Elasticity Of Substitution In Consumption Research Articles

Increasing marginal costs, firm heterogeneity, and the gains from “deep” international trade agreements

Two parameters are central to modern quantitative models of trade flows: the elasticity of substitution in consumption (σ) and the inverse index of heterogeneity of firms' productivities (θ). However, structural parameter estimation using the seminal Feenstra econometric methodology focuses on estimates of only σ and a bilateral export-supply elasticity (labeled γ). Separately, modern trade agreements are increasingly “deep,” meaning they reduce fixed trade costs alongside variable trade costs. First, in the spirit of Arkolakis (2010), we extend the Melitz model of trade to allow for increasing marginal market-penetration costs in an empirically tractable manner to help understand the relative impacts on trade, extensive margins, intensive margins, and welfare of reducing fixed trade costs and variable trade costs. Second, we provide a microeconomic foundation for estimating all three parameters using the Feenstra methodology alongside a gravity equation. Third, we demonstrate the importance of increasing marginal costs for shallow and deep trade-agreement liberalizations using two counterfactual exercises.

Estimating the Gains from Trade in Frictional Local Labor Markets

We develop a theory and an empirical strategy to estimate the welfare gains of economic integration in economies with frictional local labor markets. The model yields a welfare formula that nests previous results in the literature and features an additional adjustment margin, via the employment rate, that generates new insights. We show that the quantitative impact of this new channel depends on the goods market structure and on the degree of firm heterogeneity. To obtain causal estimates of the two key structural parameters needed for the welfare analysis, the trade elasticity and the elasticity of substitution in consumption, we propose a theoretically-consistent identification strategy that exploits exogenous variation in production costs driven by differences in industrial composition across local labor markets. As an application, we exploit Germany’s rapid trade integration with China and Eastern Europe between 1988 and 2008 to assess the quantitative importance of accounting for unemployment changes when computing the gains from trade across local labor markets in West Germany. Under monopolistic competition with free entry and firm heterogeneity, the median welfare gains in the frictional setting are 6% larger relative to the frictionless setting. The relative welfare gains are typically more modest under alternative market structures.

The Optimum Allocation of Consumption of the Fisherian Shipwrecked Sailors

The theory of interest of Irving Fisher was designed to explain positive, zero, and negative interest rate. One of the intertemporal equilibria with the zero interest is an economy with a given supply of hardtacks for shipwrecked sailors. Hardtacks can be fully saved for the future, but their stock cannot be enlarged by production. Fisher presented several streams of consumption of hardtacks over time. This paper shows that the Fisherian paths are not consistent with the dynamic optimization model. Different trajectories of the optimum consumption are calculated and sketched. Their shape depends on the value of the subjective discount rate, the intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption, and the lifetime horizon of the shipwrecked sailors. None of them resemble the original Fisher examples.

Demographics and the natural real interest Rate: historical and projected paths for the euro area

This paper employs a large-scale overlapping generation model quantifying that demographics account for a decrease in the natural real interest rate of about 1.4 percentage points in the euro area compared with the average for the 1980s to 2030 (roughly at its trough), under the baseline calibration. Two channels prevail in providing the downward impact: the increasing scarcity of effective labor input and the growing willingness of individuals to save due to longer life expectancy. Mitigating factors are: greater substitutability between labor and capital, higher intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption, higher productivity and participation by older individuals and, to a lesser extent, a higher retirement age. Absent pay-as-you-go pension systems, the natural rate would stand at a lower level of about 0.5 percentage points by 2030. The simulated paths of the natural real interest rate and output growth are consistent with econometric estimates.

Progressive consumption tax and monetary policy in an endogenous growth model

This paper analyzes the impact of the interaction between monetary policy and fiscal policy on the stability of an one-sector AK economy. The monetary authority pegs the money growth factor while the fiscal authority implements a progressive consumption tax. The demand of money is motivated by a fractional liquidity constraint on consumption expenditures. When only the monetary authority operates, the unique steady state is locally indeterminate if the intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption is low enough. When the fiscal authority is introduced, the interaction of fiscal policy and monetary policy modifies significantly the stability properties. In particular, the fiscal authority could either stabilize or destabilize the economy depending on the tax progressivity, the strength of the liquidity constraint and the intertemporal elasticity of substitution. Our numerical examples further verify those theoretical results.

