The demand for M3 and inflation forecasts: An empirical analysis for Switzerland

The Demand for M3 and Inflation Forecasts: An Empirical Analysis for Switzerland. — This paper argues that money should continue to play an important role in monetary policy even if a central bank pursues a strategy based on inflation forecasts. Within the context of an error correction model, the paper delivers empirical evidence that both the growth rate of the monetary aggregate M3 and the size of excess M3 incorporate useful information with regard to future inflation in Switzerland. This evidence strongly suggests that money should remain an important indicator for monetary policy.     

Brazil's twin deficits: An empirical examination

This paper examines empirically the causal relationship between budget deficits and trade deficits for Brazil from 1973:1Q through 1991:4Q. This relationship is investigated in the context of Granger's test of causality. The final prediction error criterion, as outlined by Hsiao [1981], is applied in determining the appropriate lag length of the two variables. Empirical results suggested the presence of bilateral causality between trade deficits and budget deficits.     

Unemployment risk and buffer-stock saving: An empirical investigation in Japan

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, using micro data, the strength in Japan of the precautionary saving motive. While numerical simulations suggest the economic importance of precautionary saving, the empirical evidence is mixed. In this paper, we apply the buffer-stock saving model and focus on the effect of unemployment risk on wealth accumulation. We find that uncertainty has a positive and statistically significant effect on the wealth-to-income ratio, and that buffer-stock savings account for 6 or 15 percent of net financial assets. Housing loans and expenditures associated with children decrease this ratio.     

The role of R&D in high-technology trade: An empirical analysis

Conclusion This paper attempts to establish the relationship between the level of R&D activities of a country and its trade performance in high-technology products. Empirical evidence based on the limited data used in the paper shows that this relationship appears to be quite significant. An analysis of the implications of this relationship reveals that the low level of R&D in Canada is due to, among other factors, the prevalence of foreign ownership of Canadian manufacturing industries, and the resource-based characteristic of the Canadian economy. Given the nature of foreign-owned firms, the paper suggests that countries should not rely on them as a crucial instrument in the creation of an indigenous capacity to produce high-technology products which are competitive at the world level. Instead, domestic policies aimed at the development and nurturing of the countries' own scientific and technological skills are required. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author. They should not be construed as the official views of the Ministry of State for Science and Technology of the Government of Canada. Research assistance provided by Tom Wudwud and Penny Robinson is well appreciated. The author, however, is responsible for any omissions or errors that remain.     

近代中国和日本总需求变动的比较分析

从19世纪80年代开始，中日两国开始经济近代化。与传统社会相比较，近代中日两国是处在一种由封闭经济向开放经济，自然经济向市场经济转变的过渡时期。过渡型经济形态的本质特征就决定了近代中日经济发展过程中的总需求发生了很大变化，其对近代中日经济增长的贡献力也更加突出。本文从宏观的角度，采用实证分析和动态分析方法，就近代中日总需求的变动趋势及其特征展开实证分析，探究其形成原因，比较中日两国总需求变动的总体特征和异同，辨析中日两国经济发展的历史经验和模式。     

An empirical analysis of college enrollment in The Netherlands

Summary In this paper we present empirical results on the demand for university training in the Netherlands. We integrate investment and consumption aspects of education and explicitly take account of the existence of capital market imperfections. The model has been estimated using time-series data. We pay attention to the dynamic structure and the nonlinearity of the functional specification. To a large extent the qualitative effects of the variables suggested by the theory on college enrollment correspond to the results. The effect of tuition on enrollment is not significantly different from zero at the 5 percent level. The elasticity of male enrollment for financial aid is substantial, but the elasticity for per capita income is even higher (close to one). The model allows deriving projections of college enrollment and investigating the impact of government policy.The authors gratefully acknowledge comments on an earlier version by S.K. Kuipers and J. Pen.     

The real effects of monetary policy in China: An empirical analysis

This paper examines whether institutional changes have affected the interaction between the real economy and monetary policy in China. We find evidence that structural changes in the financial and real sectors over the period of our study did influence the way in which monetary policy affected the real economy. There were an increasing influence of interest rates on output over 1984 to 1997 and non-state owned enterprises were increasingly reacting to monetary policy changes, suggesting that banking sector reforms were having effects, despite the fact that most credit was allocated to the loss-making State sector.     

