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1 The General Theory of Second Best
1 The General Theory of Second Best
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The General Theory of Second est'
Thereis an importantbasic similarityunderlyinga numberof recentworksin appar-
ently widely separatedfields of economictheory. Upon examination,it would appear
that the authorshave been rediscovering,in some of the many guises given it by various
specificproblems,a singlegeneraltheorem. This theoremformsthe core of whatmay be
called The General Theory of Second Best. Although the main principles of the theory
of secondbesthaveundoubtedlygainedwideacceptance,no generalstatementof themseems
to exist. Furthermore,the principlesoften seemto be forgottenin the contextof specific
problemsand,whentheyarerediscoveredandstatedin the formpertinentto someproblem,
this seemsto evoke expressionsof surpriseand doubtratherthan of immediateagreement
and satisfactionat the discoveryof yet anotherapplicationof the alreadyacceptedgeneral-
izations.
In this paper, an attemptis made to develop a generaltheory of second best. In
SectionI there is given, by way of introduction,a verbalstatementof the theory'smain
generaltheorem,togetherwith two importantnegativecorollaries. Section II outlines
the scope of the generaltheory of secondbest. Next, a brief surveyis given of some of
the recentliteratureon the subject. This surveybringstogethera numberof casesin which
the generaltheory has been appliedto variousproblemsin theoreticaleconomics. The
implicationsof the generaltheory of second best for piecemealpolicy recommendations,
especiallyin welfareeconomics,are consideredin Section IV. This general discussion
is followed by two sections giving examplesof the applicationof the theory in specific
models. These exampleslead up to the general statementand rigorous proof of the
centraltheoremgiven in Section VII. A brief considerationof the existenceof second
best solutionsis followed by a classificatorydiscussionof the natureof these solutions.
This taxonomy serves to illustratesome of the importantnegative corollariesof the
theorem. Thepaperis concludedwitha briefdiscussionof the difficultproblemof multiple-
layer second best optima.
I A GENERAL THEOREMIN THE THEORY OF SECOND BEST2
It is well knownthat the attainmentof a Paretianoptimumrequiresthe simultaneous
fulfillmentof all the optimum conditions. The general theorem for the second best
optimumstates that if there is introducedinto a generalequilibriumsystema constraint
which preventsthe attainmentof one of the Paretianconditions,the other Paretiancon-
ditions, although still attainable,are, in general,no longer desirable. In other words,
given that one of the Paretianoptimumconditionscannot be fulfilled,then an optimum
situationcan be achievedonly by departingfrom all the other Paretianconditions. The
optimumsituationfinally attainedmay be termeda second best optimumbecauseit is
achievedsubjectto a constraintwhich,by definition,preventsthe attainmentof a Paretian
optimum.
From this theoremthere follows the importantnegativecorollarythat there is no
a prioriway to judgeas betweenvarioussituationsin whichsome of the Paretianoptimum
1 The authorsare indebtedto ProfessorHarryG. Johnsonfor a numberof helpful suggestionsrelating
to this paper. The appelation," Theoryof SecondBest," is derivedfrom the writingsof ProfessorMeade a
See Meade, J. E., Tradeand Welfare,London, Oxford UniversityPress, 1955. Meade has given, in Trade
and Welfare,what seems to be the only attemptto date to deal systematicallywith a numberof problems
in the theory of second best. His treatment,however,is concernedwith the detailedcase study of several
problems,ratherthan with the developmentof a generaltheory of second best.
2 See section VII for formal proofs of the statementsmade in this section.
11
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12 REVIEWOF ECONOMICSTUDIES
conditionsare fulfilledwhile othersare not. Specifically,it is not true that a situationin
whichmore, but not all, of the optimumconditionsare fulfilledis necessarily,or is even
likelyto be, superiorto a situationin whichfewerare fulfilled. It follows, therefore,that
in a situationin which there exist many constraintswhich preventthe fulfillmentof the
Parteianoptimumconditions,the removalof any one constraintmay affect welfareor
efficiencyeitherby raisingit, by loweringit, or by leavingit unchanged.
