Spatial inequality, globalization, and footloose capital

This paper shows the equivalence of spatial inequalities in industrial location and in income by revisiting the home market effect (HME) without any homogeneous good based on a reconstructed footloose capital model. In this simple framework, spatial inequalities in industrial location and in income are the HMEs in terms of firm share and wage, respectively. We show that the larger country has a more-than-proportionate share of firms and a higher wage. Furthermore, both the wage differential and the industrial location in the larger country evolve in an inverted U-pattern when transport costs decline. Finally, we analytically examine the effects of trade liberalization on the welfare and show that both countries may gain from globalization.     

Public policy and the creation of active venture capital markets

We assess the effectiveness of different public policy instruments for the creation of active venture capital markets. Our methodology focusses on ‘innovation ratios’, defined to be the shares of high-tech, and of early stage, venture capital investments. We study a unique panel of data for 14 European countries between 1988 and 2001. We have several novel findings. First, we find no evidence of a shortage of supply of venture capital funds in Europe, a result which questions the effectiveness of the most widely used policy for fostering active venture capital markets. We also find other policies to be effective. In particular, the opening of stock markets targeted at entrepreneurial companies has a positive, large effect on the innovation ratios. Reductions in the corporate capital gains tax rate increase the share of both high-tech and early stage investment. A reduction in labor regulation also results in a higher share of high-tech investments. Finally, we find no evidence of an effect of increased public R&D spending on the innovation ratios.     

Tax policy, venture capital, and entrepreneurship

The paper studies the effects of tax policy on venture capital activity. Entrepreneurs pursue a single high risk project each but have no own resources. Financiers provide funds, covering investment cost plus an upfront payment, in exchange for a share in the firm. The contract must include incentives to enlist full effort of entrepreneurs. Venture capitalists also assist with valuable business advice to enhance survival chances. The paper develops a general equilibrium framework with a traditional and an entrepreneurial sector and investigates the effects of taxes on the equilibrium level of managerial advice, entrepreneurship and welfare. It considers differential wage and capital income taxes, a comprehensive income tax, progressive taxation as well as investment and output subsidies to the entrepreneurial sector.     

Tax policy,capital use,and investment incentives

In this paper, we investigate the effect of a corporate income tax on the utilization and maintenance of capital and on the demand for capital stock and services. We find that a tax that allows interest deductions is distortionary unless allowable depreciation depends on the firm's utilization and maintenance decisions. Also, we show that the usual demand equation for capital stock is misspecified if capital utilization is not a technological constant.     

Trade integration and regional income disparities in a growth model with the service sector and footloose capital

This paper proposes a North–South growth model of endogenous industry location which is consistent with recent empirical work showing that regional income disparities have increased in many countries with the process of trade integration. The model incorporates a service sector that benefits from intersectoral knowledge spillovers from the manufacturing sector. We find that, when these spillovers are local, trade integration leads to an increase in interregional real income inequality.     

International capital flows,liquidity risk,and monetary policy

In recent years, there has been a large amount of lending coming from the public sector of many developing countries. At the same time, the financial sectors in many advanced countries have issued a large share of portfolio debt to other countries. What are the implications of these events for the global financial system and overall economic activity? Do they have an impact on the transmission channels of monetary policy across countries at different stages of economic development? We investigate these important issues using a micro-founded model of money and banking so that the effects of monetary policy across countries can be meaningfully studied. Notably, the increase in capital outflows to the advanced economy renders monetary policy in developing countries to be less effective, while the effects of monetary policy in advanced economies are more pronounced. Yet, our results indicate that it can indeed be optimal for lower income countries to lend to the advanced world. Importantly, we find that the optimal amount of lending to advanced countries critically depends on the degree of liquidity risk — if it is sufficiently high, then public sector lending to advanced economies is not warranted. Consequently, our results indicate that governments in developing countries should carefully consider how much capital they send abroad to foreign countries.     

信贷政策、银企关联与企业资本结构

本文从供给政策和银企关联两个层面出发,揭示信贷政策、银企关联对资本结构影响的理论机制,并提出3个理论假设,并以2003-2012年间360家上市公司为样本分别进行实证检验。结果表明,信贷供给和银企关联对资本结构具有显著的正向影响效应,并且两者之间存在显著的替代关系。鉴于此,必须加快发展和完善多层次资本市场,拓宽企业融资渠道,降低企业的融资成本;重视银企关联这一非正式制度安排对企业资本结构的作用,预防甚至减少违规现象的出现。     

Public capital, endogenous growth, and endogenous fluctuations

Cazzavillan [Cazzavillan, G., 1996. Public spending, endogenous growth, and endogenous fluctuations. Journal of Economic Theory 71, 394–415] studies a discrete-time, one-sector endogenous growth model with a flow of publicly enjoyable goods and productive services financed through income taxation. He demonstrates how equilibrium paths are indeterminate, for a large range of the consumption externality of public spending. This study extends [Cazzavillan, 1996] by considering an otherwise identical production function, except with public capital stock as an input. The results support the robustness of multiple growth paths even in a one-sector growth model with public capital stock, and modify the set of the consumption externality of public spending, in determining growth dynamics in a similar model with non-accumulated public spending.     

