Smooth-transition autoregressive (STAR) models, competitors of Markov-switching models, are limited by an assumed time-invariant threshold level. We augment the STAR model with a time-varying threshold that can be interpreted as a 'tipping level' where the mean and dynamics of the VAR shift....

We examine Markov-switching autoregressive models where the commonly used Gaussian assumption for disturbances is replaced with a skew-normal distribution. This allows us to detect regime changes not only in the mean and the variance of a specified time series, but also in its skewness. A...

The influence of government expenditure on private consumption has been debated among scholars. Some studies have found a positive linkage between the two while some others have found a negative one. In this study, the Markov-Switching Autoregressive (MSAR) model was used to investigate the...