The generaltheoremof the second best states that if one of the Paretianoptimum
conditionscannotbe fulfilleda secondbest optimumsituationis achievedonly by departing
fromall otheroptimumconditions. It is importantto note that in general,nothingcan be
said about the directionor the magnitudeof the secondarydeparturesfrom optimum
conditionsmadenecessaryby the originalnon-fulfil)ment of one condition. Consider,for
example,a casein whichthe centralauthorityleviesa tax on the purchaseof one commodity
and returnsthe revenueto the purchasersin the form of a gift so that the sole effectof the
tax is to distortrelativeprices. Thenall thatcanbe saidin generalis thatgiventhe existence
andinvariabilityof this tax, a secondbest optimumcan be achievedby levyingsomesystem
of taxes and subsidieson all othercommodities. The requiredtax on some commodities
may exceedthe given tax, on other commoditiesit may be less than the given tax, while
on still othersa subsidy,ratherthan a tax, may be required.'
It follows from the above that there is no a priori way to judge as betweenvarious
situationsin which none of the Paretianoptimumconditionsare fulfilled. In particular,
it is not true that a situationin which all departuresfrom the optimumconditionsare of
the same directionand magnitudeis necessarilysuperiorto one in which the deviations
vary in directionand magnitude. For example,there is no reason to believe that a
situationin which thereis the same degreeof monopolyin all industrieswill necessarily
be in any sensesuperiorto a situationin whichthe degreeof monopolyvariesas between
industries.
II THE SCOPE OF THE THEORY OF SECOND BEST
Perhapsthe best way to approachthe problemof definingthe scope of the theoryof
secondbest is to considerthe role of constraintsin economictheory. In the generalecon-
omic problemof maximizationa functionis maximisedsubjectto at least one constraint.
For example,in the simplestwelfaretheorya welfarefunctionis maximizedsubjectto the
constraintexercisedby a transformationfunction. The theory of the Paretianoptimum
is concernedwith the conditionsthat must be fulfilledin orderto maximizesome function
subjectto a set of constraintswhicharegenerallyconsideredto be " in the natureof things".
Thereare, of course,a wholehost of possibleconstraintsbeyondthose assumedto operate
in the Paretianoptimizationproblem. These furtherconstraintsvary from the " nature-
dictated" ones, such as indivisibilitiesand boundariesto productionfunctions,to the
obviously" policy created" ones such as taxes and subsidies. In general,there would
seemto be no logicaldivisionbetweenthoseconstraintswhichoccurin theParetianoptimum
theory and those which occur only in the theory of second best. All that can be said is
that,in the theoryof the Paretianoptimum,certainconstraintsareassumedto be operative
and the conditions necessaryfor the maximizationof some function subject to these
constraintsare examined. In the theory of second best there is admittedat least one
constraintadditionalto the ones existingin Paretianoptimumtheoryand it is in the nature
of this constraintthat it preventsthe satisfactionof at least one of the Paretianoptimum
conditions. Considerationis then givento the natureof the conditionsthat mustbe satis-
fied in orderto maximizesome functionsubjectto this new set of constraints.2
1 See Section V.
2
The generaltheory of second best is, thus, concernedwith all maximizationproblems not just with
welfaretheory. See Section III for examplesof non-welfareapplications.
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 13
It is important to note that even in a single general equilibrium system where there is
only one Paretian optimum, there will be a multiplicity of second best optimum positions.
This is so because there are many possible combinations of constraints with a second
best solution for each combination.' For this reason one may speak of the existence
of the Paretian optimum but should, strictly speaking, refer to a second best optimum.
It is possible to approach problems in the theory of second best from two quite different
directions. On the one hand, the approach used in this paper is to assume the existence
of one constraint additional to those in the Paretian optimum problem (e.g., one tax, one
tariff, one subsidy, or one monopoly) and then to investigate the nature of the conditions
that must be satisfied in order to achieve a second best optimum and, where possible,
to compare these conditions with those necessary for the attainment of a Paretian optimum.
On the other hand, the approach used by Professor Meade is to assume the existence of a
large number of taxes, tariffs, monopolies, etcetera, and then to inquire into the effect
of changing any one of them. Meade, therefore, deals with a system containing many
constraints and investigates the optimum (second best) level for one of them, assuming
the invariability of all the others.2 It would be futile to argue that one of these approaches
was superior to the other. Meade's is probably the appropriate one when considering
problems of actual policy in a world where many imperfections exist and only a few can
be removed at any one time. On the other hand, the approach used in the present paper
would seem to be the more appropriate one for a systematic study of the general principles
of the theory of second best.
