Regional Insurance and Migration

A dynamic model of migration is developed to study whether labor mobility can hedge people against region-specific shocks, making private or public insurance redundant. The model adopts a novel timing for migration, which is argued to be the time frame suitable for analyzing risk-sharing issues. It also innovates on the existing literature by solving individual migration through convexification of the set of actions. The results show that the role of migration as an insurance mechanism is small: labor mobility cannot fully remove income differentials between regions. It is also shown that a fiscal stabilization scheme is, in general, optimal; moreover, any pure risk-sharing mechanism has no influence on migration flows.     

Asymmetric Shocks and Monetary Policy in a Currency Union

We analyze the conduct of monetary policy in a currency union in the face of asymmetric shocks. In particular, we compare the stabilization properties of a currency union versus alternative exchange rate arrangements. The relative performance of a currency union is shown to depend on the extent of economic integration in patterns of consumption and production and on the relative weights placed on price stability versus employment stability in the monetary authority's objective function.
JEL classification : F 33; F 40     

国家利益视角下自然人流动政策选择——基于probit模型的实证研究

自然人流动为近年来各国发展服务贸易所关注.虽然研究表明,自然人流动自由化可以促进世界经济增长,缓解发达国家劳动力短缺压力,实际中却存在发达国家限制外国自然人流入的高壁垒政策的矛盾现象,而未有研究对此现象加以解释.从国家利益的视角出发,利用probit模型,在澳大利亚生产率委员会研究小组对自然人流动壁垒测度结果的基础上,对一国自然人流动壁垒政策选择的影响因素进行了实证分析,指出一国自然人流动壁垒政策的选择不仅受经济因素的影响,更受到非经济因素的作用,并对中国自然人流动给出政策建议.     

Growth Volatility and Technical Progress: A Simple Rent-seeking Model

Recent empirical evidence demonstrates that a higher level of technical progress is associated with a lower level of growth volatility and higher expected economic growth. This paper builds a simple growth model which combines the insights of Angeletos and Kollintzas (2000) and Tse (2000; 2001; 2002) with endogenous productivity growth and rent-seeking behavior to account for these stylized facts. Our model complements the literature that focuses on the heterogeneity of different agents.     

A Probit Analysis of Aboriginal Employment Prospects in New South Wales*

Using data from the 1986–87Survey of Working Age Aborigines in New South Wales, this paper presents the results of a probit analysis to determine the characteristics which differentiate employed Aborigines from Aborigines not in employment The results of the probit analysis show the importance of the acquisition of human capital to the employment success of Aborigines, at least in New South Wales. Increments in level of education, previous participation in formal labour market programs, and previous employment experience all have significant, positive impacts on the likelihood of individual Aborigines being in employment     

中国经济周期波动特征变化与宏观经济稳定政策

改革开放以来,尤其是20世纪90年代中期以来,我国经济周期波动特征发生了明显的变化,波动明显趋缓,非线性特征明显减弱,其原因可以归结为改革开放以来我国宏观经济稳定政策的出现以及财政和金融体制改革不断深化所带来的宏观经济稳定政策的制度基础、作用机制和作用工具的逐步完善。为了更好地应对未来可能出现的经济波动,确保经济平稳快速增长,就需要继续深化经济体制改革,消除制约我国宏观经济稳定政策效能发挥的制度障碍,并尽快构建适合我国国情的宏观经济稳定政策的完整理论体系。     

转型经济中的货币金融市场改革——中国案例研究

本文根据作者对中国货币金融市场改革所作的研究,对中国经济体制改革和经济发展所取得的巨大成果进行了全面的历史回顾和充分肯定;对中国的财政金融体系改革和货币政策的实施效果进行了深入分析和客观评价;并通过广泛的国际案例比较分析,对中国的货币政策制定与货币区和金融市场的形成与改革提出了政策建议。     

