U.S. Monetary Policy and Herding: Evidence from Commodity Markets

Atlantic Economic Journal - This paper investigates the presence of herding behavior across a spectrum of commodities (i.e., agricultural, energy, precious metals, and metals) futures prices...     

Expense Preference Behavior and Contract-Management: Evidence from U.S. Hospitals

This paper reports on a study of expense preference behavior in a conditional sample of hospitals (before and after adoption of contract-management arrangements) using an extension of Mester's (1989) test. To identify expense preference parameters, input demand equations are considered in addition to the cost function and are estimated jointly with the cost function as a system of nonlinear equations. Based on this test, contract managers do not appear to be cost minimizers, although they tend to exhibit lower expense preference behavior than salaried managers. The importance of our results, however, goes beyond a single industry because we have shown that estimates of expense preference depend critically upon the particular input demand being studied. Studies that hitherto have relied on single input demand equations or on the cost function alone may have to be reinterpreted in this light.     

Tariff protection and workforce gender: Evidence from U.S. manufacturing industries

A data set of 266 four-digit SIC U.S. manufacturing industries is used to examine the relationship between tariff protection and workforce gender. The paper shows that industries with a relatively large proportion of women are more likely to be protected by U.S. tariff policy, even when factors such as wages and human capital are controlled. Furthermore, this result is robust in that it is not driven by any particular industry or industries.     

The relationship between U.S. and eurodollar interest rates: Evidence from the futures market

The Relationship between U.S. and Eurodollar Interest Rates: Evidence from the Futures Market. — This paper analyzes the lead/lag relationship in the Granger-cause sense between U.S. and Eurodollar interest rates in futures contracts. It shows that yields on U.S. Treasury bill and Eurodollar futures are cointegrated with the TED spread as the cointegrating vector for the period January 1987–July 1993. The error correction model indicates that the U.S. market leads the Eurodollar market. However, the presence of this unidirectional causality does not improve the forecasting of Eurodollar yields. Other evidence given in the paper suggests that the hypothesis of contemporaneous relationships, at least on daily base, is not rejected.     

The economics of conditional heteroskedasticity: Evidence from canadian and U.S. stock and futures markets

This paper provides insight into the sources of time variation and persistence in volatility by presenting new evidence concerning the price behavior of three index futures contracts and associated stock price indexes (the New York Stock Exchange Composite index, Standard and Poor's 500 index, and Toronto 35 index). Although persistence in the second moments of stock returns distribution is widely documented, the economic explanation for generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity is not established. Cross-sectional differences in measured persistence indicate that market characteristics thought to impede information flows may not play a significant role in explaining generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity effects.     

Vertical foreign direct investment: Evidence from Japanese and U.S. multinational enterprises

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries has increased since the 1990s, but there is mixed evidence of vertical FDI associated with factor-seeking motives. This paper estimates the vertical motive of offshore production by multinational enterprises (MNEs) by exploiting past schooling characteristics as instruments for skilled-labor abundance in a host country. Using panel data on Japanese and U.S. MNEs in the 1990s, I find that skilled-labor abundance has a significantly negative impact on sales of manufacturing foreign affiliate only for Japanese MNEs. The results suggest that vertical FDI activity was more prevalent in Japanese MNEs than U.S. MNEs. A plausible explanation is that Japanese MNEs might be more vertically integrated with their offshore production than U.S. MNEs. A difference in foreign outsourcing activities could generate the observed deviation between Japanese and U.S. MNEs.     

日关贸易摩擦对日本国内改革的影响

20世纪B0年代中后期开始,日美贸易摩擦由个别产品或产业逐步上升为涉及政治经济体制的整体争端.美国在贸易谈判中对日施加强大外压,迫使日本加速开放本国市场、放松国内规制、实施结构性调整.为了缓解对美贸易摩擦,日本同时表现出消极应付和主动出击两方面的特征,即反应性和战略性并存.政策决策过程的僵化是出现这一现象的体制性根源.事实表明,日本国内的部分利益群体积极借用了美国的贸易外压,有效地推进了国内改革.     

美国经济衰退对东南亚国家的影响

美国经济衰退给世界经济带来许多不确定因素,也给东南亚经济蒙上一层阴影。美国经济虽然是影响东南亚经济的一个重要因素,但已经不是唯一的因素,东南亚各国正在积极面对,努力摆脱美国经济衰退带来的影响,促进本地区和各国经济的发展。     

Dynamics of U.S. State Cigarette Consumption: Evidence from Panel Error Correction Modeling

This study uses state-level data for nearly four decades to study the dynamic demand for cigarettes, focusing especially on the long-run equilibrium relationship between cigarette consumption and its determinants as well as the short-run and long-run causal dynamics. We find the presence of cointegration with the long-run equilibrium, indicating the price elasticity of cigarette demand to be negative and inelastic, the income elasticity is positive and the border smuggling effects are significant, with substantial variations across individual states. Of the various smoking control policies considered, questions remain as to the effectiveness of aggregate anti-smoking initiatives that treat all states alike. Furthermore, the causal dynamics reveal bi-directional causality between cigarette consumption and its determinants. Some policy implications are discussed.     

从大选透视美国政治文化

2000年美国大选由于其众多的特点和戏剧性转折而为人们所关注.现在大选距离我们已经有好几个月了,对这次美国大选进行一番反思,可能会深化我们对美国政治制度和政治文化的认识.     

