Multi-country decentralized agent based model: Macroeconomic dynamics and vulnerability in a simplified currency union

We developed a multi country agent based simulation model with endogenous incremental technological change. Macroeconomic dynamics derive from simple behavioral and interacting rules defining the actions of adaptive firms, banks and households (Delli Gatti et al., 2008; Riccetti et al., 2014; Caiani et al., 2015). Countries join a currency union with a perfectly integrated good market, while labor and capital are not ex- changed across countries. We observe that credit dynamics are strictly associated to business cycle: phases of credit growth are associated with increasing leverage and connectivity that creates the conditions for crisis. Moreover, we tested the effects of different fiscal regimes on output dynamics, showing that in a common currency area restrictive fiscal regimes may increase country inequality and systemic vulnerability. Inequality between countries derives from differences in technological progress patterns which open competitiveness gaps. Conversely, in fiscal regimes where public deficits are excessively high the public debt burden tends to increase transferring risk from the private sector to the public one

Systemic risk and macro-prudential policies: A credit network-based approach

Assessing systemic risk and defining macro-prudential policies aiming at reducing economic system vulnerability have been at the center of the economic debate of the last years. Credit networks play a crucial role in diffusing and amplifying local shocks, following the network-based financial accelerator approach (Delli Gatti et al., 2010; Battiston et al., 2012), we constructed an agent based model reproducing an artificial credit network populated by heterogeneous firms and banks. Calibrating the model on a sample of firms and banks quoted on Japanese stock-exchange mar- kets from 1980 to 2012, we try to define both early warning indicators of crises and policy precautionary measures based on the analysis of the endogenous dynamics of credit network connectivity

Forecasting in a complex environment: Machine learning sales expectations in a stock flow consistent agent-based simulation model

The aim of this paper is to investigate how different degrees of sophistication in agents’ behavioral rules may affect individual and macroeconomic performances. In particular, we analyze the effects of introducing into an agent-based macro model firms that are able to formulate effective sales forecasts by using simple machine learning algorithms. These techniques are able to provide predictions that are unbiased and present a certain degree of accuracy, especially in the case of a genetic algorithm. We observe that machine learning allows firms to increase profits, though this result in a declining wage share and a smaller long-run growth rate. Moreover, the predictive methods are able to formulate expectations that remain unbiased when shocks are not massive, thus providing firms with forecasting capabilities that to a certain extent may be consistent with the Lucas Critique

Fiscal transfers and common debt in a Monetary Union: A multi-country agent based-stock flow consistent model

Using a refined version of the multi-country AB-SFC model of a Monetary Union already presented in Caiani et al. (2018a, 2019) the paper aims at providing a tentative assessment of the economic effects of transforming the European Monetary Union into an Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Union (IFTU) with its own fiscal capacity. Countries contribute proportionally to their GDP whereas funds are redistributed according to a mechanism that gives more funds to countries performing worse than the average of the Union in cyclical terms. Our simulations show that an IFTU inspired by such a redistribution principle acts as a stabilizer of international trade, allowing to stabilize and improve the Union GDP performance without affecting the stability of public finances. When the Union is allowed to borrow on capital markets, i.e. in a Fully-Fledged Fiscal Transfer Union (FFFTU), these effects are enhanced and a part of the public debt burden shifts from the national to the Union level, leaving the total burden almost stable. An interesting result to assess the political acceptability of the proposal is that 'core' countries eventually benefit the most from the introduction of this mechanism, despite being more frequently net contributors. Finally, we show that an FFFTU with common debt might help to soften the impact of an exogenous demand shock while, because of the fact that it mainly operates as a stabilizer of aggregate demand, it does not seem to provide beneficial effects when facing a supply shock to production

The Effects of Alternative Wage Regimes in a Monetary Union: A Multi-Country Agent Based-Stock Flow Consistent Model

This paper aims at investigating the interplay between inequality, innovation dynamics, and investment behaviors in shaping the long-run patterns of growth of a closed economy. By extending the analysis proposed in Caiani et al. [(2018) Journal of Evolutionary Economics], we explore the effects of alternative wage regimes under different investment and technological change scenarios. Experimental results seem to de-emphasize the role of technological progress as a possible source of greater inequality. Overall, simulation results are consistent with the predominance of a wage-led growth regime in most of the scenarios analyzed: A faster growth of low- and middle-level workers' wages, relative to managers', generally exert beneficial effects on the economy and allows to counteract the labor-saving effects of technological progress. Furthermore, a distribution more favorable to workers does not compromise firms' profitability, but rather strengthen it by creating a more favorable macroeconomic environment, which encourages further innovations, stimulates investment, and sustains economic growth

Forecasting in a complex environment: Machine learning sales expectations in a stock flow consistent agent-based simulation model

The aim of this paper is to investigate how different degrees of sophistication in agents’ behavioral rules may affect individual and macroeconomic performances. In particular, we analyze the effects of introducing into an agent-based macro model firms that are able to formulate effective sales forecasts by using simple machine learning algorithms. These techniques are able to provide predictions that are unbiased and present a certain degree of accuracy, especially in the case of a genetic algorithm. We observe that machine learning allows firms to increase profits, though this result in a declining wage share and a smaller long-run growth rate. Moreover, the predictive methods are able to formulate expectations that remain unbiased when shocks are not massive, thus providing firms with forecasting capabilities that to a certain extent may be consistent with the Lucas Critique

The Effects of Alternative Wage Regimes in a Monetary Union: A Multi-Country Agent Based-Stock Flow Consistent Model

This paper aims at investigating the interplay between inequality, innovation dynamics, and investment behaviors in shaping the long-run patterns of growth of a closed economy. By extending the analysis proposed in Caiani et al. [(2018) Journal of Evolutionary Economics], we explore the effects of alternative wage regimes under different investment and technological change scenarios. Experimental results seem to de-emphasize the role of technological progress as a possible source of greater inequality. Overall, simulation results are consistent with the predominance of a wage-led growth regime in most of the scenarios analyzed: A faster growth of low- and middle-level workers' wages, relative to managers', generally exert beneficial effects on the economy and allows to counteract the labor-saving effects of technological progress. Furthermore, a distribution more favorable to workers does not compromise firms' profitability, but rather strengthen it by creating a more favorable macroeconomic environment, which encourages further innovations, stimulates investment, and sustains economic growth