农户消费决定因素:基于有序probit模型

本文以问卷调查数据为基础,利用有序Probit模型建立农户消费需求模型,分析微观因素对农户消费的影响.模型的计量经济分析表明:(1)农户家庭的经济状况对农户的消费有重要的影响.低收入家庭消费意愿明显高于高收入家庭;(2)户主个人因素对农户消费意愿有重要影响.户主受教育水平的提高以及户主主业的非农化对农户消费有积极的影响;(3)农村金融发展和农村保险体系完善与农户的消费意愿呈正相关;(4)农村居民消费环境对农户消费意愿有重要影响.并据此提出了相应对策.     

中国货币政策的区域经济稳定效应分析——基于2000-2008年省份月度数据的实证研究

文章基于TVP-GARCH模型构建货币政策反应函数,利用时变参数模型构建包含货币政策变量的省份宏观经济波动模型,发现货币政策对各省份经济的稳定性作用并不明显,可预期的货币政策的省份稳定效应高于不可预期的货币政策,而经济冲击和货币政策制定层面引发的货币增长的不确定性,加大了省份经济波动;货币政策的经济稳定能力存在明显的省份差异,和经济周期同步性以及货币、信用和汇率三个传导渠道的省份特征密切相关。     

利率管制下中国宏观经济稳定与利率政策

本文在IS—LM—AS模型的框架下 ,分析了利率管制条件下中国宏观经济均衡状态的特点、动态调整方式。研究结论表明 :在利率管制条件下 ,由于市场自身缺乏稳定机制 ,经济只存在惟一的均衡路径 ;任何冲击都会破坏经济的稳定 ,而经济体系自身不会向稳定方向调整 ,其结果是经济波动呈发散趋势。通过进一步对中国改革开放以来利率政策的操作方式及绩效的考察发现 :利率政策调整滞后、调整不充分、政策操作并不成功     

Moment Estimation of the Probit Model with an Endogenous Continuous Regressor

We propose a generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator with optimal instruments for a probit model that includes a continuous endogenous regressor. This GMM estimator incorporates the probit error and the heteroscedasticity of the error term in the first‐stage equation in order to construct the optimal instruments. The estimator estimates the structural equation and the first‐stage equation jointly and, based on this joint moment condition, is efficient within the class of GMM estimators. To estimate the heteroscedasticity of the error term of the first‐stage equation, we use the k‐nearest neighbour (k‐nn) non‐parametric estimation procedure. Our Monte Carlo simulation shows that in the presence of heteroscedasticity and endogeneity, our GMM estimator outperforms the two‐stage conditional maximum likelihood estimator. Our results suggest that in the presence of heteroscedasticity in the first‐stage equation, the proposed GMM estimator with optimal instruments is a useful option for researchers.     

一体化还是差别化——有关区域协调发展的理论解析

企业常选择市场规模较大的区域或区内贸易自由度较高区域作为生产区位,这可提高产业的集中度.产业集中具有溢出效应,因此产业的空间集中提高经济增长率,而区际收入的差距,随资本存量区际差距的扩大而扩大,随经济增长率的提高而缩小.产业集中又导致拥挤效应,此时如果产业的空间集中度低,则经济增长率随产业集中度的提高而提高,但如果产业的空间集中度很高,则经济增长率随产业空间集中度的提高而下降.因此,大范围的产业集中必须要适中.要实现产业活动的适度集中,外围地区必须拥有一定份额的产业活动,这就需要建立适度的差别化政策来约束外围地区的产业进一步向经济发达地区集中.要实现区域经济协调发展,应实行差别化政策而不应实行一体化政策.     

