The Recent Critique of Theoretical Economics: A Methodologically Informed Investigation

My purpose is to appraise the recent critique of theoretical economics by applying the methodological perspective. Therefore, I start by identifying the main lines of criticism raised against theoretical economics in the aftermath of the post-2008 global economic crisis: namely, the voices criticizing economics for its unrealistic models, excessive mathematization, and overconfidence in its theoretical claims. First, I show that these issues are interconnected and should be jointly analyzed. Next, I investigate these lines of critique from the perspective provided by the latest achievements in the philosophy of economics (e.g., studies on the epistemic role of economic models). Taking this perspective reinforces some allegations against economics (e.g., these voices accusing economists of treating economic laws as universal laws of nature) and makes some criticisms more nuanced (e.g., the issue of unrealistic assumptions). I conclude by stating that such a methodological perspective is necessary in critically apprising the recent critique of economics.     

Law in Modern Society

In this article, we study the relationship between monetary policy and the socio-institutional framework. Specifically, we examine the economic policy response to the debt crisis of the Eurozone, applying institutional economics from two perspectives: the theory of social power and the endogenous money supply. The research question is whether monetary policy can be characterized as a countervailing power exercised by European institutions with respect to the member countries. Fiscal and monetary policies have been interpreted through these sources and types of power, as proposed by Galbraith, by distinguishing between those types of power that have had a permanent versus a conjunctural character. We conclude that European Quantitative Easing can be characterized as having been a countervailing power. All of this has strengthened European institutional power despite having been manifested in the context of an economic and financial crisis.     

Differences in measures of the fiscal multiplier and the reduced-form vector autoregression

The literature has recently asked whether the effects of fiscal policy vary with the state of the economy (Christiano, Eichenbaum, and Rebelo 2011; Rendahl 2014; Auerbach and Gorodnichenko 2012). We study this question in the context of vector autoregression (VAR) estimation. We show formally that, if (asymptotically) the parameters of the reduced-form VAR differ, then the dynamic effects of fiscal policy differ as well, generically and for any set of identification assumptions. Thus, in theory, the econometrician can detect these differences (either across time or space) generically just by relying on reduced-form VAR estimation.     

Attitude Sophistication and Effective Teaching in Economics

Little attention has been given to the measurement of changes in attitudes and beliefs resulting from instruction in economics. This deficiency is met by Mann and Fusfeld who relate attitude changes to growth in students' knowledge (cognition) and to characteristics of both students and instructors. The findings from this research suggest a conflict among the goals of instruction. They also imply greater persistence of changes in attitude than of changes in knowledge.     

中国当前通货膨胀形成原因经验研究:2003—2007年

2003年以来,我国新一轮通货膨胀具有结构性、非平衡性、温和性、不确定性和信念不一致性等特点。我国新一轮通货膨胀到目前为止,同时具有需求拉动通货膨胀和成本推动通货膨胀的特征,但流动性过剩对当前居民消费价格上涨的影响还不明显。因此,对我国当前通货膨胀进行治理应当着眼于当前通货膨胀的形成机制,而不是盲目实施紧缩性货币政策和财政政策。     

国际金融危机与我国宏观经济政策反思

国际金融危机使得全球贸易与金融旧秩序被重新审视,新的变革即将开始。面对国际局势,我国必须立足国情,认真分析与反思当前一揽子经济刺激计划,在政策方针和微观经济活动之间建立有效的宏观政策传导机制,以政府投资引导和激发民间投资,改革阻碍发展的体制机制约束,尽早考虑大规模计划的退出机制,为获得长期发展战略竞争优势未雨绸缪,在国际政策博弈中牢牢争取把握主动。     

Inflation in Argentina during the 2000s

The paper presents a neo-structuralist econometric analysis of the monthly inflation rates. The model breaks down the CPI into different components based on their price-formation mechanisms. The basic breakdown defines three components: PFLEX (fruits and vegetables, 3.6% of the basket), PREGUL (prices regulated by the government, 20.1% of the basket) and PFIX (the rest of goods and services, 76.3% of the basket). PFIX is the focus of the econometric analysis while PFLEX and PREGUL are considered exogenous. The explanatory variables are the monthly rates of: the price of bovine cattle at the domestic market, the international soy price, the price by ton of imported intermediate goods, the nominal exchange rate, the average wage of workers that are registered in Social Security and the productivity, measured by the GDP by employed worker. There was an informal indexation mechanism in the labor market. Average monthly wages rose at annual rates that were almost always higher than the sum of past annual inflation plus the annual increase in productivity. The over-indexation of the unit labor cost was the main inflationary factor in the period. The inertial component, represented in the model by the previous monthly rate, determines 60% of the current rate.     

