中国通货膨胀的福利成本研究

Inflation is always an important indicator to measure whether economy is stable and healthy. This paper provides a substantive survey of the research on the welfare cost of inflation, and uses the methods of consumer’s surplus and neo-classical general equilibrium models respectively to estimate the welfare cost of inflation in China. The results show that high inflation will cause huge welfare cost in China, so keeping low inflation is beneficial to the entire economic welfare of China. __________ Translated from Jingji Yanjiu 经济研究 (Economic Research Journal), 2007, (4): 30–42, 159     

浅析当前我国通货膨胀产生的原因及对策分析

根据国家统计局公布的2011年一季度CPI数据,前两个月皆为4.9%,三月份的CPI数据国内各银行的首席经济学家预测亦不低于4.8%,约为4.9%～5.2%,接近5%的峰值。较高的通货膨胀已对国内经济的发展和人民的生活水平产生较大影响,缓解通货膨胀已成为我国经济面临的最重要的问题。     

通货膨胀、信息搜寻成本与价格分散

在人们为了交易动机而持有实际货币余额中,至少有一部分是为了寻找较低价格而产生的对信息搜寻行为的一种投入。在这一假设下,通货膨胀和价格分散之间存在正的相互作用。许多实证研究都支持了这一观点。     

关于地租推进型通货膨胀的价格传导机制研究

本文认为,地租推进型通货膨胀是土地产品价格上涨推动的通货膨胀,是土地产品价值上升的结果,是土地产品价值实现的要求,不是传统意义上的通货膨胀。不同类型的货币政策下,尽管地租推进型通货膨胀的价格传导机制是不同的,其基本内容都是剩余产品在初次分配中向土地所有者的倾斜。因此,地租推进型通货膨胀的治理,核心不在于消灭地租推进型通货膨胀本身,而在于缓解收入分配带来的社会阵痛。地租推进型通货膨胀在投机资本的影响下往往呈现复合式发展的特征。地租推进型通货膨胀研究的新视角,为政府宏观调控应对土地产品价格上涨提供了全新的思路。     

我国通货膨胀率均值过程和波动过程中的双长记忆性度量与统计检验

This paper uses the ARFIMA-FIGARCH model to investigate the China’s monthly inflation rate from January 1983 to October 2005. It is found that both first moment and second moment of inflation have remarkable long memory, indicating the existence of long memory properties in both inflation level and inflation uncertainty. By the Granger-causality test on inflation rate and inflation uncertainty, it is shown that the inflation level affects the inflation uncertainty and so supports Friedman hypothesis. Therefore, as for policy maker, they should roundly concerns on long memory properties of inflation and inflation uncertainty, and their single-direction relationship between them. __________ Translated from Guanli shijie 管理世界 (Management World), 2007, (7): 14–21     

Asymmetric size-dependent effects of the output gap on inflation: US evidence from the last half a century

This article examines asymmetric size- and sign-dependent effects of the output gap on the US quarterly inflation rate using data from the last half a century (1959Q2–2013Q1). Consistent with previous studies, it is found that the consumer price index is cointegrated with the unit labour cost and the price of oil. A short-run dynamic model is then estimated in which variations in the output gap are divided into three groups: large-positive; large-negative; and small-medium positive/negative. The results provide convincing evidence that only sufficiently large (positive or negative) variations of the output gap can significantly influence inflation. Put otherwise, relatively small to medium changes in the output gap exert no significant impact on inflation and if not separated, they can somewhat obscure the significant effects associated with large variations of the output gap. This study can lead to greater consensus on the inflation–output gap nexus. The findings remain robust despite the use of different measures of output gap and they are consistent with the modern doctrine but with a new caveat: inflation responds to both positive and negative changes in the output gap as long as such variations are of sizable magnitudes.     

Strategic wage setting, inflation uncertainty and optimal delegation

The paper examines optimal monetary policy delegation in an economy where wages are set strategically by a single economy-wide union whose objectives relate to employment and the real wage. Crucially, the central bank exerts imprecise control over inflation, giving rise to a positive relationship between the mean value of inflation and its variance. In this context, union concerns with regard to the employment goal render equilibrium sensitive to the conduct of monetary policy. As a consequence, optimal delegation arrangements closely resemble those identified as optimal in models that assume a direct aversion to inflation on the part of unions.     

出口非正常低价分析

我国出口贸易中存在的非正常低价现象,不利于我国对外贸易乃至整个国民经济的持续健康发展。本文对这种非正常低价进行归纳分析,提出界定方法,并从产业结构、企业和监管三个方面分析其产生的原因,认为非正常低价的"株连效应"会使质量过得硬的"中国制造"也受到牵连、诘难。政府和企业应共同努力,促使出口产品价格的理性回归。     

通货膨胀问题国外研究进展与评述

20世纪70年代以来通货膨胀的频发,成为严重困扰世界各国经济运行的主要难题之一,引发了众多国外学者对通货膨胀的广泛关注以及从宏观层面到微观基础层面的深入研究。本文主要从通货膨胀的福利成本、通货膨胀的不确定性、持续性和通货膨胀目标制四个方面入手,着重回顾与评论20世纪90年代尤其是21世纪以来的国外学者研究通货膨胀问题的成果,以期在把握通货膨胀问题研究的进展中,总结治理经验与合理借鉴应对政策。     

Optimal price setting during a currency changeover: theory and evidence from french restaurants

This article studies firms’ price-setting decision during a currency changeover. Buyers’ difficulties with the new nominal price level may create incentives to raise prices temporarily but doing so comes at the risk of damaging a seller’s standing as a fair retailer. We model firms’ trade-off and study conditions under which increasing or decreasing prices is optimal. A difference-in-differences analysis based on micro-data of French restaurants strongly supports the model’s predictions. Prices during the 2002 changeover in the European Monetary Union were less likely to rise in larger restaurants, nontourist restaurants and when prices were advertised.     

