A Comparative Analysis on Output Gap - Inflation Relation: the Ewn Keynesian Approach Oladimeji Tomiwa Shodipe Thegraduate School ..F) � Iujl'kxsl.JN Ivf.RSITY

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Comparative Analysis on Output Gap - Inflation Relation: the Ewn Keynesian Approach Oladimeji Tomiwa Shodipe Thegraduate School ..F) � Iujl'kxsl.JN Ivf.RSITY Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2019 A Comparative Analysis on Output Gap - Inflation Relation: The ewN Keynesian Approach Oladimeji Tomiwa Shodipe TheGraduate School ..f) � IUJl'KXSl.JN IVf.RSITY. Thesis Maintenance and Reproduction Certificate FOR: Graduate Candidates Completing Theses in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree Graduate Faculty Advisors Directing the Theses RE: Preservation, Reproduction, and Distribution of Thesis Research Preserving, reproducing, and distributing thesis research is an important part of Booth Library's responsibility to provide access to scholarship. In order to further this goal, Booth Library makes all graduate theses completed as part of a degree program at Eastern Illinois University available for personal study, research, and other not-for­ profit educational purposes. Under 17 U.S.C. § 108, the library may reproduce and distribute a copy without infringing on copyright; however, professional courtesy dictates that permission be requested from the author before doing so. Your signatures affirm the following: • The graduate candidate is the author of this thesis. • The graduate candidate retains the copyright and intellectual property rights associated with the original research, creative activity, and intellectual or artistic content of the thesis. •The graduate candidate certifies her/his compliance with federal copyright law (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) and her/his right to authorize reproduction and distribution of all copyrighted materials included in this thesis. • The graduate candidate in consultation with the faculty advisor grants Booth Library the nonexclusive, perpetual right to make copies of the thesis freely and publicly available without restriction, by means of any current or successive technology, including but not limited to photocopying, microfilm, digitization, or internet. •The graduate candidate acknowledges that by depositing her/his thesis with Booth Library, her/his work is available for viewing by the public and may be borrowed through the library's circulation and interlibrary loan departments, or accessed electronically. The graduate candidate acknowledges this policy by indicating in the following manner: /ves, I wish to make accessible this thesis for viewing by the public ___ No, I wish to quarantine the thesis temporarily and have included the Thesis Withholding Request Form • The graduate candidate waives the confidentiality provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S. C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) with respect to the contents of the thesis and with respect to information concerning authorship of the thesis, including name and status as a student at Eastern Illinois University. I have conferred with my graduate faculty advisor. My signature below indicates read and agree with the above statements, and hereby give my permission to allow Booth Library to rfic:trih11tP mv thPc:ic: Mv ::irlvic:Pr's signature indicates concurrence to reoroduce Graduate Candidate Signature CJ1...�l� �� Sl�{pf Printed Name Printed Name 4LM�c..s 1- /t£--�If Graduate Degree Program Date Please submit in duplicate. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON OUTPUT GAP - INFLATION RELATION: THE NEW KEYNESIAN APPROACH TI ( TLE) BY OLADIMEJI TOMIWA SHODIPE THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ECONOMICS IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2019 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE os}10}\9 ?-/#-/p THESIS COMMI TTEE CHAIR DATE DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL DATE OR CHAIR'S DE$1CNEE S-$-!f' THESIS COMMITTEE DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE �'1 DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER THESIS "1EMBER DATE A COMPARATIVE A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON OUPUT GAP - INFLATON RELATION: TIIE NEW KENEYSIAN APPROACH Oladimeji Tomiwa Shodipe Eastern Illinois University 2019 Thesis Committee Dr. A Desire Adorn (Advisor) Dr. Mukti Upadhyay Dr. Ali Moshtagh Abstract 1be thrust of research paper is to examine the inflation information that contained in the tlm is output gap using the New Keynesian Phillips Curve frrurework. As informed by the mode� the study also sets to investigate inflation persistence and of forward the influence inertia on the C\llTent inflation paper follows the Monacelli (2005) of the small open-economy This Gali and type of model However, the c\llTent study differs by introducing external :factors (trade real and exchange rate) not only on the hybrid mode� also on the backward, forward the hybrid and restricted models for time-series data (1971-2017) of all twenty (20) economies considered in the study. We adopt two measures of output gaps; the tmivariate (Hodrick Prescott) and the Multivariate (Kalman) gap estirmtion approaches deploy instrument-based (Generalized and Method of Moment & Two-Stage Least Square) non-instrument based (Bayes and Ordinary and Least Square) econometric techniques to generate the structural parameters. After estimating the results, we resolve that the developed economies' data appropriately the backward-looking fit model Thus, the output pressure on the inflation processes in those economies the gap m:>tmt and inflation follows first autoregressive process; the past inflation. study does not find strong This supportive evidence on gap-inflation relationship in most of the emerging economies. 