A quantitative analysis of optimal sustainable monetary policies

This study examines the quantitative properties of optimal sustainable monetary policies using a monetary model with a stabilization bias. As in Kurozumi (2008), the optimal sustainable policy is a strategy considered in the absence of commitment technologies; however it is implemented following an optimal quasi-sustainable policy derived by assuming that the commitment technologies are present. This study finds that solving for the policy function of the optimal quasi-sustainable policy yields a result basically identical to the Ramsey-optimal commitment policy under a set of parameters commonly used in the literature. The simulation shows two further results: policymakers have incentive to deviate from the Ramsey-optimal commitment policy when the lagged output gap is large and the optimal quasi-sustainable policy endogenously diminishes the steadfastness of policymakers׳ commitment.     

How important is fiscal policy cooperation in a currency union?

By constructing a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, which assumes a currency union consisting of two countries with nontradables, we study the importance of fiscal policy cooperation. As shown in the previous studies, we find that the role of fiscal policy is important in maximizing social welfare. However, we have a contrary result for fiscal policy cooperation. While the previous studies highlight that fiscal policy cooperation has a nontrivial effect in maximizing social welfare, we show that fiscal policy cooperation has no benefits, regardless of the share of nontradables. Self-oriented fiscal policy can replicate social welfare under the cooperative setting.     

我国收入分配领域存在的问题及解决的办法

目前,我国收入分配领域存在收入分配不公平和收入分配秩序混乱等问题,必须从以下几个方面入手加以解决:一、惩治腐败,严厉打击非法收入。二、加快对垄断行业的改革,规范垄断行业的收入分配。三、加快税收制度改革,缩小收入分配差距。四、建立和完善覆盖全民的基本公共服务体系,推进基本公共服务均等化。     

Lack of divine coincidence in New Keynesian models

The literature has long agreed that the divine coincidence holds in standard New Keynesian models: the monetary authority is able to simultaneously stabilize inflation and output gap in response to preference and technology shocks. I show that the divine coincidence holds only when inflation is stabilized at exactly zero. Even small deviations from zero generate policy trade-offs. I demonstrate this result using the model׳s non-linear equilibrium conditions to avoid biases from log-linearization. When the model is log-linearized, a non-zero steady state level of inflation gives rise to what I call the endogenous trend inflation cost-push shock in the New -Keynesian Phillips curve.     

Favouritism towards the poor and a discontinuous tax structure

This article aims to theoretically clarify two points. First, even though the government shows favouritism to the poor and wants to exempt low-income taxpayers and to secure the necessary income tax revenue by taxing only high-income taxpayers, the government nevertheless ends up taxing the poor. This is in opposition to favouritism and arises because of the government’s inability to observe the individual taxpayer’s income levels. Second, even without observing each taxpayer’s income level, if favouritism is sufficiently strong, then the government can discontinuously resolve such unintentional taxation.     

Optimal contracting with altruism and reciprocity

Motivated by the recent experimental evidence on altruistic behavior, we study a simple principal–agent model where each player cares about other players' utility, and may reciprocate their attitude towards him. We show that, relative to the selfish benchmark, efficiency improves when players are altruistic. Nevertheless, in contrast to what may be expected, an increase in the degree of the agent's altruism as well as a more reciprocal behavior by players has ambiguous effects on efficiency. We also consider the effects of the presence of spiteful players and discuss how monetary transfers between players depend on their degrees of altruism and spitefulness.     

Alan Gillie,Input-Output Economics.

Turnovsky observes that “the rational expectations hypothesis has had a profound impact on macroeconomic theory and policy during the past decade.” Tracing briefly the evolution of the ideas involved, he concludes that “… a consensus view is emerging that in fact under quite plausible conditions the policy neutrality proposition does not hold; therefore, there is still scope for policy rules to play an important role in stabilizing output.”

The mathematics used in the article is expository rather than analytical, requiring of the reader only somewhat more than the usual amount of persistence, faith in the author's interpretation of the literature, and a willingness to accept the integrity of economic models as representative of the real world. This is “required” reading for those teaching macroeconomics.     

Modus operandi of transnational transfer pricing for window dressing

A goal of transfer pricing may be to maximize after tax revenue by setting transfer prices that reduce the total tax paid. ＂Transfer pricing＂ is the pricing of products or services provided by one division to other division of the same corporate entity. Most of the corporate entities are using the method of ＂Window dressing＂, which is a technique used in preparation of financial statements of corporate entities. A transnational corporation is any enterprise that undertakes Foreign Direct Investment （FDI）, owns or controls income gathering assets in more than one country, produces goods or services outsides its country of origin, or engages in international production. Profitability of the transnational corporate entities is being manipulated by the technique of transfer pricing. Abuse of transfer prices is a key tool used by the corporate entities to think that they have virtually no profit; hence, they shouldn＇t pay any taxes. India needs to realize the fundamental need for co-operation among tax administrations in order to remove the obstacles that international double taxation presents to the free movement of goods, services and capital between various countries. In this context, one needs to consider that transactions among associated enterprises may take place under different conditions from those taking place among independent enterprises, while enforcing the act of transfer price mechanism. This paper focuses on transfer pricing and its implications in transnational transactions.     

Capital taxation, long-run growth, and bequests

It has been shown that higher capital taxes can have a growth-enhancing effect when combined with a revenue-compensating cut in wage taxes or with an expansion in productivity-increasing public services. The present paper demonstrates that these results critically hinge on the existence of a bequest motive. It is shown that a wage-tax cut is no longer growth-enhancing when bequests are operative. By way of contrast, increasing productive public services may well boost growth. The theoretical findings are illustrated by numerical simulations based on US data.