On Welfare Criteria and Optimality in an Endogenous Growth Model

In this paper, we explore the consequences for optimality of a social planner adopting two different welfare criteria. The framework of analysis is an overlapping generations model with physical and human capital. We first show that, when the social welfare function is a discounted sum of individual utilities defined over consumption per unit of natural labor, the precise cardinalization of the individual utility function becomes crucial for both the characterization of the social optimum and the policies that support it. Also, decentralizing the social optimum requires an education subsidy that is definitely positive, but its size depends in a determinant way on the aforementioned cardinalization. In contrast, when the social welfare function is a discounted sum of individual utilities defined over consumption per unit of efficient labor, the precise cardinalization of preferences becomes irrelevant. More strikingly, along the optimal growth path, the education subsidy is negative, i.e., the planner should tax rather than subsidize investments in human capital.     

RESALE PRICE MAINTENANCE AND INTERLOCKING RELATIONSHIPS*

Dampening of interbrand as well intrabrand competition is often advanced to justify per se illegality of RPM. We analyze this argument in a context where rival manufacturers distribute their products through the same competing retailers. We show that RPM indeed limits the exercise of competition at both levels and can generate industry‐wide monopoly pricing. The impact on prices depends on the extent of potential competition at either level as well as on the parties' influence in determining the terms of the contracts. Our analysis sheds a new light on ongoing legal developments and is supported by recent empirical studies.     

LONG‐RUN DETERMINANTS OF JAPANESE EXPORTS TO CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES: A SECTORAL ANALYSIS

During the period 1971–2007, Japanese sectoral exports to China and the United States depended on real exchange rate fluctuations and external demand (GDP of the country of destination). This result holds for both geographical destinations and for all six sectors under investigation in this study: foods, textiles, metal products, chemicals, non‐metal products, and machinery and equipment. For both China and the United States and for almost all sectors, the real exchange rate fluctuations and GDP have had the expected effects. Real appreciation of the yen and greater uncertainty derived from increased exchange rate volatility have reduced Japanese exports.     

Portfolio Performance with Lending or Borrowing

The availability of a single riskless lending and borrowing interest rate is one of the underlying assumptions of the two-parameter efficient markets model. When the model is used to evaluate ex-post portfolio performance this assumption becomes too restrictive. For investors facing a borrowing rate which is higher than the lending rate, performance evaluation must take into account investment goals. It is also necessary to recognize that investors willing to assume high risk in order to obtain high returns have available a number of alternative portfolios which are efficient. La disponibilité d'un simple taux d'intérêt sur prêt ou emprunt, tout risque exclu, est une des hypothèses fondamentales du modèle des marchés actifs à deux paramètres. Lorsque le modèle sert àévaluer le rendement expost de portefeuille, cette hypothèse s'avère trop limitée. Dans le cas où les investisseurs se trouvent face à un taux d'emprunt supérieur au taux de prêt, l'évaluation du rendement doit s'effectuer en considbration des objectifs d'investissements. II faut de même préciser que les investisseurs, prêts à edosser de grands risques dans le but d'obtenir des bényéfices élevés, possèdent un nombre disponible de portefeuilles alternatifs qui sont productifs. Das Vorhandensein eines einzigen risikofreien Anlage- und Aufnahmezinssatzes stellt eine der grundsätzlichen Voraussetzungen des zweiparameterischen Effizientmarkt-Modells dar. Bei der Verwendung des Modells für die Ermittlung der ex post Portefeuilleleistung wird diese Voraussetzung zu einschränkend. Für Anleger, die einen Aufnahmezinssatz, der den Anlagezinssatz überschreitet, bezahlen müssen, muss die Leistungsermittlung Investitionsziele berücksichtigen. Ebenfalls muss berücksichtigt werden, dass Anleger, die hohe Risiken eingehen um hohe Erträge zu erreichen, über eine Anzahl von alternativen effizienten Portefeuillen verfügen.