1be findings in the developing economies are not as much revealing but fotmd few evidences. We could not ascertain a specific type of model for all these cotmtries. Nigeria andPakistan follow the backward mode� Bangladesh follows hybrid model and Egypt; Indonesia andKenya follow hybrid restricted type of model Though, there was no doubt relationship exists in thesehighlighted economies, we could not technically ascertain consistencies as exhibited by the backward-looking models in the developed economies. We fotmd inflation to be persistent in all economies. On the external :factors, we completely support that trade andexchange rate enters the domestic inflation equation Acknowledgment I thank the Omniscient God for inputting in me His nature and seeing me through the thick of life. sincerely want to appreciate my research mentor, A. Desire Adorn, for his and thin I Dr. and during the writing also, I register my enonmus support supervision of this paper_ More gratitude to my thesis comnittee members, Dr. Mukti Upadhyay and Dr. Moshtagh, for their Ali massive contnbution in completing infl�ntial research project this immediate furnily members; Mr.&Mrs. Shodipe, Folake Adeyemo, I thank my Modupeoluwa Shodipe, Endurance Shodipe and Tosin Shodipe for their moral and financia I supports throughout master's degree program at EIU and my previous academic programs. my I sincerely express my gratitude to the Onayigas' for their profound kind gesture when I needed most during program God bless you in return it my To all irrnnediate past and current graduate students in the department of Economics, I you thank all ii Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE ...................... ............... ................ ........................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction ..................... ........................................... .. .................................... ... ..... .............. 1 1.1 Justification of the Study ................... ............... .................................... .................................. 4 1.2 Objectives of the Study ................................... ........................................ ... ......................... ...5 1.3 Hypotheses......... .. ........................................... .. .. ......................................... .......................6 1.4 Organization of the Study .................... ... .. .................................. ....... ................................. 6 CHAPTER TWO........ .............................................. ..... ....................................... .. ......................... 7 2.0 Lite ratu re Review ...................... ...................................... ............................................ ............ 7 CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................... ..... .......................... 21 3.1 Background Information on Inflation Behavior and Output Gap ........................................ .... 21 3.1.l Developed Economies.......................... .... ..... .... .... ........................................... .... 21 3.1.2 Eme rging Economies ........................ ........................... .. ..... ... .............................. 26 3.1 .3 Developing Economies................... ...... .... ....... ................................................. .... 28 CHAPTER FOUR ........................... .................................... .......... ....................... ...................... .. .. 33 4.0 Me thodologyand Data.... ..................... ..... ...................................................... ... ............ ...... 33 4.1 Methodology... ........................................................................ .. .... ..... ................................ 33 4.1.l Forward Loo king Model ....................................... ...... ....... ..................................... 34 4.1.2 Backward LookingMode I .......................... ....................... ..................................... 35 4.1.3 Hybrid Mode l........................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Calculating the Output Gap
    ECONOMIC AND MONETARY DEVELOPMENTS AND PROSPECTS Appendix 2 Calculating the output gap The output gap is an important concept in the preparation of inflation forecasts and assessments of the economic outlook. However, the output gap is difficult to measure and subject to great uncertainty in practice. The techniques used by the Central Bank of Iceland and elsewhere to calculate the output gap, which have previously been described in Monetary Bulletin (2000/4 pp. 14-15), will be recapitulated here taking particular account of investments in the aluminium and power sectors, since these have a substantial impact on both the level of production and output potential in the economy, not only during the construction phase but also when the investments 1 have been completed. 2005•1 MONETARY BULLETIN Definition of the output gap The output gap is defined as the difference between actual and potential GDP as a per cent of potential GDP, i.e.: (1) P where GAPt is the output gap, Yt is GDP in real terms and Y t is the potential output of the economy, all during the year t. Potential output is defined as the level of GDP that is consistent with full utilisation of all factors of production under conditions of stable inflation. Thus potential output is determined on the supply side of the economy, i.e. by capital stock, labour use and available technology. Potential output in the long term is determined by how effici- ently the available factors of production can be utilised for a given level of productivity. In the short run, however, aggregate demand can drive the level of production beyond long-term potential output.
