We analyze the reallocations of educational expenditures required to equalize opportunities, according to the theory of Roemer (1998). Using the NLSYM data set, we find that implementing an equal-opportunity policy across men of different races, by using educational finance as the instrument,...

The logic of common belief does not always reflect the logic of individual beliefs. In particular, the Negative Introspection property fails at the common belief level, that is, it can happen that neither is A commonly believed nor is it common belief that A is not commonly believed. Indeed...

We provide an introduction to interactive belief systems from a qualitative and semantic point of view. Properties of belief hierarchies are formulated locally. Among the properties considered are "Common belief in no error" (which has been shown to have important game theoretic applications),...

The 1970s and early 1980s witnessed two main approaches to the analysis of monetary policy. The first is the early new classical approach of Lucas, based on the assumptions of rational expectations and market clearing. The second is the a theoretical econometrics of Sims’s VAR program. Both...

This paper begins with a summary of the major trends in foreign direct investment over the 1980-1995 period. Following that we present five fallacies, dealing with: the magnitude of foreign investment in Japan; the impact of FDI on the U.S. and Japanese trade balance; the extent to with...

This paper contributes to a theory of rational choice under uncertainty for decision-makers whose preferences are exhaustively described by partial orders representing "limited information." Specifically, we consider the limiting case of "Complete Ignorance" decision problems characterized by...

This paper develops an intertemporal model of the current account that allows for variable interest rates and exchange rates. These additional variables are channels through which external shocks may influence the domestic current account. We test the restrictions imposed by the theory, using...