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14 REVIEWOF ECONOMICSTUDIES
Vinerused the termtradediversionto describeproductionshifts of this sort and he took
it as self-evidentthat they would reducethe efficiencyof world production. Since it is
quite possible to conceive of a customs union having only trade divertingproduction
effects, it follows, in Viner's analysis,that the discriminatoryreductionof tariffs may
reduce, ratherthan raise, the efficiencyof world production.
Viner emphasisedthe productioneffects of customs unions,' directinghis attention
to changesin the location,and hencethe cost, of world production. RecentlyProfessor
Meade has shown that a customsunion has exactlyparalleleffectson the location, and
hence the " utility" of world consumption.2 Meadeisolatesthe " consumptioneffects"
of customsunionsby consideringan examplein whichworldproductionis fixed. In this
case Viner'sproblemof the effects of a union on the cost of world productioncannot
arise. Meade arguesthat, underthese circumstances,a customsunion will tend to raise
welfareby encouragingtradebetweenthe membercountriesbut that, at the same time, it
will tend to lower welfareby discouragingthe alreadyhamperedtradebetweenthe union
area and the rest of the world. In the final analysisa customsunion will raise welfare,
lower it, or leave it unchanged,dependingon the relativestrengthof these two opposing
tendencies.3 TheViner-Meadeconclusionsprovidean applicationof the generaltheorem's
negativecorollarythat nothingcan be said a priori about the welfareand efficiencyeffects
of a changewhich permitsthe satisfactionof some but not all of the Paretianoptimum
conditions.
Anotherapplicationof second best theoryto the theoryof tariffshas been provided
by S. A. Ozgawho has shownthat a non-preferential reductionof tariffsby a singlecountry
may lead " away from the free trade position"4 In other words, the adoption of a
freetradepolicyby one country,in a multi-countrytariffriddenworld,may actuallylower
the realincomeof that countryand of the world. Ozgademonstratesthe existenceof this
possibilityby assumingthatall commoditiesare,in consumption,rigidlycomplementary, so
that theirproductioneitherincreasesor decreasessimultaneously. He then showsthat in
a threecountryworldwith tariffsall around,one countrymay adopt a policy of freetrade
and, as a result,the worldproductionof all commoditiesmay decrease. This is one way
of demonstratinga resultwhich follows directlyfrom the generaltheory of second best.
In the field of Public Finance,the problemsof second best seem to have found a
particularlyperplexingguisein the long controversyon the relativemeritsof directversus
indirecttaxation. It would be tedious to reviewall the literatureon the subjectat this
time. In his 1951article,I. M. D. Little5has shown that becauseof the existenceof the
" commodity" leisure,the priceof whichcannotbe directlytaxed,both directand indirect
taxes must preventthe satisfactionof some of the conditionsnecessaryfor the attainment
of a Paretianoptimum. An indirecttax on one good disturbsratesof substitutionbetween
that good and all otherswhilean incometax6disturbsratesof substitutionbetweenleisure
and all other goods. Littlethen arguesthat thereis no a priori way to judge as between
1 His neglect of the demand side of the problem allowed him to reach the erroneousconclusion that
trade diversionnecessarilyled to a decreasein welfare. It is quite possible for an increasein welfare to
follow from the formationof a customsunion whose sole effect is to diverttradefrom lower-to higher-cost
sources of supply. Furthermore,this welfare gain may be enjoyed by the country whose import trade is
divertedto the higher-costsource, by the customs union area consideredas a unit and by the world as a
whole.
See: Lipsey, R. G., " The Theory of Customs Unions: Trade Diversion and Welfare" in a forth-
coming issue of Economica.
2 Meade, J. E., The Theoryof CustomsUnions,Amsterdam,the North Holland PublishingCo., 1955.
3 Ibid., Chapter III.
4 Ozga, S. A., " An Essay in the Theory of Tariffs", Journalof Political Economy,December, 1955,
p. 489.
