We build a model of general equilibrium with endogenous default, interest rates and borrowing limits and extend this with endogenous default penalties. Some normative and positive properties are then explored.

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While most of the literature concerned with indeterminacy considers a representative agent, some recent works have investigated the role of heterogenous agents on dynamics. This paper adds a contribution to the debate, stressing the effects of heterogeneity in consumers’ preferences within an overlapping generations economy with capital accumulation and consumption in both periods. We show that such an heterogeneity can stabilize fluctuations in many cases.

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We analyze how the presence of endogenous preferences affects the altruistic bequest motive from parents to children. We will show that the existence of habits raises the threshold value of the intergenerational discount factor above which altruistic bequests are positive, while aspiration formation could push this value down. Therefore, the dynamic inefficiency of the economy with no altruism is not sufficient to prevent the bequest motive from being operative under aspiration formation. We also discuss the implications of public debt when the bequest motive is inoperative and preferences exhibit habit and aspiration formation.

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This paper analyzes the determinants of expectational coordination on the perfect foresight equilibrium of an open economy, relating autarky expectational stability conditions to regional integration ones. We show that the degree of structural heterogeneity trades-off the existence of standard efficiency gains -due to the increase in competition (spatial price stabilization)- and coordination upon the welfare enhancing free-trade equilibrium (stabilizing price expectations).

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