We develop a general equilibrium model for evaluating domestically financed transfer programmes and derive analytical expressions which provide a framework for combining results from a computable general equilibrium model with disaggregated household data. We separate the welfare impact into three components, i.e. redistribution, reallocative, and distortionary effects. We show how these are subsumed within one parameter, the cost of public funds. Using a Mexican programme for illustration, we show that substantial welfare gains result from a switch from universal food subsidies to targeted transfers, reflecting both the improved targeting efficiency of the latter and the relaxation the trade-off between equity and efficiency when designing tax systems.
Article
Evaluating transfer programmes within a general equilibrium framework.
USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2004
Abstract
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
Citation Information
Coady, D.P. & Harris, R. L. (2004). Evaluating transfer programmes within a general equilibrium framework. The Economic Journal, 114, 778-799. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2004.00243.x
Citation only. Full-text article is available through licensed access provided by the publisher. Members of the USF System may access the full-text of the article through the authenticated link provided.