5 Little, I. M. D., " Direct versusIndirectTaxes ", TheEconomicJournal,September,1951.
6 In this analysisan income tax may be treatedas a uniformad valoremrate of tax on all commodities
except leisure.
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 15
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16 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 17
best optimumwould requirea complex set of relationsin which the ratio of marginal
cost to pricewould vary as betweenfirms. Althoughthe analysisis not of a full general
equilibrium,the conclusionsfollow the now familiarpattern: (1) If a Paretianoptimum
cannot be achieveda second best optimum requiresa general departurefrom all the
Paretianoptimumconditionsand(2) thereareunlikelyto be any simplesufficientconditions
for an increasewhen a maximumcannotbe obtained.
IV THE THEORY OF SECOND BEST AND " PIECEMEAL" POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS
It shouldbe obviousfrom the discussionin the precedingsectionsthat the principles
Ofthe generaltheoryof secondbest show the futilityof " piecemealwelfareeconomics".11
To applyto only a smallpart of an economywelfareruleswhichwould lead to a Paretian
optimumif they wereappliedeverywhere,may movethe economyaway from,not toward,
a second best optimumposition. A nationalizedindustryconductingits price-output
policy accordingto the Lerner-Lange" Rule " in an imperfectlycompetitiveeconomy
may well diminishboth the generalproductiveefficiencyof the economyand the welfare
of its members.
Theproblemof sufficientconditionsforan increasein welfare,as comparedto necessary
conditionsfor a welfaremaximum,is obviouslyimportantif policy recommendations are
to be made in the real world. Piecemealwelfareeconomicsis often based on the belief
that a study of the necessaryconditionsfor a Paretianwelfareoptimummay lead to the
discoveryof sufficientconditionsfor an increasein welfare.2 In his Critiqueof Welfare
Economics,I. M. D. Littlediscussesthe optimumconditionsfor exchangeand production
both as necessaryconditionsfor a maximum,and as sufficientconditionsfor a
desirable economic change ".3 Later on in his discussion Little says " . . . necessary con-
ditionsare not veryinteresting. It is sufficientconditionsfor improvementsthat we really
want ... ."4 But the theoryof secondbest leadsto the conclusionthat thereare in general
no such sufficientconditionsfor an increasein welfare. Thereare necessaryconditions
for a Paretianoptimum. In a simplesituationtheremayexista conditionthatis necessary
and sufficient. But in a generalequilibriumsituationthere will be no conditionswhich
in generalare sufficientfor an increasein welfarewithoutalso beingsufficientfor a welfare
maximum.5
The precedinggeneralizations maybe illustratedby consideringthe followingoptimum
conditionfor exchange: " The marginalrate of substitutionbetweenany two 'goods'
must be the same for everyindividualwho consumesthem both."8 Littleconcludesthat
this conditiongivesa sufficientconditionfor an increasein welfareprovidedonly that when
it is put into effect," . . . the distributionof welfareis not therebymadeworse."7However,
the whole discussionof this optimumcondition occurs only after Little has postulated
" . . . a fixed stock of ' goods ' to be distributedbetweena numberof ' individuals'."8
The optimumconditionthat all consumersshould be faced with the same set of prices
becomesin this-case a sufficientconditionfor an increasein welfare,becausethe problem
at handis merelyhow to distributeefficientlya fixedstock of goods. But in this case the
1 For a descriptionof this type of welfareeconomicssee I. M. D. Little,A Critiqueof WelfareEconomics,
Oxford,The ClarendonPress, 1950, p. 89.
2 Indeed any economics that attemptspiecemealpolicy recommendationsmust be based on the belief
that there can be discoveredsufficientconditions for an increasein, as distinct from necessaryconditions
for a maximumof, whateverit is that is being considered.
3 Little, op cit., p. 120.
4 Ibid., p. 129.
'This conclusionfollows directlyfrom the negativecorollarystatedin the secondparagraphof SectionI.
'Little, I. M. D., op. cit., p. 121.
7 Ibid., p. 122.
8 Ibid., 121.
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18 REVIEWOF ECONOMICSTUDIES
condition is a necessaryand sufficientcondition for a Paretianoptimum. As soon as
variationsin outputareadmitted,the conditionis no longersufficientfor a welfaremaximum
and it is also no longersufficientfor increasein welfare.
