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Bequests, sibling rivalry, and rent seeking

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Abstract

We examine bequest-sharing rules where sibling rivalry creates wasteful competition for intergenerational transfers. We show that equal division of bequests minimizes rent-seeking expenditures by siblings while primogeniture maximizes rent-seeking costs. Our results lend theoretical support to the empirical findings of equal bequests without appeal to complex models of the parent-child relationship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-3806, USA

    Roger L. Faith

  2. Department of Economics, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA

    Brian L. Goff

  3. Department of Economics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA

    Robert D. Tollison

Authors
  1. Roger L. Faith
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  2. Brian L. Goff
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  3. Robert D. Tollison
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Correspondence to Brian L. Goff.

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Faith, R.L., Goff, B.L. & Tollison, R.D. Bequests, sibling rivalry, and rent seeking. Public Choice 136, 397–409 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-008-9302-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-008-9302-1

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