Eline van der Heijden
| Date of Ph.D. defense: | May 15, 1996 |
| Title of thesis: | Altruism, Fairness and Public pensions: An Investigation of Survey and Experimental Data |
| ISBN: | 90 5668 014 5 |
| Promotors: | Prof.dr. Harrie Verbon and Prof.dr. Jan Nelissen |
Abstract:
It is often argued that the maintenance of pension systems is threatened by the ageing of the
population. In spite of this, public pension systems still seem to enjoy broad popular support in
most western countries. This thesis empirically investigates where this support comes from and
it derives its determining factors. First, using survey data from a representative sample of the
Dutch population, the possible impact of considerations of altruism and fairness is studied. The
results suggest that social considerations affect individuals' utility. Second, several related
economic experiments have been conducted to study whether and under what circumstances
voluntary transfer systems can be established. It turns out that under some conditions
reasonable levels of voluntary transfers can occur, which may imply a generic willingness to
contribute. It is argued that in spite of the ageing process, public pension systems may survive.
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