A utilitarian social planner who maximizes social welfare assigns the available income to those who are most efficient in converting income into utility. However, when individuals are concerned about their income falling behind the incomes of others, the optimal income distribution under...

In any nonlinear “difference-in-differences” model with strictly monotonic transformation function, the treatment effect is the cross difference of the observed outcome minus the cross difference of the potential non-treatment outcome, which equals the incremental effect of the interaction...

This note studies exchange rate pass-through to the prices of domestically produced goods, exploring the firm-level pricing survey conducted by the Bank of Korea. The data reveal the imported inputs channel of, as well as nonlinear and asymmetric, exchange rate-pass-through.

We investigate whether global value chains have increased the sensitivity of Chinese trade to foreign income shocks. This may occur through either composition or supply chain effects. We find evidence for the former, but not the latter.

We construct a game theoretic model of an oligarchic economy that potentially could be targeted by smart international sanctions. Oligarchs in this economy provide support for their leader, a strong man and potentially an autocrat, in return for favors that results in having income higher than...