The aboveconclusionmay be illustratedby a simpleexample. Considera community
of two individualshavingdifferenttaste patterns. The " government" of the community
desiresto raisea certainsumwhichit will giveawayto a foreigncountry. The community
has made its valuejudgementabout the distributionof incomeby decidingthat each indi-
vidualmustcontributehalfof the requiredrevenue. It has also beendecidedthatthe funds
are to be raisedby meansof indirecttaxes. It followsfromthe Corlettand Hagueanalysis
that the best way to raise the revenueis by a system of unequal indirecttaxes in which
commodities"most complementary " to leisure are -taxed at the highest rates while
commodities"most substitutable"for leisureare taxedat the lowest rates. But the two
individualshave differenttastes so that commodityX is substitutablefor leisurefor indi-
vidual I and complementaryto leisurefor individualII, while commodity Y and leisure
are complementsfor individualI and substitutesfor II. The optimumway to raise the
revenue,therefore,is to tax commodityX at a low ratewhenit is sold to individualI and at
a high rate when it is sold to individualII, while Y is taxed at a high rate when sold to I
but a low rate whensold to II. A secondbest optimumthus requiresthat the two indivi-
duals be faced with differentsets of relativeprices.
Assumethat the optimumtax ratesare charged. The governmentthen changesthe
tax system to make it non-discriminatory as betweenpersons while adjustingthe rates
to keep revenueunchanged. Now the Paretianoptimumexchangeconditionis fulfilled,
but welfarehas beendecreased,for both individualshavebeen movedto lowerindifference
curves. Therefore,in the assumedcircumstances,this Paretianoptimumconditionis a
sufficientconditionfor a decreasein welfare.
V A PROBLEMIN THE THEORY OF TARIFFS
In this sectionthe simpletype of model used in the analysisof direct versusindirect
taxesis appliedto a problemin the theoryof tariffs. In the Little-Meade-Corlett
& Hague
analysisit is assumedthat the governmentraisesa fixedamountof revenuewhichit spends
in some specifiedmanner. The optimumway of raisingthis revenueis then investigated.
A somewhatdifferentproblemis createdby changingthis assumptionaboutthe disposition
of the tax revenue. In the presentanalysisit is assumedthat the governmentreturnsthe
tax revenueto the consumersin the form of a gift so that the only effectof the tax is to
change relativeprices.1
A simplethreecommoditymodel is used, there being one domesticcommodityand
two imports. It is assumedthat the domesticcommodityis un-taxedand that a fixedrate
of tariffis levied on one of the imports. The optimumlevel for the tariffon the other
importis theninvestigated. Thisis an obviousproblemin the theoryof secondbest. Also
it is interestingto note that the conclusionsreachedhave immediateapplicationsto the
theory of customs unions. In the second part of this section the conclusionsof part A
are appliedto the problemof the welfareeffectsof a customsunion whichcausesneither
tradecreationnor tradediversion,but only the expansionand contractionof the volumes
of alreadyexistingtrade.
A. SECOND BEST OPTIMUM TARIFF SYSTEMS WITH FIXED TERMS OF TRADE:
The conditionsof the model are as follows: CountryA is a small countryspecial-
izing in the productionof one commodity(Z). Some of Z is consumedat home and the
1 If consumers have different utility functions then each consumer must receive from the government
an amount equal to what he pays in taxes. However, if all consumers have identical homogeneous utility
functions then all that is required is that the tax revenue be returned to some consumer or consumers.
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 19
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20 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
or:
ax
ay - az
px x + py =t_ xa (5.7)
Substitute (5.7) into (5.6) :
au azu/ Ax ay ax \
Pxtx T + pyty
tY- -pX a-t - PY etJ
t~-- a-z
=au ax ay 1
= az [ px 23tX
(X-1) + py aYi(ty-1) (5.8)
It is assumed, first, that some tariff is levied on Y but that X is imported duty free. There-
fore, tx = 1 and ty > 1. Equation (5.8) reduces to:
au au ay (t) (5 9)
aax ay
ty
a
In (5.9) a- takes the same sign as Y .1 It follows that the introduction of a margin-
edatx~ C~atx
al tariff on Xwill raise welfare if it causes an increase in imports of commodity Y, will leave
welfare unchanged if it causes no change in imports of Y and will lower welfare if it causes
a decrease in imports of Y. Therefore, the optimum tariff on X is, in fact, a subsidy, if
imports of Y fall when a tariff is placed on X, it is zero if the X tariff has no effect on
imports of Y and it is positive if imports of Y rise when the tariff is placed on X.