Public capital, asymmetric information, and economic growth

Abstract.  We investigate the provision of public capital in an endogenous growth model with asymmetric information. In a credit market with costly screening, we show that the equilibrium contracts are characterized by the self‐selection of borrowers. Through identifying an additional adverse effect of taxation on growth, we show that the optimal tax rate in our model is smaller than the output elasticity of public capital. Therefore, our analysis justifies a more conservative tax policy in the presence of asymmetric information. Furthermore, our model suggests a number of implications that appear to be well supported by preliminary evidence in cross‐country data. JEL classification: D82, H21, O41     

Public capital,sustainable debt and endogenous growth

We analyze an endogenous growth model with public capital and public debt where we posit that the primary surplus of the government is a positive function of cumulated past debt with an exponentially declining weight put on debt further back in time. We consider two scenarios: first, we study the model assuming that the government runs a balanced budget and, then, we compare the outcome to that of the model with permanent deficits. We analyze growth effects of the two scenarios and we study how fiscal policy of the government affects the dynamics of the model economy. It is demonstrated that the balanced growth rate is higher when cumulated past public debt is smaller. Further, we show that the debt policy of the government crucially determines the dynamics of the model economy and that endogenous growth cycles can arise.     

Cash-in-advance constraint,optimal monetary policy,and human capital accumulation

This paper investigates optimal monetary policy in an overlapping-generations model with endogenous growth fueled by the accumulation of human capital and under a cash-in-advance constraint. We consider the case where the government finances public education fully by seigniorage. Three main results are obtained. First, there exists an optimal money growth rate that maximizes the economic growth rate along the steady growth path. Second, on this path, the Laffer curve of seigniorage takes the maximum. Finally, the money growth rate for maximizing seigniorage along the steady growth path, which also leads to maximization of the economic growth rate, is lower than that for maximizing seigniorage in the present period.     

Unconventional monetary policy and capital flows

This paper examines the connection between the stance of domestic monetary policy and international capital flows. It first provides a simple theoretical framework describing the mechanisms behind the cross-border spillovers of domestic monetary policy. Then, it empirically investigates the impact of U.S. unconventional monetary policies (UMPs), implemented in the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis, on U.S. capital flows to developing economies and non-UMP advanced economies. The results suggest that the use of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve has been associated with increased net portfolio flows to developing countries and, to a lesser extent, non-UMP advanced economies. An exit from these UMPs is likely to cause capital flow reversals in U.S. capital-importing countries. Countries with greater exchange rate flexibility, stronger fiscal and current account positions, and higher capital mobility are likely to fare well following an exit from UMPs in the U.S.     

Public capital and imperfect competition

In this paper we consider a macroeconomic model in which public capital is a productive input and there is monopolistic competition in the product market. We analyze the effects of a permanent variation in public capital investment both in the short and in the long run. Finally, we show that the optimal provision of public capital under imperfect competition is higher than that associated with the first-best policy.     

Trade union power and jobs: theory and policy

This paper looks at the relationship between trade union power and jobs in a capitalist economy. It is argued that trade unions, as they threaten profitability, may hinder the functioning of capitalist economies. But, any adverse effects of trade unions on jobs arise because of the constraints imposed on trade union activity by the state and capitalists. In alternative forms of economic organization, trade unions are not likely to reduce the number of jobs. The implications of this argument for policy towards trade unions are also discussed.     

Real option,human capital investment returns and higher educational policy

This paper incorporates the concept of real option into a modified Harris–Todaro model to investigate the relationship between higher education and unemployment rates. We found that the real option value of waiting to invest in graduate school education will decrease when the expected wage rate of labors with an undergraduate degree becomes relatively lower than that with a graduate degree. As a result, more undergraduate students will decide to go to graduate schools immediately after graduation. As the supply of labors with a graduate degree increases and the job creations fail to meet the increasing demand, those who cannot get a graduate-level job will be willing to accept job offers lower than their education level. Our modified Harris–Todaro model shows that it will lead to an increase in the number of unemployed and underemployed higher educated labors. This explains why the unemployment rates for higher educated labor are relatively high in some developed countries.     

Introduction to monetary policy and capital accumulation

The papers in this symposium address the issue of multiple equilibria that can be induced by monetary policy in models with capital accumulation. In particular they examine how the “Taylor Principle”, under which interest rates respond more than proportionately to increases in inflation, can generate multiple equilibria. They also explore the design of policies to avoid the problem of multiple equilibria and indeterminacy.     

Minority representation, election method, and policy influence

Recently a number of legal scholars have advocated jurisdiction-wide cumulative voting as a mechanism to promote minority representation. Among other benefits, they claim minority representatives will have greater policy influence if they are elected in at-large contests rather than from single-member districts. We test this proposition by estimating the deter-minants of minority hiring practices. We find increases in the proportion of black representatives on a city council are positively correlated with the percentage of black police recruits. However, holding constant black representation, the impact of black councilors on municipal hiring is enhanced when councilors are elected at-large rather than by district.