This article analyzes the effects of intellectual property rights protection on innovation in a quality-ladder model in which part of the consumers value being the exclusive consumers of the newest generation of a good. In the case of a monopoly innovator, we show that reducing IP protection can...

This article analyzes the effects of intellectual property rights in a quality-ladder model in which incumbent firms preemptively innovate in order to keep their position of leadership. Unlike in models with leapfrogging, granting non-expiring forward protection reduces the rate of innovation...

This paper develops a straightforward theoretical framework for evaluating exchange rate regime choice for small economies. It proposes that a floating exchange rate minimises national income and employment variation when real macroeconomic shocks predominate, whereas a pegged exchange rate...

This article presents a simple non-polynomial spline that may be used to construct Lorenz curves from grouped data. The spline is naturally convex and works by determining a series of piecewise segments that may be joined to give a smooth and continuous Lorenz curve. The method is illustrated...

We propose a simple single parameter functional form for the Lorenz curve. The new specification is fitted to existing data sets and is shown to provide a better fit than existing single parameter Lorenz curves for the given data.

type="main" <p>We estimate the distribution of economic insecurity in Italy and the U.S. using data from 1994 to 2010. Economic insecurity for each individual is assumed to depend on both current wealth and the changes in wealth that have been experienced in the past. The first element plays the...</p>

type="main" <p>This paper studies income volatility using recent data from the Cross National Equivalence File (CNEF). Measures of downward instability are applied to household income streams and the results are interpreted as indicators of income insecurity. Using this method we examine (i) cross...</p>