It is now assumed that a uniform rate of tariff is charged on X and Y. Therefore,
tx = ty = T and equation (5.8) becomes:
au au ( a_l x ay
(T- 1) (pX a + PY aT)
Substituting from (5.7) :
au = [au az(Tl)I
it- O@z Atx(T-1] (5-10)
au az
In (5.10) the sign of at will be opposite to the sign of -t. It follows that a marginal
increase in the tariff on X will increase welfare if it causes a decrease in the consumption
of Z, will leave welfare unchanged if it causes no change in the consumption of Z and will
lower welfare if it causes an increase in the consumption of Z. It may be concluded,
therefore, that the optimum tariff on X exceeds the given tariff on Y if an increase in the
X tariff reduces the consumption of Z, that the optimum X tariff equals the given Y tariff
if there is no relation between the X tariff and the consumption of Z and that the optimum
X tariff is less than the given Y tariff if an increase in the X tariff causes an increase in
consumption of Z.
In the case where an increase in the tariff on X causes an increase in the consumption
of Y and of Z the optimum X tariff is greater than zero but less than the given tariff on Y.
1 These relationships are not as simple as they might appear. If worked out ay and aZ would be
found
toxthe
sinSection
IX.
found to be of the same order of complexity as are the Qi's in Section IX.
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 21
B. WELFARE ONLY
UNIONCAUSING
OFA CUSTOMS
EFFECTS TRADE ANDTRADE
EXPANSION
CONTRACTION:
It is assumedthat countryA initiallychargesa uniformad valoremrate of tariffon
importsof X and Y. A then formsa customsunionwith countryB. Now X is imported
dutyfreewhilethe pre-uniontariffstill appliesto Y. Whatis the effecton A's welfareof
such a customsunion ? Some answers'follow immediatelyfrom the previousanalysis:
Case 1 : Any increasein the tariffon X causesa fall in the consumptionof Y. The
optimumtariff on X is, in fact, a subsidy. Therefore,the customsunion must raiseA's
welfare.
Case 2: Variationsin the tariff on X have no effect on consumptionof Y. The
optimumtariffon X is now zero. The customsunion raiseswelfarein A. Furthermore,
it raisesit to a secondbest optimumlevel (assumingthat only the X tariffcan be varied).
Case 3: Variationsin the tariff on X have no effect on the purchasesof Z. The
optimumtariff on X is equal to the Y tariff. The customs union lowers A's welfare.
Furthermore,the union disturbsan alreadyachievedsecond best optimum.
Case4: An increase,in the tariffon X causesa fall in the consumptionof Z. In this
case the optimumtariff on X exceedsthe given Y tariff. Therefore,the customs union
lowers A's welfare.
Case5: An increasein the tariffon X causesan increasein the consumptionof both
Y and Z. The optimumX tariff is greaterthan zero but less than the given Y tariff.
The effect of the customs union on welfareis not known. Assume, however,that the
X tariffis removedby a seriesof stages. It followsthat the initialstagesof tariffreduction
mustraisewelfareand that the final stagesmust lowerit. Althoughnothingcan be said
aboutthe welfareeffectof a completeremovalof the X tariff,anotherimportantconclusion
is suggested. A small reductionin tariffs must raise welfare. A large reductionmay
raise or lower it. It follows, therefore,that a partialpreferentialreductionof tariffsis
morelikelyto raisewelfarethan is a completepreferentialeliminationof tariffs. Of course,
this conclusiondependsupon the specificassumptionsmade in the presentmodel but it
does providean interestingand suggestivehypothesisfor furtherinvestigation.2 3
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22 REVIEWOF ECONOMICSTUDIES
Suppose that one of the non-monopolisedindustriesis now nationalised. What
shouldbe its price/outputpolicy ? If it behavescompetitivelythen it will tendto produce
more of its product,relativeto the monopolisedgood, than the Paretianoptimumwould
require. If, on the otherhand,it behavesmonopolisticallyitself,then it will cut down the
excess of its own productionrelativeto that of the monopolybut will increasethe excess
of theremaininggoodsrelativeto bothits ownproductandthatof the monopolisedindustry.
