The relationship between in.ation and the output gap can be modeled simply and effectively by including an unobserved random walk component in the model. The dynamic properties match the stylized facts and the random walk component satisfies the properties normally required for core in.ation....

This paper o¤ers a bridge between the theoretical literature on endogenous network formation and the empirical work on the impact of social networks on economic performance. We provide a theoretical framework of endogenous network formation that yields testable predictions for the network...

There is a public perception that electricity liberalisation is the major cause of recent electricity blackouts. This is reflected in the newspaper reporting of blackouts. By contrast, it was not listed as a cause in any official investigation reports. In this paper, we examine the common causes...

Many historians now reject quantitative methods as inappropriate to understanding past societies. It is argued here, however, that no sharp distinction between qualitative and quantitative concepts can be drawn, as almost any concept used to describe a past society is implicitly quantitative....

In this paper we present a calibrated life-cycle model which is able to simultaneously match asset allocations and stock market participation profiles over the life-cycle. The inclusion of per period fixed costs and a public pension scheme eradicates the need to assume heterogeneity in...

Concern over mobile termination charges under Calling Party Pays (CPP) has led to severe price controls on termination charges. These are of limited effectiveness in aligning termination charges with costs, net welfare gains from controls are small and costs of setting controls are high....

This study empirically investigates the impact of privatisation on firm performance in the global oil and gas industry, where questions of resource control have regained widespread attention. Using a dataset of 60 public share offerings by 28 National Oil Companies it is shown that privatisation...

Building on models that represent inter-temporal constraints in the optimal production decisions for electricity generation, the paper analysis the resulting costs and their impact on prices during the day. We linearise the unit commitment problem to facilitate the interpretation of shadow...

Most of the voting models restrict themselves to the analysis of symmetric equilibria, i.e. equilibria in which ‘similar’ voters make ‘similar’ voting decisions. In this paper we investigate this assumption under costly plurality voting. In any pure strategy equilibrium, if two active...