Habit Formation and the Present-Value Model of the Current Account: Yet Another Suspect ( Revised version of CARF-F-101(2007); Revised version subsequently published in "Journal of International Economics", 2009, 78, p72-85. )

A recent paper claims that habit formation in consumption plays an important role in current account fluctuations in selected developed countries, extending the present-value model of the current account (PVM) with consumption habits. In this paper, however, I show that the habit-forming PVM is observationally equivalent to the PVM augmented with persistent transitory consumption, which is induced by world real interest rate shocks. Based on a small open-economy real business cycle (SOE-RBC) model endowed with consumption habits as well as persistent world real interest rate shocks, this paper resolves the inherent dentification problem of the habit-forming PVM by Bayesian methods to seek effects of habit formation on current account fluctuations in typical small open economies, Canada and the United Kingdom. Results reveal no clear evidence that habit formation plays a crucial role in current account fluctuations.

A Structural VAR Approach to the Intertemporal Model of the Current Account

The intertemporal current account approach predicts that the current account of a small open economy is independent of global shocks, and that responses of the current account to country-specific shocks depend on the persistence of the shocks. The author shows that these predictions impose cross-equation restrictions (CERS) on a structural vector autoregression (SVAR). To test the CERs, the author develops identification schemes of the SVAR that exploit the orthogonality of the world real interest rate to country-specific shocks as well as the lack of a long-run response of net output to transitory shocks. Tests of the SVAR reveal two puzzling aspects of the Canadian and U.K. current account: (i) the response of the current account to a country-specific transitory shock is too large, and (ii) the fluctuations in the current account are dominated by country-specific transitory shocks that explain almost none of the fluctuations in net output growth.

"Habit Formation and the Present-Value Model of the Current Account: Yet Another Suspect"

A recent paper claims that habit formation in consumption plays an important role in current account fluctuations in selected developed countries, extending the present-value model of the current account (PVM) with consumption habits. In this paper, however, I show that the habit-forming PVM is observationally equivalent to the PVM augmented with persistent transitory consumption, which is induced by world real interest rate shocks. Based on a small open-economy real business cycle (SOE-RBC) model endowed with consumption habits as well as persistent world real interest rate shocks, this paper resolves the inherent identification problem of the habit-forming PVM by Bayesian methods to seek effects of habit formation on current account fluctuations in typical small open economies, Canada and the United Kingdom. Results reveal no clear evidence that habit formation plays a crucial role in current account fluctuations.

Habit Formation and the Present-Value Model of the Current Account: Yet Another Suspect (Revised as CARF-F-124 (2008) )

A recent paper claims that habit formation in consumption plays an important role in current ac-count ??ctuations in selected developed countries, extending the present-value model of the current account (PVM) with consumption habits. In this paper, however, I show that the habit-forming PVM is observationally equivalent to the PVM augmented with persistent transitory consumption, which is induced by world real interest rate shocks. Based on a small open-economy real busi-ness cycle (SOE-RBC) model endowed with consumption habits as well as world real interest rate shocks, this paper seeks e�ects of habit formation on current account ??ctuations in a typical small open economy, Canada, by a Bayesian calibration approach. Results reveal no clear evidence that habit formation plays a crucial role in current account ??ctuations.

Exaggerated Death of Distance: Revisiting Distance Effects on Regional Price Dispersions

This paper empirically establishes the signicant roles of transport costs in price dispersions across regions. We identify and estimate the iceberg-type distance-elastic transport costs as a parameter of a structural model of cross-regional price dierentials featuring product delivery decisions. Utilizing a data set of wholesale prices and product delivery patterns of agricultural products in Japan, our structural estimation approach nds large distance elasticities of the transport costs. The result conrms that geographical barriers are an economically signicant contributor to the failures of the law of one price.

"Exaggerated Death of Distance: Revisiting Distance Effects on Regional Price Dispersions"

This paper empirically establishes the significant roles of transport costs in price dispersions across regions. We identify and estimate the iceberg-type distance-elastic transport costs as a parameter of a structural model of cross-regional price differentials featuring product delivery decisions. Utilizing a data set of wholesale prices and product delivery patterns of agricultural products in Japan, our structural estimation approach finds large distance elasticities of the transport costs. The result confirms that geographical barriers are an economically significant contributor to the failures of the law of one price.

Learning-by-Doing or Habit Formation?

In a recent paper, Chang, Gomes, and Schorfheide (2002) extend the standard real business cycle (RBC) model to allow for a learning-by-doing (LBD) mechanism whereby current labour supply affects future productivity. They show that this feature magnifies the propagation of shocks and improves the matching performance of the standard RBC model. In this paper, the authors show that the LBD model is nearly observationally equivalent to an RBC model with habit formation in labour (or, equivalently, in leisure). Under the same calibration of the parameters, the two models share the same equilibrium paths of output, consumption, and investment, but have different implications for hours worked. Using Bayesian techniques, the authors investigate which of the LBD and habit models fits the U.S. data best. Their results suggest that the habit specification is more strongly supported by the data.Business fluctuations and cycles; Labour markets; Economic models; Econometric and statistical methods

Business cycle implications of internal consumption habit for New Keynesian models

This paper studies the implications of internal consumption habit for propagation and monetary transmission in New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (NKDSGE) models. We use Bayesian methods to evaluate the role of internal consumption habit in NKDSGE model propagation and monetary transmission. Simulation experiments show that internal consumption habit often improves NKDSGE model fit to output and consumption growth spectra by dampening business cycle periodicity. Nonetheless, habit NKDSGE model fit is vulnerable to nominal rigidity, the choice of monetary policy rule, the frequencies used for evaluation, and spectra identified by permanent productivity shocks.

Business Cycle Implications of Internal Consumption Habit for New Keynesian Model

This paper studies the implications of internal consumption habit for propagation and monetary transmission in new Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (NKDSGE) models. Bayesian methods are employed to evaluate the role of internal consumption habit in NKDSGE model propagation and monetary transmission. Simulation experiments show that internal consumption habit often improves NKDSGE model fit to output and consumption growth spectra by dampening business cycle periodicity. Nonetheless, habit NKDSGE model fit is vulnerable to the nominal rigidity, to the choice of monetary policy rule, to the frequencies used for evaluation, and to spectra identified by permanent productivity shocks.