Further Long Memory Properties of Inflationary Shocks

Several previous studies have found fractionally integrated, or long memory behavior, in the conditional mean of inflation. This paper notes that extremely similar phenomena are also apparent in the squared and absolute values of residuals from fractionally filtered inflation series. Hence, the inflation process appears to have a dual long memory feature in both its first and its second conditional moments. We suggest a parametric model of long memory in both the conditional mean and the conditional variance. Some Monte Carlo evidence is presented that supports estimation of the model by approximate maximum likelihood methods. We then report estimated models for the inflation series for several different industrialized countries, including the United States. For nearly all of the countries in our study, there is strong evidence of statistically significant long memory parameters in both the conditional mean and the variance. We note some of the implications for modeling inflation.     

Foreign and Domestic Shocks: Macroeconomic Responses of ASEAN-3 Countries

Abstract

The study provides new empirical evidence on the relative importance of foreign and domestic shocks on selected ASEAN-3 (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand) macroeconomic variables. Three structural vector auto regression models are estimated for each country. The focal point is given on the formulation of the sources of foreign factors. The first model uses trade-weighted foreign variables of both US and Japan to represent the foreign factors. The other two models use US and Japan by themselves, respectively, to represent the foreign factors. Two important results are emerged. First, foreign sectors play an important role in influencing macroeconomic variables of each of the ASEAN-3 country, especially in the medium and the long-run horizon. Second, most of the time, the Japanese factors are more dominant than the US factors in influencing domestic output and inflation for each of the ASEAN-3 countries.     

Business Cycle Fluctuations,Large Macroeconomic Shocks,and Development Aid

We examine the cyclical properties of development aid using bilateral data for 22 donors and 113 recipients during 1970–2005. We find that bilateral aid flows are on average procyclical with respect to the business cycle in both donor and recipient countries. While aid outlays contract sharply during severe downturns in donor countries, they rise steeply when aid-receiving countries experience large adverse shocks. Our findings suggest that development aid may play an important cushioning role in developing countries, but only during times of severe macroeconomic stress. Our results are robust to alternate definitions of aid flows, specifications, and estimation techniques.     

Modeling the Response of Gasoline-Crude Oil Price Crack Spread Macroeconomic Shocks

To date, considerable attention has been given to evaluating movements in crude oil and gasoline prices and in determining the significance of fundamental state variables that may influence these prices. This paper differs from the existing literature by identifying the response of the single-product gasoline-crude oil crack spread to unexpected changes in real output growth, inflation, the corporate default risk premium, and the stance of monetary policy utilizing the econometric techniques of vector autoregression and generalized impulse response analysis. The generalized impulse response method does not impose a priori restrictions as to the relative importance each of the state variables may play in the process of transmitting unexpected information from the macroeconomic variables to the crack spread. The results show the extent and the magnitude of the relationship between the crack spread being investigated and macroeconomic factors.     

Permanent and Temporary Components of Stock Prices: Evidence from Assessing Macroeconomic Shocks

This paper outlines a simple macro model with overlapping wage contracts to investigate how the temporary and permanent components of stock price movements may be related to aggregate macro-economic supply and demand disturbances. In the content of the model, we show that aggregate demand shocks have only temporary effects on real stock prices, while supply shocks may affect the level of real stock prices permanently. Moreover, the temporary component in U.S. stock prices, identified by placing appropriate structural restrictions on a vector autoregressive system estimated for the postwar period, is statistically significant. This evidence supports the mean-reversion hypothesis that stock prices are not pure random walks. The finding is robust to the choice of variables used in the vector autoregressive system and periodicity.     

Non-Euro EU Member States and ECB-Originating Monetary Shocks: A Macroeconomic Policy Trilemma Question

Atlantic Economic Journal -     

Macroeconomic Effects of Commodity Price Shocks in a Low‐income Economy: The Case of Tobacco in Malawi

A major concern for developing economies is a dependence on commodities when their prices are volatile as a major change in the international commodity price can have important implications for economic growth. While some cross‐country studies exist, there is lack of country specific studies that take into account the different characteristics of low‐income economies. This paper contributes to the growing literature by considering the case of Malawi and the macroeconomic impact of price shocks in its major export crop of tobacco. Using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) approach on quarterly Malawian data from 1980:1 to 2012:4, the paper establishes that a positive tobacco price shock has a significant positive impact on the country's gross domestic product, decreasing consumer prices and inducing real exchange rate appreciation. The results are robust to alternative specifications of a SVAR on difference stationary data and cointegrating VAR. The cointegrating VAR confirms the existence of a long run‐relationship among the variables and causality that runs from tobacco prices.     

