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Working Paper
Is Keynesian economics a dead end?
Conference Paper
Certainty equivalence and model uncertainty
Simon?s and Theil?s certainty equivalence property justifies a convenient algorithm for solving dynamic programming problems with quadratic objectives and linear transition laws: first, optimize under perfect foresight, then substitute optimal forecasts for unknown future values. A similar decomposition into separate optimization and forecasting steps prevails when a decision maker wants a decision rule that is robust to model misspecification. Concerns about model misspecification leave the first step of the algorithm intact and affect only the second step of forecasting the future. The ...
Report
Rational expectations models and the aliasing phenomenon
This paper shows how the cross-equation restrictions delivered by the hypothesis of rational expectations can serve to solve the aliasing identification problem. It is shown how the rational expectations restrictions uniquely identify the parameters of a continuous time model from statistics of discrete time models.
Working Paper
Shocks and government beliefs: the rise and fall of American inflation
The authors use a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to estimate a model that allows temporary gaps between a true expectational Phillips curve and the monetary authority?s approximating nonexpectational Phillips curve. A dynamic programming problem implies that the monetary authority?s inflation target evolves as its estimated Phillips curve moves. The authors? estimates attribute the rise and fall of post-World War II inflation in the United States to an intricate interaction between the monetary authority?s beliefs and economic shocks. Shocks in the 1970s altered the monetary ...
Report
Mechanics of forming and estimating dynamic linear economies
This paper catalogues formulas that are useful for estimating dynamic linear economic models. We describe algorithms for computing equilibria of an economic model and for recursively computing a Gaussian likelihood function and its gradient with respect to parameters. We display an application to Rosen, Murphy, and Scheinkman's (1994) model of cattle cycles.
Report
Instrumental variables procedures for estimating linear rational expectations models
A prediction formula for geometrically declining sums of future forcing variables is derived for models in which the forcing variables are generated by a vector autoregressive-moving average process. This formula is useful in deducing and characterizing cross-equation restrictions implied by linear rational expectations models.
Working Paper
Testing for neutrality and rationality
Working Paper
Formulating and estimating dynamic linear rational expectations models
This paper describes methods for conveniently formulating and estimating dynamic linear econometric models under the hypothesis of rational expectations. An econometrically convenient formula for the cross-equation rational expectations restrictions is derived. Models of error terms and the role of the concept of Granger causality in formulating rational expectations models are both discussed. Tests of hypothesis of strict econometric exogeneity along the lines of Sim?s are compared with a test that is related to Wu?s.
Working Paper
Politics and efficiency of separating capital and ordinary Government budgets
We analyze the democratic politics and competitive economics of a ?golden rule? that separates capital and ordinary account budgets and allows a government to issue debt to finance only capital items. Many national governments followed this rule in the 18th and 19th centuries and most U.S. states do today. We study an economy with a growing population of overlapping generations of long-lived but mortal agents. Each period, majorities choose durable and nondurable public goods. In a special limiting case with demographics that make Ricardian equivalence prevail, the golden rule does nothing to ...