马克思法的形而上学批判探析

近代法哲学从本质上来说是法的形而上学。马克思的法哲学从《黑格尔法哲学批判》开始,始终着力于对近代法的形而上学的批判。在颠覆近代法的形而上学的过程中,建构了在“感性活动”原则基础上社会存在理论。研究马克思法哲学批判理论从理论和实践上都具有重大意义。     

Colombia’s macroeconomic challenges at the end of the supercycle of commodity prices

The end of the commodity boom presents major challenges for the Colombian economy. The major ones relate to the need to reduce the current account deficit and find new growth engines. A competitive real exchange rate is essential for objectives and requires stronger interventions in the foreign exchange market; these interventions also help to smooth out the trajectory of the inflation rate. Finally, although fiscal adjustment has been adequate, there are fiscal needs associated with the additional public sector spending demanded by the peace agreement and the need to correct the major structural tax imbalances generated by previous tax reforms.     

The macroeconomy of Angola: breaks and persistence in Angolan macro data

Using long-range dependence techniques we examine the order of integration of Angola’s macro variables from a fractional viewpoint. Based on a small open economy model, the series examined are money reserves, credit, money supply, lending rate, exchange rates, CPI, GDP, oil revenues and government expenditure, for the period of January 2000 to December 2013. The results suggest that the variables are nonstationary with orders of integration equal to or higher than 1 suggesting nonmean-reverting behaviour. Structural breaks reveal that the series reflect the IMF intervention in Angola in 2003 to control inflation. Policy implications are derived.     

European Monetary Integration and the ‘Constitutionalization’ of Macroeconomic Policy Making

This work discusses the constitutionalization of rules in macroeconomic policy-making in the European Union (EU) with reference to European monetary integration. The analysis deals with two main monetary arrangements, the European Monetary System (EMS) and the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and focuses on one country - Italy. Using an interdisciplinary perspective and a constitutional political economy approach, three sets of factors are identified to explain how and why policy-makers may decide to self-limit their sovereignty in monetary and fiscal policies, as they have done in the process of European monetary integration. It is argued that such factors influenced the dynamics and evolution of the European monetary arrangements, shaping the path to EMU.     

中国宏观经济形势与政策:2001-2002年

中国宏观经济政策应该遵循竞争性市场经济的均衡原则,并且其短期效应与长期效应应该是相互包容和内在一致的,短期的反周期需求管理在长期均衡的宏观经济政策框架下实现。中国经济需求管理的财政政策、货币政策、汇率政策长期组合应该是平衡财政预算、稳定货币供应与均衡汇率机制。     

The Machine-Building Industry in Communist China

This article identifies the connections between original institutional economics and communitarian philosophy. For instance, both share the common emphasis on the cultural conditioning of human agency. Moreover, they present a common orientation to the human motives that surpass purely traditional economic considerations. We exemplify these correspondences with the similar explanations of the institutionalist Anne Mayhew and the communitarian political philosopher Michael Sandel to American farmer protests during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. We conclude by suggesting a possible common research agenda for institutionalists and communitarians regarding the moral limits of markets and civic consequences of economic arrangements.     

Large scale infrastructure investment and economic performance – a case study of Oresund

We analyse the effect of a large scale infrastructure investment, namely the construction of the Oresund bridge, on the local and supra-regional economy. We employ the synthetic control method to construct counterfactual regions that mimic the trajectory of Malmo and Southern Sweden without treatment. Our results point to a positive effect. However, placebo tests in space and time only reveal statistical significance at a larger regional level. The results suggest that spillover effects are eminent.     

The fiscal consequences of public health investments in disease-modifying therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in Sweden

Abstract

Background and aims: The economic consequences of multiple sclerosis (MS) are broader than those observed within the health system. The progressive nature suggests that people will not be able to live a normal productive life and will gradually require public benefits to maintain living standards. This study investigates the public economic impact of MS and how investments in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) influence the lifetime costs to government attributed to changes in lifetime tax revenue and disability benefits based on improved health status linked to delayed disease progression.

Methods: Disease progression rates from previous MS Markov cohort models were applied to interferon beta-1a, peginterferon beta-1a, dimethyl fumarate, and natalizumab using a public economic framework. The established relationship between expanded disability status scale and work-force participation, annual earnings, and disability rates for each DMT were applied. Subsequently, we assessed the effect of DMTs on discounted governmental costs consisting of health service costs, social insurance and disability costs, and changes in lifetime tax revenues.

Results: Fiscal benefits attributed to informal care and community services savings for interferon beta-1a, peginterferon beta-1a, dimethyl fumarate, and natalizumab were SEK340,387, SEK486,837, SEK257,330, and SEK958,852 compared to placebo, respectively. Tax revenue gains linked to changes in lifetime productivity for interferon beta-1a, peginterferon beta-1a, dimethyl fumarate, and natalizumab were estimated to be SEK27,474, SEK39,659, SEK21,661, and SEK75,809, with combined fiscal benefits of cost savings and tax revenue increases of SEK410,039, SEK596,592, SEK326,939, and SEK1,208,023, respectively.

Conclusion: The analysis described here illustrates the broader public economic benefits for government attributed to changes in disease status. The lifetime social insurance transfer costs were highest in non-treated patients, and lower social insurance costs were demonstrated with DMTs. These findings suggest that focusing cost-effectiveness analysis only on health costs will likely underestimate the value of DMTs.