Intergenerational Equity

Definition

Intergenerational equity is a principle that emphasizes the fair and equal treatment of different generations, ensuring that the needs and interests of both current and future generations are considered in decision-making processes. It is a concept that is particularly relevant in the context of government budgeting and the impacts of public debt on future generations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Intergenerational equity is concerned with ensuring that the costs and benefits of government policies are fairly distributed across generations, both present and future.
2. The accumulation of public debt can have significant implications for intergenerational equity, as future generations may be required to pay for the debt incurred by their predecessors.
3. Balanced budget policies are often advocated as a means of promoting intergenerational equity, as they can help to limit the burden of public debt on future generations.
4. Generational accounting can be used to assess the fairness of fiscal policies by analyzing the distribution of the government's fiscal burden across different age cohorts.
5. Intergenerational equity is an important consideration in the design of social programs, such as retirement and healthcare systems, to ensure that the costs and benefits are equitably shared between generations.

Review Questions

• Explain how the principle of intergenerational equity is relevant to the question of a balanced budget.
  • The principle of intergenerational equity is relevant to the question of a balanced budget because government borrowing and the accumulation of public debt can have significant implications for future generations. A balanced budget, where government spending does not exceed revenue, can help to limit the burden of public debt on future generations and promote a more equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of government policies across different age cohorts. By maintaining a balanced budget, the government can ensure that the financial obligations it incurs are not passed on to future generations, who may have different priorities and needs.
• Describe how government borrowing can affect private saving and the implications for intergenerational equity.
  • Government borrowing can affect private saving through the crowding-out effect, where increased government borrowing leads to higher interest rates, which in turn reduces private investment and savings. This can have implications for intergenerational equity, as the reduced private saving may limit the ability of current generations to accumulate wealth and resources that could be passed on to future generations. Additionally, the interest payments on government debt can divert resources away from other government programs and investments that could benefit future generations, such as education, infrastructure, and research and development. The reduced private saving and the burden of public debt on future generations can create an uneven playing field and undermine the principle of intergenerational equity.
• Evaluate the role of generational accounting in assessing the fairness of fiscal policies from the perspective of intergenerational equity.
  • Generational accounting is a valuable tool for assessing the fairness of fiscal policies from the perspective of intergenerational equity. By analyzing the distribution of the government's fiscal burden across different age cohorts, generational accounting can help identify the potential impacts of fiscal policies on different generations. This information can be used to evaluate the equity and sustainability of government policies, ensuring that the costs and benefits are fairly distributed between current and future generations. For example, generational accounting can reveal the extent to which current generations are relying on debt financing, which may place a disproportionate burden on future generations. This analysis can inform policy decisions and help promote more equitable and sustainable fiscal policies that uphold the principle of intergenerational equity.

Related terms

Public Debt: The total amount of money owed by a government to its creditors, which can have implications for the financial burden placed on future generations.

Fiscal Policy: The use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy, which can have long-term consequences for different generations.

Generational Accounting: A method of analyzing the distribution of the government's fiscal burden across different generations, helping to assess the fairness and sustainability of fiscal policies.