Real money balances as a productive input: Further evidence

Using a translog production function and data from the United States private sector over the period 1929–1972, this paper clarifies the theoretical debate which has occured on whether real money balances are an original factor input or a catalyst with a role similar to technological innovation. Real money balances are found to be an important factor input that cannot be treated as separable from the primary factor inputs capital and labor. Furthermore, the results indicate that real money balances are substitutes for capital but complements with labor while capital and labor are, in a relative sense complements.