The interaction between habit formation and pollution-type ex- ternalities modifies the social optimum through discount effects and elasticity effects. If the substitution elasticity does not exceed unity, both effects reduce optimal consumption and capital in the long run, and the optimal...

The demographic transition is introduced into the otherwise standard Ramsey model to generate multiple equilibria, poverty traps, and demography-driven cycles. The model is calibrated for global data to explore the demographic conditions under which multiplicity is realized. Three cases arise,...

Die deutsche Teilung nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg dient als natürliches Experiment, um die Frage zu be - antworten, ob sich politische Institutionen auf die Präferenzen von Individuen bezüglich des Konsums von Statusgütern auswirken. Die Analyse des Ausgabeverhaltens hat bedeutende...

Indicators of trust, confidence, optimism or sentiment among consumers and/or investors, are published continuously in the mass media. More importantly, these indices seem not only to reflect how the state of the real economy is perceived by private agents, but can also help predict the future...

In this paper we show that we can replace the assumption of constant discount rate in the onesector optimal growth model with the assumption of decreasing marginal impatience without losing major properties of the model. In particular, we show that the steady state exists, is unique, and has a...

The optimal mix of growth policies is derived within a comprehensive endogenous growth model. The analysis captures important elements of the tax-transfer system and takes into account transitional dynamics. Currently, for calculating corporate taxable income US firms are allowed to deduct...

This paper develops a comprehensive endogenous growth framework to determine the optimal mix of growth policies. The analysis is novel in that we capture important elements of the tax-transfer system and fully take into account transitional dynamics in our numerical analysis. Currently, for...

In this paper we analyze the implications of status-preference, modeled as relative wealth, for the current account in a small open economy framework with capital stock dynamics. We demonstrate that the transitional dynamics of the economy is characterized by two distinct speeds of adjustment: a...

Die monetaristische Geldtheorie gesteht zwar dem Geld als Luxusgut einen eigenen Nutzen zu, gelangt aber erst durch eine kritische Synthese mit der keynesianischen Liquiditätstheorie des Zinses zu sinnvollen Ergebnissen. Sowohl Milton Friedmans Idee, das Wohlfahrtsoptimum durch eine Deflation...

In this paper, we elaborate on an idea initially developed by Weitzman (1998) that justifies taking the lowest possible discount rate for far-distant future cash flows. His argument relies on the arbitrary assumption that when the future rate of return of capital (RRC) is uncertain, one should...