Econometrics Econometric Modeling Of Producer Behavior

This volume summarizes the economic theory, the econometric methodology and the empirical findings resulting from the new approach to econometric modelling of producer behaviour.

This volume summarizes the economic theory, the econometric methodology and the empirical findings resulting from the new approach to econometric modelling of producer behaviour.

Volume 1: Econometric General Equilibrium Modeling presents an econometric approach to general equilibrium modeling of the impact of economic policies. Earlier approaches were based on the "calibration" of general equilibrium models to a single data point. The obvious disadvantage of calibration is that it requires highly restrictive assumptions about technology and preferences, such as fixed input-output coefficients. These assumptions are contradicted by the massive evidence of energy conservation in response to higher world energy prices, beginning in 1973. The econometric approach to general equilibrium modeling successfully freed economic policy analysis from the straitjacket imposed by calibration. As a consequence of changes in energy prices and new environmental policies, a wealth of historical experience has accumulated over the past two decades. Interpreted within the framework of the neoclassical theory of economic growth, this experience provides essential guidelines for future policy formation. Volume 2: Energy, the Environment, and Economic Growth presents a new econometric general equilibrium model of the United States that captures the dynamic mechanisms underlying growth trends and responses to energy and environmental policies. Jorgenson uses the model to analyze the impacts of environmental regulations on US economic growth and tax policies for controlling U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide.

The essays in this volume provide a comprehensive view of applications of the cost of capital. The cost of capital is the key concept in the analysis of taxation of business income. It is also critical to the formulation of a new system of national accounts, where it plays the role of the price of capital services. Empirical measurements of productivity and economic welfare generated by these accounts underlie recent innovations in the econometric modeling of consumer and producer behavior.

Volumes 1 and 3 contain papers written or co-written by Jorgenson. Volume 2 is a collection of 13 revised and updated papers presented at a conference held on May 7-8, 1993 at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, to honor Jorgenson on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

The book's comprehensive coverage on the application of econometric methods to empirical analysis of economic issues is impressive. It uncovers the missing link between textbooks on economic theory and econometrics and highlights the powerful connection between economic theory and empirical analysis perfectly through examples on rigorous experimental design. The use of data sets for estimation derived with the Monte Carlo method helps facilitate the understanding of the role of hypothesis testing applied to economic models. Topics covered in the book are: consumer behavior, producer behavior, market equilibrium, macroeconomic models, qualitative-response models, panel data analysis and time-series analysis. Key econometric models are introduced, specified, estimated and evaluated. The treatment on methods of estimation in econometrics and the discipline of hypothesis testing makes it a must-have for graduate students of economics and econometrics and aids their understanding on how to estimate economic models and evaluate the results in terms of policy implications.

Studies in Consumer Demand - Econometric Methods Applied to Market Data contains eight previously unpublished studies of consumer demand. Each study stands on its own as a complete econometric analysis of demand for a well-defined consumer product. The econometric methods range from simple regression techniques applied in the first four chapters, to the use of logit and multinomial logit models used in chapters 5 and 6, to the use of nested logit models in chapters 6 and 7, and finally to the discrete/continuous modeling methods used in chapter 8. Emphasis is on applications rather than econometric theory. In each case, enough detail is provided for the reader to understand the purpose of the analysis, the availability and suitability of data, and the econometric approach to measuring demand.

As a consequence of changes in energy prices and new environmental policies, a historical experience has accumulated over the past two decades. Interpreted within the framework of the neoclassical theory of economic growth, this experience provides essential guidelines for future policy formation.