Previous papers modeling the interaction between the central bank and a monopoly union demonstrated that greater monetary policy uncertainty induces the union to reduce nominal wages. This paper shows that this result does not hold in general, since it depends on peculiar specifications of the...

We show analytically that the credibility problem which has affected the European Stability Pact originates from the insufficient distinction between two reasons for having binding fiscal constraints. The first reason deals with the governments’ tendency to neglect the effects of their fiscal...

In a realistic framework where the potential innovators’ research lines are imperfectly correlated and imitation takes some time, this paper studies an industry regulated by an authority which can tax (subsidize) the firms’ pure profits (R&D expenditures). By comparing the market equilibrium...

This paper shows that two societies differing because of the people’s initial propensity to devote time and efforts to non-profit activities may never converge. This lack of convergence is interpreted as the tendency of the cultural values and attitudes dominant in each society to perpetuate...

The two-country growth model developed in this paper incorporates home production and distinguishes between a market sector producing services that can also be home-produced and a market sector producing goods without home-produced substitutes. This distinction coincides in the model with the...

In the simplified formal treatment proposed in this paper, a decrease in a policy parameter the ratio of total tax revenues to GDP can monotonically increase long-term growth rate and may lead to a higher employment level. This notwithstanding, the paper shows that the redistributive...

We present an example of how public policies affect the evolution of the economy by influencing consumption habits, life styles and work attitudes. In particular, we show that governments can boost long-run growth by moving public investment away from collective transportation systems and...