Julien Matheron

Evaluating the Fit of Sticky Price Models

We examine the effects of introducing investment adjustment costs, variable capital utilization, indivisible labor, and material goods into a sticky price model subject to a cash-in-advance constraint. Combining these elements, the model overcomes the main criticisms traditionally addressed to this class of models. Under Watson (1993) goodness-of-fit criterion, the model does a very good job at replicating the dynamics of output, hours and investment. However, this framework dramatically fails at reproducing the spectrum of inflation. This unfortunate conclusion is robust to numerous alternative specifications.

Technology Shocks and Monetary Policy in an Estimated Sticky Price Model of the US Economy

In this paper, we, seek to characterize the dynamic effects of permanent technology shocks and the way in which US monetary authorities reacted to these shocks over the sample 1955(1)--2002(4). To do so, we develop an augmented sticky price-sticky wage model of the business cycle, which is estimated by minimizing the distance between theoretical, dynamic responses of key variables to a permanent technology shock and their structural VAR counterparts. In a second step, we compare these responses with the outcome of the optimal monetary policy.

Technology Shocks and Monetary Policy in an Estimated Sticky Price Model of the Euro Area

In this paper, we seek to characterize the dynamic effects of permanent technology shocks and the way in which European monetary authorities reacted to these shocks over the past two decades. To do so, we develop an augmented sticky price-sticky wage model of the business cycle, which is estimated by minimizing the distance between theoretical, dynamic responses of key variables to a permanent technology shock and their structural VAR counterparts. In a second step, we conduct a counterfactual experiment consisting to compare these responses with the outcome of the optimal monetary policy. A significant discrepancy emerges between these responses, suggesting the European monetary authorities might not have responded optimally to permanent technology shocks.

Can the Kydland-Prescott Model Pass the Cogley-Nason Test?

This paper quantitatively evaluates the ability of a Kydland and Prescott type model with permanent technology shocks and labor wedges to reproduce output persistence together with persistent impulse response functions of output to permanent and transitory shocks. When calibrated on US labor market features, this model, in which technology shocks account for the bulk of output fluctuations, successfully passes the Cogley and Nason test.

Monetary Policy Inertia or Persistent Shocks

In this paper, we propose a simple econometric framework to disentangle the respective roles of monetary policy inertia and persistent shocks in interest rate rules. The procedure exploits the cross-equation restrictions provided by a DSGE model which is confronted to a monetary SVAR. We show that, provided enough informative variables are included in the formal test, the data favour a monetary policy representation with low inertia and highly serially correlated monetary shocks. To the contrary, when the procedure is based solely on the dynamic behavior of the nominal interest rate, no clear-cut conclusion can be reached as to the correct representation of monetary policy.

How Well Does a Small Structural Model with Sticky Prices and Wages Fit Postwar U.S. Data

In this paper, we ask whether a small structural model with sticky prices and wages, embedding various modelling devices designed to increase the degree of strategic complementarity between price-setters, can fit postwar US data. To answer this question, we resort to a two-step empirical evaluation of our model. In a first step, we estimate the model by minimizing the distance between theoretical autocovariances of key macroeconomic variables and their VAR-based empirical counterparts. In a second step, we resort to Watsons (1993) test [Measures of fit for calibrated models. Journal of Political Economy 101 (6), 1011--1041] to quantify the models goodness-of-fit. Our main result is that the combination of sticky prices and sticky wages is central in order to obtain a good empirical fit. Our analysis also reveals that a model with only sticky wages is completely rejected by Watsons test while a model with only sticky prices is not overwhelmingly rejected.

Precautionary Saving and Aggregate Demand

We formulate and estimate a tractable macroeconomic model with time-varying precautionary savings. We argue that the latter affect aggregate fluctuations via two main channels: a stabilizing aggregate supply effect working through the supply of capital; and a destabilizing aggregate demand effect generated by a feedback loop between unemployment risk and consumption demand. Using the estimated model to measure the contribution of precautionary savings to the propagation of recent recessions, we find strong aggregate demand effects during the Great Recession and the 1990–1991 recession. In contrast, the supply effect at least offset the demand effect during the 2001 recession.

The Dynamic Effects of Disinflation Policies

This paper investigates the effects of disinflation policies on key macroeconomic variables. Using postwar US data and episode techniques, we identify disinflation shocks as shocks that drive the inflation rate to a lower level in the long-run. We find that in the immediate aftermath of a disinflation policy, the economy enters in a persistent recession. The inflation rate increases above its long-run level and exhibits a positive hump-shaped response. A similar pattern is found for the nominal interest rate, which responds even more strongly in the short-run. We then show that the standard new Keynesian model fails to account for macroeconomic dynamics in disinflationary times. On the contrary a deep habit version of the model successfully accounts for the effects of disinflation policies.

Minimum Distance Estimation and Testing of DSGE Models from Structural VARs

The aim of this paper is to complement the minimum distance estimation–structural vector autoregression approach when the weighting matrix is not optimal. In empirical studies, this choice is motivated by stochastic singularity or collinearity problems associated with the covariance matrix of impulse response functions. Consequently, the asymptotic distribution cannot be used to test the economic models fit. To circumvent this difficulty, we propose a simple simulation method to construct critical values for the test statistics. An empirical application with US data illustrates the proposed method.

A Pitfall with DSGE-Based, Estimated, Government Spending Multipliers

This paper examines issues related to the estimation of the government spending multiplier (GSM) in a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium context. We stress a potential source of bias in the GSM arising from the combination of Edgeworth complementarity/substitutability between private consumption and government expenditures and endogenous government expenditures. Due to cross-equation restrictions, omitting the endogenous component of government policy at the estimation stage would lead an econometrician to underestimate the degree of Edgeworth complementarity and, consequently, the long-run GSM. An estimated version of our model with US postwar data shows that this bias matters quantitatively. The results prove to be robust to a number of perturbations.