We investigate persistence in CRSP monthly excess stock returns, using a state space model with stable disturbances. The non-Gaussian state space model with volatility persistence is estimated by maximum likelihood, using the optimal filtering algorithm given by Sorenson and Alspach (1971). The...

We advance the proxy variable approach to production function estimation. We show that the invertibility assumption at its heart is testable. We characterize what goes wrong if invertibility fails and what can still be done. We show that rethinking how the estimation procedure is implemented...

Monetary policy transmits through broad financial conditions--interest rates, asset prices, credit spreads and exchange rates--rather than through the policy rate alone. Yet current frameworks remain anchored around r*, the neutral interest rate. We introduce FCI*, the neutral level of financial...

Econometricians invest substantial effort in constructing standard errors that yield valid inference under a hypothetical data-generating process. This paper asks a fundamental question: Are the uncertainty statements reported by applied researchers consistent with empirical frequencies? The...

We estimate transitory and permanent import tariff shocks in the United States over the postwar period. We find that transitory tariff increases are neither inflationary nor contractionary, and are not associated with monetary tightening. In contrast, permanent tariff increases trigger a...

This paper revisits the relationship between federal debt and interest rates, which is a key input for assessments of fiscal sustainability. Estimating this relationship is challenging due to confounding effects from business cycle dynamics and changes in monetary policy. A common approach is to...

Informational nudges to encourage energy conservation or load shifting have been tried in various contexts. This paper studies a program run by a small municipally owned electric utility to reduce demand on certain peak demand days. An email alert is sent out to residential customers who sign up...

The optimal functioning of centralized allocation systems is undermined by the presence of institutions operating off-platform--a feature common to virtually all real-world implementations. These off-platform options generate justified envy, as students may reject their centralized assignment in...