It is known that stock returns are affected by monetary policy. This paper theoretically and empirically investigates whether asymmetric information between the Federal Reserve and the public causes the relation between stock returns and monetary policy actions. The paper concludes that...

This paper analyzes how the gossip process can be manipulated by biased people and the impact of such manipulation on information transmission. In this model, a single piece of information is transmitted via a chain of agents with privately known types. Each agent may be either objective or...

This paper proposes bootstrap versions of the seasonal unit root tests of, inter alia, Hylleberg, Engle, Granger and Yoo (1990,Journal of Econometrics 55, 305-328)[HEGY]. We report a simulation study of the properties of both the conventional and bootstrapped seasonal unit root tests when...

We analyze the formation and competition of market intermediaries when there are positive participation externalities between the two sides of the market; negative participation externalities within the same side; competition with traditional market; and implicit coordination among potential...

This paper examines the impact of vouchers in general, and voucher design in particular, on public school performance. It argues that all voucher programs are not created equal. There are often fundamental differences in voucher designs that affect public school incentives differently and induce...

Buyers frequently delegate purchase decisions to sellers who are better informed about supply options and the cost of service. This paper analyzes how buyers optimally contract with sellers who vary in their expertise at prescribing service. We show that the most expert suppliers offer the...

This paper develops a new covariance-based test of orthogonality that may beattractive when regressors have roots close or equal to unity. In this case standard regression-based orthogonality tests can suffer from (i) size distortions and (ii) uncertainty regarding the appropriate model in which...

We develop a model of a small open economy with three types of nominal rigidities (domestic goods prices, imported goods prices and wages) and eight different structural shocks. We estimate the model's structural parameters using a maximum likelihood procedure and use it to compute...

The economies of the former Soviet Bloc experienced large declines in output during the decade of transition which began with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Yet there are many reasons to believe that measured output and official deflators provide a poor proxy for the change in real...

We use a new web-based experimental methodology to measure social networks through a coordination game. Subjects name 10 people in their community as well as report certain dimensions of their relationship with them such as where they met, under what circumstance they met and how much time they...