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Report
On sunk costs and trade liberalization in applied general equilibrium
We argue that the rationalization gains often predicted by static applied general equilibrium models with imperfect competition and scale economies are artificially boosted by an unrealistic treatment of fixed costs. We introduce sunk costs into one such model calibrated with real-world data. We show how this changes the oligopoly game in a way significant enough to affect, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the outcome of a trade liberalization exercise.
Working Paper
Temporal aggregation in a multi-sector economy with endogenous growth
We provide a theoretical treatment of temporal aggregation in models that exhibit long-term endogenously-generated steady growth; hence generalizing our previous analysis (Econometrica 62, 1994, pp. 635-56). We introduce the property of steady-growth invariance - that the long-term growth of the continuous-time economy not be affected by the discretization - which imposes consistency restrictions on the joint formulation of preferences and stock accumulation of the discrete-time approximation. We establish, under mild conditions, these restrictions in the form of necessary and sufficient ...
Report
How prescribed policy can mislead when data are defective: a follow-up to Srinivasan (1994) using general equilibrium
We highlight an example of considerable bias in officially published input-output data (factor-income shares) by an LDC (Turkey), which many researchers use without question. We make use of an intertemporal general equilibrium model of trade and production to evaluate the dynamic gains for Turkey from currently debated trade policy options and compare the predictions using conservatively adjusted, rather than official, data on factor shares. We show that the predicted welfare gains are not only of a different order of magnitude, but in some cases, of a different sign, hence, suggesting ...
Report
Nonuniqueness of solutions in applied general equilibrium models with scale economies and imperfect competition
Applied general equilibrium models with imperfect competition and economies of scale have been extensively used for analyzing international trade and development policy issues. They offer a natural framework for testing the empirical relevance of propositions from the industrial organization and new trade theoretical literature. This paper warns model builders and users that considerable caution is needed in interpreting the results and deriving strong policy conclusions from these models: in this generation of applied general equilibrium models, nonuniqueness of equilibria is not a ...
Discussion Paper
On intertemporal general-equilibrium reallocation effects of Europe's move to a single market
This paper provides intertemporal general-equilibrium investigation of the welfare and employment consequences of Europes move to a unified market, using a multicountry, multisector applied model with imperfect competition, increasing returns-to-scale, and product differentiation at the firm level. The oligopolistic game between firms is assumed to be Nash in output. In the short-term, market imperfections (such as oligopolistic profits and wage rigidities) may exist. These imperfections vanish in the long run, characterized by stock-flow equilibrium consistent with steady-state growth. ...