Military draft
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
- Social Sciences(all)
- Political Science and International Relations
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In: European Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 23, No. 4, 12.2007, p. 975-987.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - To draft or not to draft?
T2 - Inefficiency, generational incidence, and political economy of military conscription
AU - Poutvaara, Panu
AU - Wagener, Andreas
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - We study the military draft as a form of intergenerational redistribution, taking into account endogenous human capital formation. Introducing the military draft initially benefits the older generation while it harms the young and all future generations. As it distorts human capital formation more severely than an equivalent intergenerational transfer using public debt or pay-as-you-go pensions, the draft can be abolished in a Pareto-improving way if age-dependent taxes are available. In the absence of age-specific taxes, the political allure of the draft can be explained by the specific intergenerational incidence of its costs and benefits.
AB - We study the military draft as a form of intergenerational redistribution, taking into account endogenous human capital formation. Introducing the military draft initially benefits the older generation while it harms the young and all future generations. As it distorts human capital formation more severely than an equivalent intergenerational transfer using public debt or pay-as-you-go pensions, the draft can be abolished in a Pareto-improving way if age-dependent taxes are available. In the absence of age-specific taxes, the political allure of the draft can be explained by the specific intergenerational incidence of its costs and benefits.
KW - Education
KW - Intergenerational fairness
KW - Military draft
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36048979316&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2006.12.001
DO - 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2006.12.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:36048979316
VL - 23
SP - 975
EP - 987
JO - European Journal of Political Economy
JF - European Journal of Political Economy
SN - 0176-2680
IS - 4
ER -