This is a typical" secondbest" situation: any policy will make some things worse and
some better.
It is clearthat no policyon the partof the nationalisedindustrycanrestorethe Paretian
optimum,for the existenceof the monopoly preventsthis. The nationalisedindustry
must aim at a secondbest policy, designedto achievethe best that still remainsopen to
the economy. In purelygeneraltermsit is impossibleto be moredefinitethanthis, as will
be shown in sectionIX. Intuitively,however,one might expect that, in some situations
at least, the best policy for the nationalisedindustrywould be to behavesomethinglike
the monopoly,but to a lesserextent. In the case of the simplemodelto be presentedin
this section, one's intuitionswould be correct.
There are assumedto be, in the present model, three industriesproducinggoods
x, y, z. Labouris the only input, costs are constant,and the total supply of labour is
fixed. These assumptionsdefine a unique linear transformationfunction relatingthe
quantitiesof the three goods:
ax + by + cz = L (6.1)
The productionfunctionsfrom whichthis is derivedare:
x = aIlx, Y- bIy Z = Ilz; llx + ly + z=L. (5.2)
The marginalcosts are constant and proportionalto a, b, c.
The " publicinterest" is assumedto be definedby a communitypreferencefunction,
whichis of the sameformas the preferencefunctionsof the identicalindividualswho make
up the society. For simplicity,this preferencefunctionis assumedto take the logarithmic
form:
U - xa y zY, oc, , y > O (6.3)
The partialderivativesof this are:
au _ uau u au u
ax Mx' ay y' az
-
so that the marginalutilitiesof x, y, z are proportional,respectively,to I- I z* For a
y'
and
utility function of this type, all goods are substitutesin both the Edgeworth-Pareto
Hicksiansenses.
If therewere no constraintsin the economy(otherthan the transformationfunction
itself), the Paretianoptimumwould be that found by maximisingthe expression,U-
),(ax + by + cz - L), whereX is the Lagrangianmultiplier.This would lead to the three
equations:
au )a 0
au (6.4)
_.
au JC
Z-0
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mc
-X'b = 0 (6.8)
y(B-
U
y- ± ,ucoc-)X'c =0 (6.9)
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24 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
The correct pricing policy for the nationalised industry is given from the ratio p-
Pz
which is implicit in the equations (6.7), (6.8), (6.9).
au
py aY
Pz AU
8z
U
U
yz
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 25
b
k- (6.14)
k M+y
Now MCy' from (6.2), so that:
-, ky + 1
b
a
k- .y
b a+y
a oa+ ky (6.16)
Inthiscase,
since
k>1, the nationalised
In this case, since k > 1, o,,y > 0, <1.MCySince- the nationalised
,
±
+ Cy a MCx
industryshould set its price less high, in relationto marginalcost, than the monopoly.
In short,in the particularmodel analysed,the correctpolicy for the nationalisedin-
dustry,with monopoly entrenchedin one of the other industries,would be to take an
intermediatepath. On the one hand, it should set its price higher than marginalcost
(relativeto the numeraire)but, on the other hand,it shouldnot set its price so far above
marginalcost as is the case in the monopolisedindustry.
These conclusionsrefer,it should be emphasised,to the particularmodel which has
been analysedabove. This model has many simplifying(and thereforespecial)features,
includingthe existenceof only one input, constantmarginalcosts and a specialtype of
utility function. As is demonstratedlater,in SectionIX, there can be no a prioriexpec-
tations about the natureof a second best solution in circumstanceswhere a generalised
utilityfunctionis all that can be specified.
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26 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
Ft - k(n^Dif -
X"-si (FnFi-_FiFni - 10ni= 0 i = I ... n (7.5)
I + (Qt - kRt)
Fn n
[ + (Qn- kRn)]
These are the conditions for the attainment of the second best position, given the
constraint (7.3), expressed in a form comparable with the Paretian conditions as set out
in (7.2).