    [Show full text]
  • Output Gaps and Robust Monetary Policy Rules
    SVERIGES RIKSBANK WORKING PAPER SERIES 260 Output Gaps and Robust Monetary Policy Rules Roberto M. Billi MARCH 2012 WORKING PAPERS ARE OBTAINABLE FROM Sveriges Riksbank • Information Riksbank • SE-103 37 Stockholm Fax international: +46 8 787 05 26 Telephone international: +46 8 787 01 00 E-mail: [email protected] The Working Paper series presents reports on matters in the sphere of activities of the Riksbank that are considered to be of interest to a wider public. The papers are to be regarded as reports on ongoing studies and the authors will be pleased to receive comments. The views expressed in Working Papers are solely the responsibility of the authors and should not to be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Executive Board of Sveriges Riksbank. Output Gaps and Robust Monetary Policy Rules Roberto M. Billiy Sveriges Riksbank Working Paper Series No. 260 March 2012 Abstract Policymakers often use the output gap, a noisy signal of economic activity, as a guide for setting monetary policy. Noise in the data argues for policy caution. At the same time, the zero bound on nominal interest rates constrains the central bank’sability to stimulate the economy during downturns. In such an environment, greater policy stimulus may be needed to stabilize the economy. Thus, noisy data and the zero bound present policymakers with a dilemma in deciding the appropriate stance for monetary policy. I investigate this dilemma in a small New Keynesian model, and show that policymakers should pay more attention to output gaps than suggested by previous research. Keywords: output gap, measurement errors, monetary policy, zero lower bound JEL: E52, E58 I thank Tor Jacobson, Per Jansson, Ulf Söderström, David Vestin, Karl Walentin, and seminar participants at Sveriges Riksbank for helpful comments and discussions.
    [Show full text]
  • Mind the Output Gap: the Disconnect of Growth and Inflation During Recessions and Convex Phillips Curves in the Euro Area
    Working Paper Series Marco Gross, Willi Semmler Mind the output gap: the disconnect of growth and inflation during recessions and convex Phillips curves in the euro area Task force on low inflation (LIFT) No 2004 / January 2017 Disclaimer: This paper should not be reported as representing the views of the European Central Bank (ECB). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the ECB. Task force on low inflation (LIFT) This paper presents research conducted within the Task Force on Low Inflation (LIFT). The task force is composed of economists from the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) - i.e. the 29 national central banks of the European Union (EU) and the European Central Bank. The objective of the expert team is to study issues raised by persistently low inflation from both empirical and theoretical modelling perspectives. The research is carried out in three workstreams: 1) Drivers of Low Inflation; 2) Inflation Expectations; 3) Macroeconomic Effects of Low Inflation. LIFT is chaired by Matteo Ciccarelli and Chiara Osbat (ECB). Workstream 1 is headed by Elena Bobeica and Marek Jarocinski (ECB) ; workstream 2 by Catherine Jardet (Banque de France) and Arnoud Stevens (National Bank of Belgium); workstream 3 by Caterina Mendicino (ECB), Sergio Santoro (Banca d’Italia) and Alessandro Notarpietro (Banca d’Italia). The selection and refereeing process for this paper was carried out by the Chairs of the Task Force. Papers were selected based on their quality and on the relevance of the research subject to the aim of the Task Force. The authors of the selected papers were invited to revise their paper to take into consideration feedback received during the preparatory work and the referee’s and Editors’ comments.
    [Show full text]
  • Questions and Answers
    Intermediate Microeconomics 2nd Year Dr. Eman Gamal El-Din M. Chapter 4 Part 1 Questions and Answers Chapter4 Q1: MCQ Explaining Macroeconomic Trends and Fluctuations 1) The AS/AD model studies the relationship between A) the price level and unemployment. B) the price level and real GDP. C) unemployment and real GDP. D) nominal GDP and inflation. Answer: B 2) By using only the aggregate demand curve, we can determine A) only the price level. B) only the quantity of real GDP. C) both the price level and quantity of real GDP. D) neither the price level nor the quantity of real GDP. Answer: D 3) In short-run macroeconomic equilibrium A) real GDP equals potential GDP and aggregate demand determines the price level. B) the price level is fixed and short-run aggregate supply determines real GDP. C) real GDP and the price level are determined by short-run aggregate supply and aggregate demand. D) real GDP is less than potential GDP. Answer: C 4) The economy is in its short run equilibrium at the point where the A) price level is stable. B) SAS curve intersects the LAS curve. C) AD curve intersects the LAS curve. D) AD curve intersects the SAS curve. Answer: D 9) In the short run, the equilibrium level of real GDP A) is necessarily less than potential GDP. B) is necessarily equal to potential GDP. C) is necessarily greater than potential GDP. D) could be less than, equal to, or greater than potential GDP. Answer: D 10) In the short run, the intersection of the aggregate demand and the short-run aggregate supply curves, A) determines the equilibrium price level.
