社會地位追求行為、經濟成長與人口現象

SOCIAL STATUS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POPULATION GROWTH

本文設立一個生育率內生決定的成長模型，據此分析社會地位追求行為與養育成本對於經濟成長與生育率的影響。我們發現：養育成本提 高必定會造成生育率的降低，但卻可能可以刺激經濟成長；但就一個理論的觀點來說，生育補助措施對生育率與經濟成長率的影響均不確定。另外，民眾追求社會地位的態度愈積極，會將較多的資源投入到社會地位財部門中，因此排擠撫育支出，導致生育率降低。這個結果或許可以說明已開發國家生育率較低的現象。再者，社會地位追求行為是否可以刺激經濟成長必須視民眾用來彰顯社會地位的財貨性質而定。就一個偏重於財富導向的社會地位追求，民眾會配置較多的資源到資本累積上，因此對於經濟成長表現有正面的助益；但是對一個偏重消費導向社會地位追求的經濟體系來說，資源將會被引導到不具成長效果的消費行為上，因此會對經濟成長現象產生不利的影響。這個結果或許可以說明台灣和美國的經濟成長現象所存在的差異。

This paper develops an endogenous-population growth model to examine the impact of status-seeking behavior and child-bearing costs on the economic growth and fertility rates. We find that higher bearing costs will lower the fertility rate, but they might raise the output growth rate. On the other hand, the effects of birth allowance on fertility and economic growth are theoretically ambiguous. We also find that a stronger statusseeking motive will reduce the fertility rate since it leads to resources reallocation towards status goods. This result may explain why the fertility rates in developed countries are lower. Moreover, whether agents’ status-seeking behavior stimulates economic growth or not depends on the nature of status goods. If status goods are wealth-oriented, the output growth rate will be higher because of stimulated capital accumulation. By contrast, slower economic growth results if the status good is consumption-oriented. This finding may explain the different growth experiences between U.S. and Taiwan.