基于持久性收入假说的中国农民消费分析

影响农村居民消费需求的因素很多，文章选择弗里德曼的持久性收入假说分析我国农民的消费问题，并运用农民消费的历年数据进行计量经济学分析，进而从增加持久性收入和提高持久性收入的边际消费倾向两方面提出增加农民消费的政策建议。     

“新农合”与农民耐用品消费:消费层次和区域比较

基于2010年中国综合社会调查( CGSS)数据,在考虑消费观念中介作用条件下,研究新农合对农民生存型、发展型、享受型耐用品消费的影响。结果表明,新农合对农民生存型、发展型耐用品消费影响显著,对享受型耐用品消费影响不显著。主要体现为即期消费观念对农民耐用品消费的影响比超前消费观念大,新农合在中部地区对农民耐用品消费的影响和全国基本一致,在东、西部地区的影响情况差异较大。应因地制宜发挥新农合对农民消费的促进作用,扩大农民耐用品消费。     

Does China have Inflationary Effects on the USA and Japan？

With China＇s share in global trade increasing rapidly, some argued in 2002-2003 that China was exporting deflation to other countries as it was dumping cheap goods in mature markets. Later, others argued that China was causing sharp increases in global prices. This paper uses several econometric techniques to assess the extent of the link between inflation rates between China and the USA and Japan. Only limited empirical evidence at the aggregate level is found for consumer price inflation in China leading to price changes in the USA and Japan. However, there is some evidence that inflation in the USA has an impact on Chinese inflation. The results seem consistent with the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan being concerned about inflation and, hence, adjusting policy such that inflation shocks have no significant effect on overall inflation. Recent Chinese price rises are unlikely to have a material effect on the USA or Japan.     

深化土地市场治理，提高宏观调控政策效应

适度控制货币信贷增长、切实加强土地管理、严格控制新开工项目、坚决遏制某些行业中盲目投资和低水平扩张的举措，表明了中央政府清理整顿违规使用土地、遏制地方政府投资饥渴症，探索维护土地市场秩序“长效机制”的决心。但是上收地方政府土地审批权限，把土地政策与财政、货币政策同样作为宏观经济调控手段，是否能有效遏制一些地方片面追求经济增长的盲目冲动，仍有待实践检验；如何通过政策规范来引导土地市场实现制度创新，依然存在许多深层次问题需要研究。为此，综合开发研究院(中国&;#183;深圳)最近在京举办了“土地市场治理与宏观调控”研讨会，本文是对有关专家学者的观点所进行的整理和综合。本刊认为有一定参考价值，特予以刊登。     

External Shocks and High Volatility in Consumption in Low‐Income Countries

According to the well‐known concept of consumption smoothing, the volatility of consumption is low even when income is volatile; this is confirmed by data from G7 countries. Surprisingly, however, consumption volatility in many low‐income countries is nontrivially higher than income volatility. Here I examine what causes high consumption volatility in low‐income countries. In general, volatile consumption makes consumers worse off. Therefore, understanding the causes of high consumption volatility can contribute to improving welfare in low‐income countries by suggesting measures to assist in the stabilization of consumption. Unlike much previous research, I focus on international factors when explaining high consumption volatility. The results suggest that external shocks, which are far more volatile in low‐income countries than in industrialized countries, strongly swing consumption. By capturing these mechanisms, the model I use successfully accounts for consumption volatility's differences between the sample low‐income country and sample industrialized country.     

International Monetary Regimes and Incidence and Transmission of Macroeconomic Shocks: Evidence from the Bretton Woods and Modern Floating Periods

This paper investigates the relationship between international monetary regimes and incidence and transmission of macroeconomic shocks within the context of an open-economy macro model. Empirical results confirm monetary interdependence and lower incidence of monetary discretion under fixed exchange rates. The average magnitude and dispersion of supply shocks in Bretton Woods and the subsequent float is comparable; however, the average magnitude and dispersion of real demand shocks under Bretton Woods seems higher. Overall, the international monetary regime may pose important constraints to policymakers in open economies.     

我国宏观经济走势与调控方向

在不久前闭幕的全国政协十届四次会议上，政协委员们围绕构建社会主义和谐社会中大家关注的热点问题提出了许多很有见地的意见和建议，受到中共中央和国务院的高度重视。在上期的“委员建言”栏目中，本刊选登了部分委员的发言，得到了大家的一致好评。在本期的栏目中，本刊又选登了四篇委员发言，重点关注“宏观经济调控”、“农业科技创新体系建设”、“安全生产“和“经济增长方式转变”等“两会”热点问题，供大家学习、参考。[编者按]     

收入分布、厂商定价与耐用品的消费扩张

本文考察了收入差距对耐用消费品消费的影响。我们从厂商的定价理论出发。说明了收入差距对耐用消费品消费呈现出倒U型的影响：随着收入差距扩大，耐用消费品的消费量增加，但是，收入差距继续扩大则会减少耐用消费品的消费。这说明，适当的收入差距有利于社会消费水平提高和经济的发展，过大和过小的收入差距都无助于经济的起飞。我们最后运用城镇居民和农村居民彩电、洗衣机和冰箱的拥有量对该理论进行了实证检验，实证检验结果基本上支持了我们的理论分析。     

Consumption,Credit, and Macroeconomic Policies: Theory and Evidence from the United States

Abstract

The paper examines determinants of private consumption in the USA. The empirical model includes disposable income, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, the interest rate, and the real effective exchange rate. Anticipated movements in these determinants are likely to affect planned consumption, while unanticipated changes determine cyclical consumption. Fluctuations in private consumption are mostly cyclical with respect to changes in disposable income and the consumers’ sentiment index. In contrast, an increase in the interest rate decreases both planned and cyclical consumption. Fiscal policy has a direct negative effect on cyclical consumption, which is not dependent on the interest rate. Monetary growth, in contrast, increases liquidity to finance both planned and cyclical private consumption.