Tariff pass‐through in the middle products model

AbstractI use the middle products model of Sanyal and Jones to study the pass‐through of a tariff on the price of non‐traded final goods. I extend their analysis by comparing the short‐run effect of the tariff, when all factors are immobile, with the effects when labor is mobile between all sectors. It is shown that the short‐run pass‐through may vary from zero to a magnified effect on the price of the final product, depending on the elasticities of substitution in consumption and production. The relative magnitude of these elasticities determines whether the pass‐through with labor mobility is greater or less than the short‐run pass‐through.

THE INSTABILITY OF OPEN PARETO EFFICIENT ECONOMIES

This paper analyzes the impact of trade on the stability properties of trading countries and on stationary welfare. We consider a two-country two-good two-factor overlapping generations model where countries differ in terms of their technology. In the autarky equilibrium and the free-trade equilibrium, indeterminacy relies, under dynamic efficiency, on a capital intensive consumption good and intermediate values of the elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption. Opening the borders to trade can be a source of a global destabilizing effect. Indeed, considering a free-trade equilibrium in which one country is an exporter of the consumption good and the other country is an exporter of the investment good, indeterminacy can occur with trade even though the two countries are determinate in autarky. Finally, opening to trade increases the stationary welfare of the country that exports the investment good and deteriorates the one of the other country.

Demographics and the Natural Real Interest Rate: Historical and Projected Paths for the Euro Area

This paper employs an aggregate representation of an overlapping generation (OLG) model quantifying a decrease of the natural real interest rate in the range of -1.7 and -0.4 percentage points in the euro area between 1990 and 2030 due to demographics alone. Two channels contribute to this downward impact: the increasing scarcity of effective labor input and the increasing willingness to save by individuals due to longer life expectancy. The decrease of the aggregate saving rate as individuals retire has an upward impact which is never strong enough. Mitigating factors are: higher substitutability between labor and capital, higher intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption, reforms aiming at increasing the relative productivity of older cohorts, the participation rate and the retirement age. The simulated path of the natural real interest rate is consistent with recent econometric estimates: an upward trend in the 70s and 80s and a prolonged decline afterward.

Monetary rules in a two-sector endogenous growth model

We study the balanced growth paths and their stability features of a monetary two-sector endogenous growth model with physical capital and human capital accumulation. The demand of money is motivated on the ground of a fractional cash-in-advance constraint on consumption expenditures and on those in the investment in physical capital. We consider, in sequence, two monetary rules implemented by the Central Bank. First, we assume that the latter pegs the money growth rate and then the nominal interest rate according to a Taylor feedback rule. When the Central Bank pegs the money growth rate, there emerges a unique balanced growth path which turns out to be indeterminate for a low amplitude of the liquidity constraint and/or for a low enough intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption even under the hypothesis that the cash-in-advance constraint applies uniquely on consumption expenditures. On the other hand, when the monetary policy is implemented according to a Taylor feedback rule, an unintended liquidity trap equilibrium may coexist with multiple interior Taylor equilibria. If, on the one hand, the liquidity trap equilibrium is bound to be locally determinate; on the other hand, the Taylor interior equilibrium may become locally indeterminate provided the cash-in-advance constraint applies also on the investment in physical capital good and under a physical capital intensive human capital good. A global analysis is performed in which we show that the Taylor equilibrium and the liquidity trap one are connected through a heteroclinic orbit.

Estimating the Gains From Trade in Frictional Labor Markets

We develop a theory and an empirical strategy to estimate the welfare gains from trade in economies with frictional local labor markets. We obtain a welfare formula that nests previous results and features an additional adjustment margin, via the employment rate. To obtain causal estimates of two key parameters, the trade elasticity and the elasticity of substitution in consumption, we propose a theoretically-consistent identification strategy that exploits variation in industrial composition across local labor markets. We examine Germany's recent trade integration with China and Eastern Europe. Under monopolistic competition with free entry and firm heterogeneity, the welfare gains are 6\% larger than in the frictionless setting. The relative welfare gains are more modest under alternative market structures.