主权政府债务规模影响因素的传导路径及定量分解——以美国为例

本文在前人研究的基础之上,总结了主权政府债务规模变动的主要影响因素及影响路径,并根据建立的政府债务理论模型,利用微分、积分和余值等数学方法将经济增长、通货膨胀、财政赤字及其他非常规财政因素对主权政府实际债务规模的变动进行了定量分解。最后,笔者对两次美国联邦政府债务急剧增长时期(1942～1955年和2007至今)的债务及相关数据进行了实证研究,以印证上述方法,结果发现,财政因素是美国政府债务规模急剧增长的主要原因,而面对同期的经济萧条和较高的债务负担,通货膨胀成为了政府削减债务最重要的工具。     

Preliminary Evidence on the Allocation of U.S. Army Deaths from Operation Iraqi Freedom

Political influence on the use of the nation's war-making resources is considered in this study. Given the ‘tax-like’ consequences arising from military fatalities, rational political agents may engage in behavior that minimizes the negative electoral consequences resulting from the fatalities. An empirical model of the state-by-state allocation of U.S. Army fatalities resulting from Operation Iraqi Freedom is developed and tested. The results suggest that political influence originating in the White House is present in the allocation of fatalities from the military action in Iraq, but that Congressional effects, if any, are much weaker. In particular, population-adjusted fatality rates are lower in states that were highly contested ‘battleground’ states rich in Electoral College votes in the 2004 Presidential election.     

The Role of Race and Birth Place in Welfare Usage among Comparable Women: Evidence from the U.S.

There is evidence that women are more likely to live in poverty than men. Given the fact that the poor are more likely to use welfare, it becomes useful to consider welfare usage among women. A-priori welfare programs are set up in such a way that welfare usage should be based primarily on economic needs and health concerns. However, it is possible that an individual’s experiences could affect their perception and inclination for using government assistance. In this scenario, differences in welfare usage will exist for individuals with similar characteristics but different experiences. We explore this possibility among women and investigate if race/ethnicity and birthplace still have a role to play in the decision to use welfare even after controlling for income, health and other demographic factors like employment and household size, which are typical predictors of welfare usage. We find that race does not matter for welfare usage among comparable women. In addition, we do not find significant differences in welfare usage among women based on birthplace—suggesting that comparable naturalized and native born women share similar inclination for welfare.     

美国纺织服装区域性生产网络与中美纺织品协议的效应评估

为了应对全球化的挑战,美国与周边的墨西哥和加勒比海地区(CBI)国家合作,形成了一条以纵向一体化为核心的区域性纺织服装生产网络(regional production network,RPN)。由于RPN合作国家是美国纺织产业重要的出口市场,因此后者在该网络中具有既得利益。美国政府进而签订的《中芙纺织品协议》(以下简称"协议")旨在抑制后配额时代中国输美服装类产品对该RPN的冲击。本文就"协议"的实施对相关贸易流量的影响进行了评估。结果显示,"协议"已经对中国输美服装类产品产生贸易破坏效应,而墨西哥和CBI国家对美国的服装出口则从中受益。然而,研究并未显示"协议"的实施有助于美国增加纱线、面料等纺织类产品向RPN合作国家的出口,因而"协议"对美国纺织产业的实际保护效应有必要予以反思。本文的研究结论对于2008年"协议"到期后相关政策的制定和调整具有重要的借鉴意义。     

美国公路税收的发展趋势和对我国的启示

公路设施的快速发展离不开巨额的资金需求,公路成本补偿成为当前我国公路发展亟待解决的重要问题之一。而作为世界上公路网络最发达、公路税收体系最为完善的美国也面临同样的公路筹资难题。为了应对这一难题,美国近年来在公路税收领域进行了许多重要变革。系统研究美国公路成本补偿资金的来源、结构及发展趋势,无疑会对我国未来公路税收的设计和发展具有重大的现实意义。     

美欧经济动荡及其对中国的深远影响

美欧自金融危机爆发延续至今的经济动荡,并非源于偶然的政策失误,也不能归于周期性经济阵痛,实际属于经济模式遭遇的深刻危机,这意味着美国金融霸权主导的国际体系已处于超载状态,世界经济将长期陷于低迷,步入重大动荡期和调整期。为摆脱危机美国的政策调整可能在世界范围产生传导效应甚至危害,对国际战略总体形势以及中国的发展与安全产生重大而深远的影响。中美之间的战略竞争已进入深度互动的关键时期,这一时期将持续十年甚至更长时间。中美之间尤其在亚太地区的战略博弈,不仅具有前所未有的全面性和深刻性,也具有前所未有的复杂性和敏感性。对此中国应充分认识国际体系变迁以及由此带来的国家间关系的复杂化趋势,趋利避害,有效消解战略压力,坚决维护对外关系的总体平衡和稳定,本着冷静观察、充分准备、积极应对的原则,有针对性地投棋布子,积极运筹国际变局,尤其应重点强化经营周边的力度,拓展回旋空间。     

中美贸易对美国就业影响研究——基于美国制造业面板数据的分析

本文通过建立国际贸易对就业影响的理论模型,利用美国制造业面板数据分析中美贸易对美国就业的影响问题。实证结论表明,美国进口中国制成品对美国就业没有显著影响,也不是美国失业的Granger原因;美国制成品出口对增加美国就业虽有显著影响,但作用不大;影响美国国内就业的主要因素是实际工资、企业发展状况等实际因素。这些结论充分说明,美国的失业问题不是由美国进口中国制成品引起的,美国减少中国制成品进口也解决不了美国的失业问题。     

卖空机制对证券市场的影响:基于全球市场的经验研究

长期以来理论界和实务界对于在证券市场上是否应该允许卖空存在很大的争议,争议的焦点之一就在于卖空交易是否会加大市场的波动性,甚至引发市场危机。本文选取37个国家和地区的证券市场作为研究对象,从整个市场层面探讨了卖空机制对股指收益率偏度、波动性和市场崩溃概率等的影响。经验结果显示,虽然放开卖空限制将导致股指收益率向负向偏离,但却不会加大市场的波动性,而是可以降低市场崩溃的概率。