A two regime threshold autogressive model is fitted to a trade weighted index of the Australian real exchange rate in order to identify episodes of exchange rate crisis. We find strong evidence of a threshold in the growth rate of the real exchange reate, with the data being classified into two...

This paper examines data on Australian fiscal policy going back to federation to answer two question. First, has the conduct of Australian fiscal policy been consistent with the government's intertemporal budget constraint? Second, have there been major structural changes in the conduct of...

This paper proposes an asymmetric model within which consumer credit facilitates both consumption smoothing and rational habit modification. The model provides a better description of aggregate time series consumption data than competeting models. In particular, the model can account for the...

This paper investigates the relationship between output volatility and growth using post-war real GDP data for the United States. We expand on recent research by Beaudry and Koop (1993) documenting the asymmetric effect of recessions on output growth. The results presented in this paper suggest...

This paper tests a version of Barro's tax-smoothing model, which assumes intertemporal optimization by a government seeking to minimize the distortionary costs of taxation, using Pakistan and Sri Lankan data for the periods 1956-95 and 1964-97, respectively. The empirical results indicate that...

India has a long history of running fiscal deficits. This paper asks whether the magnitude of these deficits has involved a violation of India's intertemporal budget constraint. Times series evidence on Central government tax revenues and expenditures are examined for cointegration using...

The link between skill acquisition and earnings is one of the cornerstones of labour economics. The conventional view is that, all else being equal, workers with relatively higher stocks of embedded skills will receive a relatively higher return when supplying labour. The link between skills and...