Compensating variation and Hicksian choice probabilities in random utility models that are nonlinear in income
Original version
Review of Economic Studies, (2005) 72(1): 57-76 doi:10.1111/0034-6527.00324Abstract
In this paper we discuss Hicksian demand and compensating variation in the context of discrete
choice. We first derive Hicksian choice probabilities and the distribution of the (random) expenditure
function in the general case when the utilities are nonlinear in income. We subsequently derive exact and
simple formulae for the expenditure and choice probabilities under price (policy) changes conditional
on the initial utility level. This is of particular interest for welfare measurement because it enables the
researcher to compute the distribution of compensating variation in a simple way.We also derive formulae
for the joint distribution of expenditure, the choice before and after a policy change has been introduced.
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This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Review of Economic Studies, following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version [Review of Economic Studies, (2005) 72(1): 57-76 ] is available online at: http://restud.oxfordjournals.org/content/72/1/57.full.pdf+html