Do Rising Top Incomes Spur Economic Growth? Evidence From OECD Countries Based on a Novel Identification Strategy

We investigate the causal relationship between the growth rate of top income shares and economic growth in 12 OECD economies for the period 1950–2010. To analyze patterns of short- and long-run causality, we build upon recent advances in structural-vector autoregressive modeling of non-Gaussian systems. This framework allows us to discriminate between rival transmission channels by means of dependence tests, since independent shocks are unique for a particular causation pattern. We consider the share of income accruing to the top 1 percent (1), to the next 9 percent (9), and to the top decile (10). While structural models display considerable heterogeneity across countries, mean group and pooled results strongly favor a specific transmission pattern. In particular, 1 has a long-run positive impact on economic development. This result, which is also confirmed by identified impulse-response functions, is particularly evident for the post-1980 period.     

Sustainable and Excessive Current Account Deficits

Both the Mexican crisis of 1994–95 and the Asian financial crisis of 1997–98 have been preceded by large current account deficits run by the affected economies. External deficits are often assumed to play an important role in the propagation of financial crises in emerging markets. Policymakers are faced with a new challenge: that of resisting or accepting the large current account deficits that may result from heavy private capital inflows. This paper aims at providing some guidance:First, the Lawson Doctrine – according to which current account deficits that result from a shift in private-sector behaviour should not be a public policy concern – has been discredited by recent currency crises in Latin America and Asia. Second, define the size of current account deficits that should be sustainable in the long run. Third, the intertemporal approach to the current account does not provide a reliable benchmark to define when deficits become excessive. Fourth, large external deficits should be resisted if unsustainable currency appreciation, excessive risk-taking in the banking system and a sharp private spending boom are seen to coincide.     

Wage and Mobility Effects of Trade and Migration on the Austrian Labour Market

This study analyses the effect of trade and migration on wages and labour marketmobility. We estimate wage growth equations and a multinomial logit mobilityequation on an individual data set ranging from 1991 to 1994. We find substantialdifferences in the reactions of white and blue-collar workers wages and mobilityto trade and migration. In Austria exports have a positive and imports a negativeimpact on wage growth only for blue-collar workers. Migrants also reduce onlyblue-collar workers wage growth. Our results indicate that higher imports and aninflow of migrants reduce sectoral mobility of all types workers. The risk of beingout of work by contrast is increased by migration and imports only for blue-collarworkers, but reduced by exports for all types of workers. In general our results suggestenlargement of the EU would have only small effects on the Austrian labour market.     

Globalization, Financial Volatility and Monetary Policy

Recently it has often been claimed that globalization eases the job of central banks as it helps to tame inflation. This is used to argue that central banks (particularly the ECB, referring to the objectives as laid down in the EU Treaty) could or should reduce their efforts in the fight against inflation in favor of supporting the general economic policies of the governments. This paper takes a critical look at this argument, pointing to the structural changes associated with globalization and to the corresponding increase in uncertainty by which the central banks are affected. As an example of this, the increase in financial volatility is analyzed and explained as the result of optimal portfolio allocation, and its implications for monetary policy are discussed.     

Still more on the speed of adjustment in inventory models: A lesson in aggregation

Applied econometric research has been troubled by the fact that estimated adjustment speeds from stock-adjustment models of inventory investment turn out to be “implausibly slow”. The paper presents new empirical evidence using business-survey data colfected by the IFO Institute Munich, Germany. It is shown empirically that there is no such a thing as an “implausibly slow” adjustment speed if estimation is done at the same level of aggregation as is requested by the underlying microeconomic theory, that is, at the level of the individual firm. Slow adjustment speeds turn out to be an artifact due to aggregation.     

The changing pattern of international trade in manufactures: A logit analysis

Zusammenfassung Ver?nderungen im Welthandel mit Industriegütern: Eine LogitAnalyse. — Dieser Aufsatz berichtet über die Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung, in der die güterm?\ige Zusammensetzung des internationalen Handels mit Industrieerzeugnissen im Wandel der Zeit geprüft wird. Die Hypothesen für eine Analyse des Konzepts der „revealed comparative advantages“ für eine L?nderquerschnittsanalyse mit vielen Gütern werden in “schwacher” Form aufgestellt und mit Hilfe des Logit-Verfahrens getestet. Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen, daβ die statische Handelsstruktur ma\geblich von den Proportionen zwischen Humankapital und dem Faktor Arbeit bestimmt wird. Nicht gestützt wird die Faktorproportionenhypothese auf der Grundlage des Verh?ltnisses zwischen physischem Kapital und Arbeit. Au\erdem zeigt sich, da\ sowohl das technologische Alter der Erzeugnisse als auch wiederum die Humankapitalintensit?t wichtige Bestimmungsgründe für die Dynamik der Handelsstruktur im Sinne des Produktzyklus sind.

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Résumé La structure changeante du commerce international des produits manufacturés: une analyse logit. — Cet article rapporte les résultats d’une investigation empirique sur la composition par produit du commerce en biens manufacturiers et sur ses changements au cours du temps. L’auteur formule des hypothèses du type ?faible? et les teste en se servirant de la méthode logit et une analyse trans-pays et multi-biens de l’avantage comparatif révélé. Les résultats soulignent la dominance des proportions entre le capital humain et la main d’oeuvre comme déterminants des structures statiques du commerce, mais ne supportent pas une hypothèse des proportions de facteur basée sur le capital physique et la main-d’∄uvre. De plus, les résultats montrent que l’age technologique du produit et encore une fois l’intensité au capital humain sont des déterminants importants de la dynamique de la structure commerciale du type du cycle de bien.

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Resumen La estructura cambiante del comercio internacional en manufacturas: un análisis del tipo ?logit?. — Este artículo informa sobre los resultados de una investigación empírica de la composición de productos del comercio de manufacturas y sus cambios a través del tiempo. Para un análisis multi-productos a través de países de ventajas comparativas reveladas, se establecen hipótesis en forma ?débil? y se someten a prueba a través de un análisis de tipo ?logit?. Los resultados subrayan el dominio de proporciones capital humanomano de obra como déterminantes de las estructuras de comercio estatico, pero no sustentan una hipótesis de proporciones de factures basada en capital físico versus trabajo. Más aún, ellos sugieren la edad tecnológica del producto y de nuevo la intensidad de capital humano como los mayores determinantes de la dinámica de la estructura de comercio del tipo ciclo productivo.

     

Linear transformations of vector ARMA processes

Linear transformations of stochastic processes are used in many ways in economic analyses, for example when linear aggregates or subprocesses are considered. It is demonstrated that a linear transformation of a vector ARMA process is again an ARMA process and conditions for stationarity are given. Three different predictors for a linearly transformed process are compared. Forecasting the original process and transforming the predictions is superior to forecasting the transformed process directly and to transforming univariate predictions of the components of the original process. Conditions for equality of the three different forecasts are provided.     

Delay in contests

Why is there delay in contests? In this paper, we follow and extend the line of reasoning of Carl von Clausewitz to explain delay. For a given contest technology, delay may occur if there is an asymmetry between defense and attack, if the expected change in relative strengths is moderate, and if the additional cost of investment in future strength is low.