In this paper we estimate the growth effects of human capital with country-specific time series data for Australia. Previous empirical studies, based on international data, have been inconclusive, in terms of the extent of the contribution of human capital to growth. We extend the Solow (1956)...

The Pedroni (2000) panel cointegration method is used to estimate the cointegrating equations for the demand for narrow money for a panel of five Pacific Island Countries (Fiji, Samoa, Solomons, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea) for the period 1975-2007. The effects of financial reforms are analyzed...

Lifting the long run growth rate is, arguably, the pursuit of every economy. What should Kenya do to enhance its long run growth rate? This paper attempts to answer this question by examining the determinants of total factor productivity (TFP) in Kenya. We utilized the theoretical insights from...

Given the concern about the low growth rates in African countries, this paper deals with the issue of how to increase the said growth rates by using South Africa as a case study. This paper attempts to answer this question by examining the determinants of total factor productivity (TFP) and...

This paper presents an empirical investigation into the level and stability of money demand (M1) in Nigeria between 1960 and 2008. In addition to estimating the canonical specification, alternative models are presented that include additional variables to proxy for the cost of holding money....

A review of the literature reveals discrepancies between estimates of the impact of energy consumption on output and growth. This paper highlights the importance of underlying theoretical concerns, extends a neoclassical growth model to include energy consumption, applies panel data...

We utilize the Kalman filter and instrumental variable methods to estimate consumption growth persistence for the U.S. Results show that prior to the financial crisis, the stickiness parameter beta was around 0.7. However, when the sample is extended until 2009.Q1, the estimates of beta declined...

We investigate how the Federal Reserve (Fed) hit the zero lower bound (ZLB) interest rate while operating under a Taylor-type policy rule. We estimate a reaction function and the results indicate that during the crisis Fed increased the weight on output without also increasing the weight on...

It is well known that high levels of regional integration enable portfolio risk diversification and capital mobility. While there have been a number of empirical attempts to verify the presence of capital mobility using the Feldstein-Horioka (FH) approach, none of them to the best of our...

We assess whether central banks may use inflation expectations as a policy tool for stabilization purposes. We review recent work on how expectations of agents are formed and how they affect their economic decisions. Empirical evidence suggests that inflation expectations of households and firms...