    [Show full text]
  • Measuring Potential Output and Output Gap and Macroeconomic Policy: the Ac Se of Kenya Angelica E
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Economics Working Papers Department of Economics October 2005 Measuring Potential Output and Output Gap and Macroeconomic Policy: The aC se of Kenya Angelica E. Njuguna Kenyatta University and KIPPRA Stephen N. Karingi United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Mwangi S. Kimenyi University of Connecticut Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/econ_wpapers Recommended Citation Njuguna, Angelica E.; Karingi, Stephen N.; and Kimenyi, Mwangi S., "Measuring Potential Output and Output Gap and Macroeconomic Policy: The asC e of Kenya" (2005). Economics Working Papers. 200545. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/econ_wpapers/200545 Department of Economics Working Paper Series Measuring Potential Output and Output Gap and Macroeco- nomic Policy: The Case of Kenya Angelica E. Njuguna Kenyatta University and KIPPRA Stephen N. Karingi United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Mwangi S. Kimenyi University of Connecticut Working Paper 2005-45 October 2005 341 Mansfield Road, Unit 1063 Storrs, CT 06269–1063 Phone: (860) 486–3022 Fax: (860) 486–4463 http://www.econ.uconn.edu/ This working paper is indexed on RePEc, http://repec.org/ Abstract Measuring the level of an economy.s potential output and output gap are essen- tial in identifying a sustainable non-inflationary growth and assessing appropriate macroeconomic policies. The estimation of potential output helps to determine the pace of sustainable growth while output gap estimates provide a key bench- mark against which to assess inflationary or disinflationary pressures suggesting when to tighten or ease monetary policies. These measures also help to provide a gauge in the determining the structural fiscal position of the government.
    [Show full text]
  • Working Paper No. 563 Whither New Consensus Macroeconomics? the Role of Government and Fiscal Policy in Modern Macroeconomics
    Working Paper No. 563 Whither New Consensus Macroeconomics? The Role of Government and Fiscal Policy in Modern Macroeconomics by Giuseppe Fontana* May 2009 * University of Leeds (UK) and Università del Sannio (Benevento, Italy). Correspondence address: Economics, LUBS, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. E-mail: [email protected]; tel.: +44 (0) 113 343 4503; fax: +44 (0) 113 343 4465. The Levy Economics Institute Working Paper Collection presents research in progress by Levy Institute scholars and conference participants. The purpose of the series is to disseminate ideas to and elicit comments from academics and professionals. The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, founded in 1986, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independently funded research organization devoted to public service. Through scholarship and economic research it generates viable, effective public policy responses to important economic problems that profoundly affect the quality of life in the United States and abroad. The Levy Economics Institute P.O. Box 5000 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000 http://www.levy.org Copyright © The Levy Economics Institute 2009 All rights reserved. ABSTRACT In the face of the dramatic economic events of recent months and the inability of academics and policymakers to prevent them, the New Consensus Macroeconomics (NCM) model has been the subject of several criticisms. This paper considers one of the main criticisms lodged against the NCM model, namely, the absence of any essential role for the government and fiscal policy. Given the size of the public sector and the increasing role of fiscal policy in modern economies, this simplifying assumption of the NCM model is difficult to defend.
    [Show full text]
  • Deflation: Economic Significance, Current Risk, and Policy Responses
    Deflation: Economic Significance, Current Risk, and Policy Responses Craig K. Elwell Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy August 30, 2010 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R40512 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Deflation: Economic Significance, Current Risk, and Policy Responses Summary Despite the severity of the recent financial crisis and recession, the U.S. economy has so far avoided falling into a deflationary spiral. Since mid-2009, the economy has been on a path of economic recovery. However, the pace of economic growth during the recovery has been relatively slow, and major economic weaknesses persist. In this economic environment, the risk of deflation remains significant and could delay sustained economic recovery. Deflation is a persistent decline in the overall level of prices. It is not unusual for prices to fall in a particular sector because of rising productivity, falling costs, or weak demand relative to the wider economy. In contrast, deflation occurs when price declines are so widespread and sustained that they cause a broad-based price index, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), to decline for several quarters. Such a continuous decline in the price level is more troublesome, because in a weak or contracting economy it can lead to a damaging self-reinforcing downward spiral of prices and economic activity. However, there are also examples of relatively benign deflations when economic activity expanded despite a falling price level. For instance, from 1880 through 1896, the U.S. price level fell about 30%, but this coincided with a period of strong economic growth.