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 27
Clearly,any one of the conditionsfor the secondbestwill be the sameas the equivalent
Paretian condition only if the expression:
1+ -(Qi kRi)
is unity.
1 + xi (Qn - kRn)
Now this will only be the case if:
(i) t = 0
or (ii) ,u=# 0, but Q -kR = Qn -kRn
The first of these cannot be true for, if it were,then, when i =- 1 -
would be equal to
Fn
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28 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
it is by no means certain that the much more complex first order conditions (7.5) for a
second best solution will be satisfied, since these conditions involve second order derivatives
whose behaviour (subject only to convexity-concavity conditions of the functions) is
unknown.
If the first order conditions for the existence of second best solutions present difficulties,
the difficulties are quite insurmountable in the case of the second order conditions. Let it
be supposed, for concreteness, that the nature of the case is such that F is to be maximised.
Then the existence of a second best solution requires that the first order conditions (7.5)
shall give a maximum, not a minimum or a turning point. This requires that'the second
differential of the expression (7.4) shall be negative. But the second differential of (7.4)
involves the third order derivatives of F and (D. Absolutely nothing is known about these
in the general case, and their properties cannot be derived from the second order condition
that the Paretian optimum represents a true maximum for F.
p _
1
OQi
1 + OQn 2
The problem is reduced to that of discovering what can be said, apriori, about the magnitude
of this expression.
n F1Fn
Now Qi F=FnFlNQ-1- Fn 2 A1ni At most, it may be possible to deduce the sign of Qi
but the order of its magnitude will remain unknown unless a specific utility function is
given.
With knowledge of signs, and no more, the most that can be said can be summarised
very simply :
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 29
TABLE I
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30 REVIEWOF ECONOMICSTUDIES
If the monopolisedcommodityis complementary(in the Edgeworth-Paretosense)
to the numeraire,and the i'th commodityis also complementaryto the num6raire,but a
substitutefor the monopolisedgood, then,in orderto attaina secondbestsolution,the price
of the i'th commoditymust be set higherthan its marginalcost.
Since knowledgeof the sign alone of the derivativesF0 revealsonly one determinate
case, it would seem worth while to examinethe situationif more heroic assumptionscan
be madeaboutthe knowledgeof the utilityfunction. The additionalinformationwhichis
assumedis that two commoditiesmay be knownto be " weaklyrelated", that is, that the
derivativeFij is eitherzero or of the secondorderrelativeto otherquantities.
-
In the expressionQF =2 ' , for example,if the i'th commodityand the
numeraireare weaklyrelatedin this sense,then the term F1 Fji can be neglectedrelative
to the termF. F1l,andthe sign of Qi is whollydeterminedby the sign of Fli.
If the monopolisedgood andthe numeraireareweaklyrelated,then Q, < 0 and Q.> O.
This is similarto the case I, in which the two goods were complements,leadingto the
same conclusions. There are now, however, four additionalcases to add to (a), (b),
(c), (d), for variouscombinationsof weakrelatednesswithsubstitutionandcomplementarity
as betweenthe i'th commodityand the monopolisedgood and the numeraire. All the
cases whichcan be givenin termsof the threerelationships(weaklyrelated,complements,
substitutes)are tabulatedin Table II. Thereare now three determinatecases, which can
be summarisedas follows:
If the monopolisedgood and the numeraireare eithercomplementsor only weakly
related,then the second best solution will certainlyrequirethe price of the i'th good to
be set above its marginalcost eitherif the good is a substitutefor the monopolisedgood
and eithercomplementary or only weaklyrelatedto the num6raire,or if the good is weakly
relatedto the monopolisedgood but complementaryto the num6raire.
Withany othercombinationsof relatednessamongthe goods,it cannotbe determined,
a priori,whetherthe secondbest solutionwill requirethe price of any particulargood to
be above or belowits marginalcost. In particular,if thereis no complementarity between
TABLEII
Price of i'th
Relationshipbetween Relationshipof i'th good to good relative
monopolisedgood Monopolised Numeraire Signs of to marginal
and numeraire Good Qi Qn 0 cost
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THE GENERAL THEORY OF SECOND BEST 31
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32 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
0 B
D X
FIo. 1
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