The expansion of manufactured exports in developing countries: An empirical assessment of s upply and demand issues

Zusammenfassung Die Expansion der Industriegüterausfuhr aus Entwicklungsl?ndern: Eine empirische Analyse von Angebots- und Nachfragefaktoren. — Gegenstand der Untersuchung, die im wesentlichen auf den Ergebnissen von fünfzehn am Institut für Weltwirtschaft durchgeführten L?nderstudien aufbaut, ist die Frage, ob das Exportangebot von Entwicklungsl?ndern an Halb- und Fertigwaren elastisch auf staatliche Exportf?rderungsmaβnahmen reagiert und ob der Exportexpansion und -diversifizierung, von der Aufnahmef?higkeit der Industriel?nder her gesehen, enge Grenzen gezogen sind. Es wird gezeigt, daβ eine Exportf?rderungspolitik, die sich im realen effektiven Wechselkurs niederschl?gt, exportstimulierend wirkt. In übereinstimmung mit der Heckscher-Ohlin-Hypothese übernehmen dabei arbeits- und/oder rohstoffintensive Produkte die Rolle des Vorreiters; mit fortschreitender weltmarktorientierter Industrialisierung entstehen Spezialisierungsschwerpunkte dann im Bereich von Produktions- und Investitionsgütern mit standardisierter Technik. Daβ ein solcher Prozeβ der Exportdiversifizierung die Industriel?nder vor groβe strukturelle Anpassungsprobleme stellt, braucht, im ganzen gesehen, nicht befürchtet zu werden. Doch k?nnte in produktspezifischer Sicht hier und da der von Entwicklungsl?ndern ausgel?ste Angebotsdruck fühlbar werden und in Industriel?ndern protektionistische Abwehrmaβnahmen heraufbeschw?ren.

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Résumé L’expansion des exportations de produits manufacturiers des pays en voie de développement: Une analyse empirique des facteurs d’offre et de démande. — Le sujet de cette analyse, qui base généralement sur les résultats de quinze études de pays faites à l’Institut für Weltwirtschaft, est la question si l’offre d’exportation des pays en voie de développement concernant les produits demi-finis et finis réagit élastiquement aux mesures publiques de l’encouragement à l’exportation et s’il y a des barrières étroites pour l’expansion et la diversification des exportations de la part de la capacité d’absorption des pays industrialisés. Nous démontrons qu’une politique de l’encouragement d’exportation qui se traduit en réel taux de change effectif a de l’influence stimulante sur les exportations. Conformé à l’hypothèse de Heckscher-Ohlin les produits intensifs à main-d’oeuvre et aux premières matières jouent le r?le de l’avant-courrier, puis, suivant l’industrialisation avan?ante et orientée au marché mondial, il y a des points capitaux de spécialisation en domaine des biens de production et d’investissement avec une technique standardisée. En général il ne faut pas craindre qu’un tel procès de la diversification d’exportation mette les pays industrialisés en problèmes d’ ajustement. Cependant il est possible que la pression d’offre suscitée par les pays en voie de développement se manifeste en vue spécifique au produit ?a et là et provoque des mesures défensives protectives dans les pays industrialisés.

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Resumen La expansión de la exportatión de productos manufacturados de países en vía de desarrollo: Un análisis empírico de factores de la oferta y de la demanda. — El presente estudio, basado en investigaciones realizadas en el Institut für Weltwirtschaft sobre 15 países, tiene por objetivo analizar la elasticidad de la productión de manufacturas para la exportatión con respecto a medidas estatales de fomento y examinar la capacidad de absorción por parte de los países industrializados. Queda evidente que una política de fomento a la exportación, que se refleja en el tipo de cambio efectivo real, surte efectos positivos. De acuerdo con la hipótesis Heckscher-Ohlin se adelantan los productos intensivos en el uso de mano de obra y/o de primeras materias; a medida que avanza el proceso de industrialización hacia afuera surge la especialización también en los sectores de productos intermedios y de bienes de capital fabricados con una tecnología estandardizada. Ko hay por qué temer, desde un punto de vista macroeconómico, que este proceso de diversificación de exportaciones cause a los países industrializados serios problemas de reajuste estructural. Pero es posible que en el caso de algunos productos determinados la presión competitiva ejercida por los países en vía de desarrollo se haga sentir y origine medidas proteccionistas por parte de los países industrializados.

     

The effects of the social norm on cigarette consumption: Evidence from Japan using panel data

Using Japan's prefecture-level panel data from 1989 to 2001, this paper examines the influence of the social norm on a person's smoking behavior when the complementary relationship between smoking and drinking is taken into account. The key findings through a dynamic panel model controlling for unobserved prefecture-specific fixed effects are as follows: (1) influence from others is stronger when people live more closely and cohesively. A tightly knit society results in a reduction of smoking through smoking-related interaction. (2) Smoking and drinking have a complementary relationship: greater initial consumption of alcohol results in larger consumption of cigarettes. (3) The complementary relationship between smoking and drinking is attenuated if the cost of committing the annoying conduct (i.e., smoking) is high.Overall, this empirical study provides evidence that the psychological effect of the presence of surrounding people has a direct significant effect upon smoking behavior and, furthermore, that it attenuates the complementary relationship between smoking and drinking, thereby reducing cigarette consumption. These results indicate that not only formal rules but also tacitly formed informal norms are effective deterrents to smoking.     