The link between inflation and inflation uncertainty: Evidence from G7 countries

In this paper we adopt the Markov-switching heteroscedasticity model to analyse the inflation series for G7 countries and examine the interaction between inflation rate and its uncertainty over both the short- and long-run. It is found that the relationship between inflation and inflation uncertainty depends on whether the shock is permanent or transitory. The relationship also differs from country to country. High uncertainty about long-run inflation is associated with a significant positive shift in inflation for Canada, Germany, and Japan. High uncertainty about short-run inflation is associated with a significant positive shift in inflation for Germany and USA, and a significant negative shift in inflation for Canada. The modelling approach employed in this paper is empirically supported by various diagnostics including the Vuong test. We also derive the two components of the variance of inflation forecast for a particular forecast horizon. It is found that the inflation uncertainty increases at all horizons in the middle of 1970s and return to the low level in the middle of 1980s.First version received: June 2001/Final version received: October 2003We would like to thank three anonymous referees for many helpful comments and suggestions.     

Welfare costs of monetary policy uncertainty in the economy with shifting trend inflation

We study welfare costs of the uncertainty about monetary policy in the economy featuring shifting trend inflation. We follow Ruge-Murcia (J Econ Dyn Control 36: 914–-938, 2012) to employ the SMM approach to fit the model to the US data (1979Q1-2015Q1). We find that the monetary policy uncertainty affects economic welfare through different dimensions. On the one hand, the policy uncertainty itself distorts the economic welfare negligibly, not only by increasing volatilities of consumption and leisure, but also by decreasing their average levels. A higher level of trend inflation then signifies these changes to produce greater welfare costs. Furthermore, the adverse impacts of policy uncertainty on the economy, documented by the impulse response functions of macroeconomic variables to policy uncertainty shock, become larger when central banks raise their inflation targets. On the other hand, the costs of exogenous variations in trend inflation are larger if there is policy uncertainty.     

Calculating the Candy Price Index: A Classroom Inflation Experiment

In this classroom experiment, students develop a price index based on candy-purchasing decisions made by members of their class. They use their index to practice calculating inflation rates and to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the consumer price index (CPI). Instructors can use the experiment as an introduction to the topic of inflation and how it is measured. The exercise also provides a concrete example of the sources of bias in the CPI, promoting discussion of the measures the Bureau of Labor Statistics has taken to reduce bias. The experiment, including follow-up discussion, fits into a 50-minute class period. The authors and other professors have used the exercise in introductory and intermediate macroeconomics courses, in classes of 10 to 135 students.     

Deficit sustainability and inflation in EMU: An analysis from the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level

Price determination theory typically focuses on the role of monetary policy, while the role of fiscal policy is usually neglected. From a different point of view, the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level takes into account monetary and fiscal policy interactions and assumes that fiscal policy may determine the price level, even if monetary authorities pursue an inflation targeting strategy. In this paper we try to test empirically whether the time path of the government budget in EMU countries would have affected price level determination. Our results point to the sustainability of fiscal policy in all the EMU countries but Finland, although no firm conclusions can be drawn about the prevalence of either monetary or fiscal dominance.     

我国通胀与经济增长放缓福利 成本的比较研究

经济理论和实践经验通常认为我国经济增长放缓的福利成本远高于通货膨胀的福利成本,因而“保增长”的重要性远高于“防通胀”。本文认为这一判断已经不再适用于我国当前情况,核心原因是当前家庭的财产积累水平较以往有了大幅度提高,通胀将通过财产再分配效应造成严重的社会福利损失。经过计算发现：在各组参数设定下,5%的通胀和经济增速下滑一个百分点所造成的社会总福利成本（对消费的补偿比例）分别平均是18%和59%;通胀福利成本与增长放缓福利成本之比平均为329%,相比之下,在不考虑财产再分配效应的计算方法中,该比例仅为约16%。这说明在中长期“保增长”和“防通胀”都具有重要的社会福利意义,因此宏观调控应该将二者都作为重要的政策目标。     

Inflation surprises and inflation expectations in the Euro area

In the second half of 2012, euro area inflation started declining and reached historical lows at the end of 2014. Market-based measures of inflation expectations also declined to unprecedented levels. During this disinflationary period, inflation releases have often surprised analysts on the downside. We provide evidence that inflation ‘surprises’ have significant effects on inflation expectations. The sensitivity of inflation expectations to the surprises, which has varied over time, disappeared after the introduction of the Asset Purchase Programme by the European Central Bank.     

Inflation targeting and inflation expectations in Mexico

In this article we analyse inflation expectations in Mexico. After a review of the theoretical and empirical literature, we apply unit root, normality and cointegration tests to the data provided by Banco de México (Banxico) in the Survey on the Expectations of the Private Sector Economics Specialists. Our results reject the null hypothesis of normality for inflation expectations over the period 2004:01–2011:12. The exchange rate has become one of the most relevant variables in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in a small open economy. In this regard, we show the existence of a long-run relationship between nominal exchange rate and interest rate where inflation expectations matter for long-term dynamics.     

The time-varying effect of inflation uncertainty on inflation for Turkey

We investigate the effect of inflation uncertainty on inflation from January 1982 through March 2016 for Turkey by using the Stochastic Volatility in Mean model with time-varying parameters. Our empirical evidence from consumer price index (CPI) inflation suggests that the observed positive relationship between inflation and inflation uncertainty is not robust. This positive relationship diminishes after 2002. This finding is valid for all five subcomponents of CPI inflation; however, for Health Services, Transportation Services, and Recreational and Cultural Services, an inflation-positive association is reported after 2010.