The role of household debt and delinquency decisions in consumption-based asset pricing

I incorporate household debt and delinquency decisions into a standard model of lifecycle consumption-saving-investment. I also impose a punishment to the delinquent behavior by assuming that the percentage of endowment available is a linear function of the default decision. Theoretically such additional investor decisions are playing a relevant role in terms of completing markets. In practice, it enables me to derive an extended system of Euler equations which does not alter consumption-based fundamental asset pricing equation. It imposes the pricing kernel to account jointly for two additional first-order conditions. I perform empirical exercises aiming to price equity premium in United States from 1987:1 to 2018:1. I find significant elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption of the representative agent ranging from 0.24 to 0.55 and risk aversion from 1.82 to 3.51. This approach is also useful to account for the cross-section behavior of domestic assets. I can also use this framework to draw bounds for the household decisions on loan and delinquency and to propose a new rule of thumb relating preferences parameters and credit variables.

The Elasticity of Substitution in Demand for Non-Tradable Goods in Bolivia

This paper uses a CES function to estimate the constant elasticity of substitution in consumption for non-tradables relative to tradables in a dependent economy framework. The methodology for generating data on real consumption of tradable and non-tradable goods, real prices of tradable and non-tradable goods and real absorption is based on the Bolivian Input-Output Matrix, producing quarterly data for the period 1990. 1 to 2002. 4. The data identify Bolivia as a country highly open to trade, with an average ratio of 55 percent in the value of exports and imports relative to GDP, non-tradable production accounting for 52 percent of GDP, and differences in the behavior of the internal and external real exchange rates. The HEGY test is used to identify and separate out seasonal unit roots in the data. A cointegration relationship was found between real absorption, the non-tradable to tradable consumption ratio and the non-tradable to tradable price ratio, suggesting inelasticity of substitution.

Demographics and the Natural Real Interest Rate: Historical and Projected Paths for the Euro Area

This paper employs an aggregate representation of an overlapping generation (OLG) model quantifying a decrease of the natural real interest rate in the range of -1.7 and -0.4 percentage points in the euro area between 1990 and 2030 due to demographics alone. Two channels contribute to this downward impact: the increasing scarcity of effective labor input and the increasing willingness to save by individuals due to longer life expectancy. The decrease of the aggregate saving rate as individuals retire has an upward impact which is never strong enough. Mitigating factors are: higher substitutability between labor and capital, higher intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption, reforms aiming at increasing the relative productivity of older cohorts, the participation rate and the retirement age. The simulated path of the natural real interest rate is consistent with recent econometric estimates: an upward trend in the 70s and 80s and a prolonged decline afterward. JEL Classification: E17, E21, E43, E52, J11

Measuring Intertemporal Substitution in Consumption: Evidence from a VAT Increase in Japan

Abstract We estimate the intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption (IES) using a preannounced increase in Japan’s consumption tax rate. Because this tax is highly comprehensive, the rate increase was announced prior to its implementation, and because other factors that affect the real interest rate were constant, the tax rate increase presents an ideal natural experiment to estimate the IES. A Japanese monthly household survey is exploited to accurately categorize nondurables, and our empirical specification addresses intratemporal substitution bias. We find that the IES is 0.21 and not significantly different from 0, but it is significantly less than 1.

Může být přirozená úroková míra nulová? Neoklasický přístup

Very low real rates of interest observed in modern economies might be caused by the fact that the natural rate of interest declined to a zero level. This article shows that a zero or a negative natural interest can be explained by the Bohm-Bawerkian and neoclassical theory. Firstly, two senses of time preference are introduced in a discounted utility model, and key determinants of the zero interest rate on the side of time preference are discussed in detail. Secondly, a simple general equilibrium model with fixed intertemporal endowment is presented. Within this model, a decreasing shape of the income stream is identified as a major source of zero interest along with a low intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption. Even in the world of zero or negative natural interest, it might be optimal to be a lender. The last section focuses on the role of marginal productivity of capital in the model, stressing the role of this phenomenon on one side and time preference on the other in lowering the natural rate of interest to a zero level.