An empirical examination of IPO underpricing in the Chinese A-share market

Research in the literature shows that initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stocks are systematically priced at a discount to their subsequent initial trading price. The large underpricing magnitude in the Chinese IPO market has attracted much attention. We consider three hypotheses that may explain the IPO underpricing in China. These are the winner's curse hypothesis, the ex ante uncertainty hypothesis and the signaling hypothesis. Among these hypotheses, the winner's curse hypothesis has not been tested in the Chinese market. Using IPO data for online fixed-price offerings from November 1995 to December 1998, our results show that the winner's curse hypothesis is the main reason for the high IPO underpricing in China. The signaling hypothesis is not empirically supported in the Chinese market during the sample period.     

An empirical test of the Dixit-Norman approach to factor price equalization, using cointegration techniques

An Empirical Test of the Dixit-Norman Approach to Factor Price Equalization, Using Cointegration Techniques. — Factor price equalization (FPE) occurs when international trade equilibrium reproduces the integrated world equilibrium (IWE). This allows a straightforward test of a necessary condition for FPE provided one has an idea of the IWE. The author considers Germany as such for France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Cointegration estimation techniques are preferred to SURE, because of endogenity and nonstationarity of the variables. Using the coefficient restrictions, estimation is performed with French and Belgian factor endowments and German sector allocations. Finally, FPE is checked by testing appropriate coefficient restrictions. Concluding, the author finds no long-term trade equilibrium with FPE for the countries considered.     

城乡预防保健服务需求差异及其影响因素:基于中国跨省数据的实证分析

本文采用中国健康与营养调查(CHNS)数据分析2004-2006年间城乡预防保健服务需求状况及其影响因素,以此提出缩小城乡之间与城乡内部预防保健服务差异的政策建议。考虑样本选择性与医疗保险内生性问题,运用probit估计方法,发现城乡居民的预防保健服务需求存在显著差异,但两者差距呈缩小态势;同时,相较于农村内部,城市内部差异更趋于扩大。影响居民的预防保健服务的需求因素中,除预防保健服务费用是否由医疗保险支付这一因素外,在农村主要是供给方因素,如农村的医疗资源供给水平,在城市主要是需求方因素,如个人收入。     

In search for stability: An empirical appraisal of the demand for money in the G7 and EC countries

Summary The demand for money has been at the centre of monetary econometrics. The policy debate has focused on the stability issue. To investigate this the present paper presents an overview of 400 estimated demand-for-money equations in the EC countries and G7 member states taken from the literature. The results of this survey suggest, firstly, serious doubts on the stability of the demand for money and, secondly, a remarkable evolution in econometric methodology in an attempt to improve the statistical evidence. Thirdly and important from a policy perspective, the analysis of the reported standard errors of the equations shows that among the large European countries Germany has the most stable money demand.     

The rationale for projected prices of demand on electricity for industry in Russia up to 2020

The paper presents a forecast of the demand price for commodities, which can be considered dual to the forecast for supply price. An algorithm for preparing the initial information is presented that allows one to take into account the features of the original data that determine the quality of the evaluation of the model parameters. We describe the extraction of input data for predicting the demand price from the data intended for determining the supply price.     

Unravelling causation: An empirical analysis of contingent protection in Australia

Conclusion The processes which national AD/CVD regulatory authorities must follow to disentangle the interrelationship betweendiminished domestic industrial performance and the extent which it has beencaused by unfairly traded imports are unclear. The want of a clear theoretical and administrative framework has contributed to a situation whereby, according to Pangratis and Vermulst (1994), the: inadequate guidance provided by the Code(s) combined with the lack of consensus on the economic analyses concerning basic injury-related concepts has resulted in a multitude of national rules and practices concerning the injury-side of the anti-dumping (and countervailing) instrument(s) (p.27).     

Economic situation of non-whites after 1964: An empirical analysis

Conclusion Based on the above mentioned results, it is plausible that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 generally has had a positive effect on the economic situation of non-whites, and on the average, has brought an improvement in the income, unemployment rate, and occupational distribution of non-whites in the United States. Therefore, the hypothesis of this study is supported and has shown that either because of, or concurrently with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there has been a significant reduction in the propensity to discriminate since 1964.