This paper asks whether tax cycles can represent the optimal policy in a model without any extrinsic uncertainty. I show, in an economy without capital and where labor is the only choicevariable (a Lucas-Stokey economy), that a large class of preferences exists, where cycles are optimal, as well...

This paper studies the joint business cycle dynamics of inflation, money growth, nominal and real interest rates and the velocity of money. I extend and estimate a standard cash and credit monetary model by adding idiosyncratic preference shocks to cash consumption as well as a banking sector....

Central bankers’ conventional wisdom suggests that nominal interest rates should be raised to implement a lower inflation target. In contrast, I show that the standard New Keynesian monetary model predicts that nominal interest rates should bedecreased to attain this goal. Real interest rates,...

We study the optimal path for capital and labor taxes in a dynamic economy with heterogeneous agents. In an otherwise standard model we concentrate on tax reforms that are both Pareto effcient and Pareto improving. Also, we assume the capital tax rate can never rise above its initial level and...

We introduce heterogeneity in agents’ risk aversion into a general equilibrium asset pricing framework with recursive preferences. Agents trade in a stock, whose dividend is the only source of consumption, and in a short-term bond in zero net supply. In equilibrium the less risk averse agents...

We study the transition dynamics and welfare effects of reducing unemployment benefits in a Mortensen-Pissarides matching model with precautionary savings. The dynamic analysis reveals significant transition costs that comparative statics would miss. The main reason is that initially individuals...