International factor mobility, elasticity of substitution in production and the skilled–unskilled wage gap

The existing studies have shown that the skilled–unskilled wage gap is affected by the size of elasticity of substitution in consumption. This paper focuses on the role of elasticity of substitution in production. Within the context of this paper, elasticity of substitution in production measures the degree of substitutability between capital and labour. By making use of a two-sector (low-tech and high-tech) general equilibrium model, this paper argues that differences in the degree of substitutability between capital and labour can also affect the size of factor inflow induced skilled–unskilled wage gap. Inflow of capital increases the skilled–unskilled wage gap as long as capital and labour can be relatively easily substituted in the low-tech sector. On the other hand, under the same scenario, inflow of either type of labour decreases the skilled–unskilled wage gap.

Dynamic analysis of wage inequality and creative destruction

This paper investigates the transitional dynamics of a basic Schumpeterian growth model under constant relative risk aversion. In this model, there are three patterns governing the evolution of wage inequality, but only if the intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption is sufficiently low: (a) skill-biased technological change, i.e., technological progress leads to a widening of wage inequality; (b) unskill-biased technological change, i.e., technological progress leads to a contraction of wage inequality; and (c) unbiased technological change, i.e., technological progress is independent of wage inequality. By conducting comparative dynamics of an unexpected permanent increase in research productivity in any sector, which we interpret as the arrival of new general purpose technologies, we show that the property of technological change shifts entirely from unskill-biased to skill-biased. The evolution of wage inequality in the model is then consistent with the shift in the trend in wage inequality beginning in the 1970s in the US economy.

The fiscal multiplier and spillover in a global liquidity trap

We consider the fiscal multiplier and spillover—the extent to which one country's government expenditure increases production at home and also in another foreign country, when the two countries are caught simultaneously in a liquidity trap. Using a standard new open economy macroeconomics (NOEM) model, we show that the fiscal multiplier and spillover are contrary to textbook economics. For the country where government expenditure takes place, the fiscal multiplier exceeds one, the currency depreciates, and the terms of trade worsen. The fiscal spillover is negative if the intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption is less than one, and positive if it is greater than one. Incomplete stabilization of marginal costs due to the existence of the zero lower bound is critical in understanding the effects of fiscal policy in open economies. These results remain unchanged even if we incorporate incomplete markets or endogenous capital into the model, but local currency pricing yields positive fiscal spillover irrespective of the size of the intertemporal elasticity of substitution.

Empirical demand systems incorporating intertemporal consumption dynamics

This article presents and estimates demand systems by explicitly incorporating intertemporal consumption behavior as summarized by the Euler equation. Demand systems are characterized by two indirect utility functions which are effectively globally regular and can better approximate nonlinear Engel curves. Furthermore, an exact and nonlinear Euler equation is derived without a log approximation. This equation is estimated jointly with the demand functions by a careful implementation of the orthogonality conditions using generalized method of moments. We illustrate the techniques by estimating the demand system and Euler equation for Australian aggregate data. Results generally indicate that the proposed methods are promising. The estimated rate of time preference is fairly small while the restrictions producing the moment equations are not rejected. Estimated Frisch price elasticities, which are relevant in an intertemporal setting, appear reasonable, and the intertemporal elasticity of substitution for consumption is found to be small, which are consistent with the findings in earlier studies.

Gravity Redux: Estimation of gravity-equation coefficients, elasticities of substitution, and general equilibrium comparative statics under asymmetric bilateral trade costs

A large class of models with CES utility and iceberg trade costs are now known to generate isomorphic “gravity equations.” Economic interpretations of these gravity equations vary in terms of two basic elements: the exporter's “mass” variable and the elasticity of trade with respect to true ad valorem “trade costs.” In this paper, we offer three potential contributions. First, we formulate and estimate a structural gravity equation based on the standard Krugman model of monopolistic competition and increasing returns. In the context of this model, a key parameter, the elasticity of substitution in consumption (σ), can be estimated precisely – even without observable true ad valorem trade-cost measures – using exporter's population and observable variables that influence trade costs. Second, in the empirical context of the well-known McCallum Canadian–U.S. “border puzzle,” our approach – allowing estimation of σ – yields considerably different general equilibrium comparative static trade-flow and economic welfare effects than those in an Armington endowment economy and assumed values of σ. Moreover, our predicted trade flows and GDPs are highly correlated with their respective observed values in the case of bilaterally symmetric or asymmetric Canadian–U.S. border effects. Third, a Monte Carlo analysis confirms unbiased and precise estimates of all coefficients, the elasticity of substitution, and comparative statics using our approach.