The P-Star Model and Austrian Prices

In the P-star model the price level is determined by the money stock per unit of potential output and the long-run equilibrium level of the velocity of money. This article applies this model to Austria. Problems in identifying permanent shocks to potential output and/or velocity lead to the rejection of such models of the price level, but their first-difference version is not so suspect. While evidence is found of a long-run relationship between Austria inflation and money growth, even the first-difference version of the P-star model is rejected for Austria. Since Austria is a small economy, closely tied to Germany, the article also investigates whether Austrian prices are tied to a German P-star measure. This hypothesis is also rejected, but there is a statistically significant long-run relationship between Austrian and German inflation. Moreover, Austrian money growth remains significant even in this relationship