We empirically investigate how uncertainty endogenously interacts with real activity and monetary policy, and analyze the role of endogeneity in shaping the efficacy of monetary policy using a shock restricted structural vector-auto-regression model. Using the model, we show that both real and...

Standard Macroeconomics treats animal spirits as a source of uncertainty disturbing rational otherwise expectations. But, Keynesian animal spirits ensue from suboptimal emotional response to socioeconomic status change beyond matters of uncertainty. This paper identifies such spirits with the...

This paper shows that monetary policy does and should respond systematically to time variation in ex-ante uncertainty and heterogeneity in private sector's views over the business cycle. Empirical tests are initially conducted on the basis of an augmented forward-looking Taylor rule framework,...

I develop an adaptive learning model to study the welfare effects of Social Security policy uncertainty in an aging economy. Agents combine full knowledge of the political process (which Social Security reforms are possible and when they could occur) with limited knowledge about the structure of...

We show that macroeconomic uncertainty can be considered as exogenous when assessing its effects on the U.S. economy. Instead, financial uncertainty can at least in part arise as an endogenous response to some macroeconomic developments, and overlooking this channel leads to distortions in the...