义乌翻译市场的调查分析

翻译行业在义乌的外贸经济中扮演着一个重要的角色。调查显示，作为义乌翻译市场的主体，译员和译员的雇主在翻译能力、工作报酬和业务稳定性等方面均存在较大的分歧。只有正确认识这些分歧背后的原因，并积极尝试可行性解决方案，才能协调译员和雇主在认识上的矛盾，从而有助于义乌整个翻译行业的繁荣。     

The Myth of Fair Prices: A Graphical Analysis

The issues of fair trade and in particular fair price policies, have been neglected in most international trade courses. The authors show how the latter can be explained to undergraduate students applying the simple graphical methods normally used in general equilibrium trade theory. They show that fair pricing strategies can be looked upon as a suboptimal device for redistributing the gains from trade as compared with a transfer of funds.     

义乌翻译市场的调查分析

翻译行业在义乌的外贸经济中扮演着一个重要的角色.调查显示,作为义乌翻译市场的主体,译员和译员的雇主在翻译能力、工作报酬和业务稳定性等方面均存在较大的分歧.只有正确认识这些分歧背后的原因,并积极尝试可行性解决方案,才能协调译员和雇主在认识上的矛盾,从而有助于义乌整个翻译行业的繁荣.     

A Graphical Approach to the Standard Principal-Agent Model

An obstacle to the teaching of principal-agent theory is the technical complexity and intractability of the general model. Even in academic studies strong assumptions are often imposed so as to derive an analytical solution. The author describes a graphical approach to the standard principal-agent model. Characterizing equilibrium in the contract space defined by the incentive parameter and insurance component of pay under a linear contract, this approach provides a simple and intuitive method for analyzing the principal-agent problem, which can be easily understood by students of economics with basic knowledge of algebra and differentiation. The approach has shown to be convenient and rich for comparative statics analyses.     

A Graphical Approach to the Stiglerian Theory of Regulation

Although many authors have drawn on the basic insights of the early founders of the economic theory of regulation, the ability to cogently present the general form of the theory in a readily accessible graphical format has only recently emerged. Although providing a promising approach for illustrating and analyzing regulatory and deregulatory outcomes, the analysis presented to this point appears to require the derivation of several graphs. The result is that, although stemming from a single paradigmatic framework, the graphical approach fails to offer a single unified basis for illustrating the general economic theory of regulation. The authors seek to fill this lacuna by providing a simple yet powerful unifying graphical construct for presenting the myriad implications of that theory.     

A Graphical Exposition of the Inconsistency of Optimal Monetary Plans

Abstract: The author presents a geometrical framework in which the inability of discretionary policy (consistent policy in the sense of Kydland and Prescott) to be socially optimal is demonstrated. Policy based on a rule results in a higher level of utility. The author extends the model to demonstrate that policy of a Rogoff conservative central banker results in approaching the same equilibrium as that from a monetary rule. Finally, the framework shows that attempts to exploit the Phillips curve result in stagflation.     

Minimac : A small integrated model of the financial and real sectors of the Swedish economy

The model emphasizes the financial part of the economy and the channels through which the central bank and the government can affect it. The model combines a complete flow of fund matrix with an income–expenditure scheme in a common framework. The consistency of the flow of funds matrix is achieved through residual determination of one asset/liability from each financial balance identity. The model describes the Swedish credit market after the abolition of credit market regulation. Thus the policy instruments included comprise – among others – the interest rate scale, the cash reserve requirement, the exchange rate, government consumption and differential tax rates but no direct regulation of bank advances or investment in government securities. The model mechanisms are illustrated with policy simulations. Those display, in some instances, processes which after some periods tend to reverse the intended effects of the original policy measure. They therefore point to the need for a strategy which involves a sequential use of several policy instruments.     

A Statistical Interpretation of Student Evaluation Feedback

This article deals with the same basic subject—student evaluation of teaching—covered by Marlin and Niss in this issue. Dilts's approach is quite different, however. Readers will want to compare the model he used with that suggested by Marlin and Niss. One of Dilts's major findings is that “student course evaluations are directly associated with grade expectations and inversely associated with the degree to which the course is required.” In his paper he proposes a method that should help “to control for factors that distort evaluation.”