    [Show full text]
  • 2012-2 Milton Friedman's Contributions to Macroeconomics and Their Nfluei Nce David Laidler
    Western University Scholarship@Western Economic Policy Research Institute. EPRI Working Economics Working Papers Archive Papers 2012 2012-2 Milton Friedman's Contributions to Macroeconomics and Their nflueI nce David Laidler Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/economicsepri_wp Part of the Economics Commons Citation of this paper: Laidler, David. "2012-2 Milton Friedman's Contributions to Macroeconomics and Their nflueI nce." Economic Policy Research Institute. EPRI Working Papers, 2012-2. London, ON: Department of Economics, University of Western Ontario (2012). Milton Friedman's Contributions to Macroeconomics and Their Influence by David Laidler Working Paper # 2012-2 February 2012 Economic Policy Research Institute EPRI Working Paper Series Department of Economics Department of Political Science Social Science Centre The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, N6A 5C2 Canada This working paper is available as a downloadable pdf file on our website http://economics.uwo.ca/centres/epri/ Milton Friedman's Contributions to Macroeconomics and their Influence* by David Laidler JEL Classifications: B22, E20, E30, E40, E50 Keywords: Friedman, macroeconomics, Keynes, Keynesianism. monetarism, money, inflation, cycle, depression, monetary policy, consumption. Abstract. Milton Friedman's contributions to and influence on macroeconomics are discussed, beginning with his work on the consumption function and the demand for money, not to mention monetary history, which helped to undermine the post World War II "Keynesian" consensus in the area. His inter-related analyses of the dynamics of monetary policy's transmission mechanism, the case for a money growth rule, and the expectations augmented Phillips curve are then taken up, followed by a discussion of his influence not only directly on the monetarist policy experiments of the early 1980s, but also less directly on the regimes that underlay the "great moderation" that broke down in the crisis of 2007-2008.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Neoclassical Synthesis and the Role of Monetary Policy
    This PDF is a selection from an out-of-print volume from the National Bureau of Economic Research Volume Title: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1997, Volume 12 Volume Author/Editor: Ben S. Bernanke and Julio Rotemberg Volume Publisher: MIT Press Volume ISBN: 0-262-02435-7 Volume URL: http://www.nber.org/books/bern97-1 Publication Date: January 1997 Chapter Title: The New Neoclassical Synthesis and the Role of Monetary Policy Chapter Author: Marvin Goodfriend, Robert King Chapter URL: http://www.nber.org/chapters/c11040 Chapter pages in book: (p. 231 - 296) Marvin Goodfriendand RobertG. King FEDERAL RESERVEBANK OF RICHMOND AND UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; AND UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, NBER, AND FEDERAL RESERVEBANK OF RICHMOND The New Neoclassical Synthesis and the Role of Monetary Policy 1. Introduction It is common for macroeconomics to be portrayed as a field in intellectual disarray, with major and persistent disagreements about methodology and substance between competing camps of researchers. One frequently discussed measure of disarray is the distance between the flexible price models of the new classical macroeconomics and real-business-cycle (RBC) analysis, in which monetary policy is essentially unimportant for real activity, and the sticky-price models of the New Keynesian econom- ics, in which monetary policy is viewed as central to the evolution of real activity. For policymakers and the economists that advise them, this perceived intellectual disarray makes it difficult to employ recent and ongoing developments in macroeconomics. The intellectual currents of the last ten years are, however, subject to a very different interpretation: macroeconomics is moving toward a New NeoclassicalSynthesis. In the 1960s, the original synthesis involved a com- mitment to three-sometimes conflicting-principles: a desire to pro- vide practical macroeconomic policy advice, a belief that short-run price stickiness was at the root of economic fluctuations, and a commitment to modeling macroeconomic behavior using the same optimization ap- proach commonly employed in microeconomics.
    [Show full text]
  • Minding the Output Gap: What Is Potential GDP and Why Does It Matter?
    PAGE ONE Economics® GDP Minding the Output Gap: What Is Potential GDP and Why Does It Matter? Scott Wolla, Ph.D., Economic Education Coordinator GLOSSARY “Is real output greater or less than potential? And is real output growing Actual output (real GDP): The amount more or less rapidly than potential? The answer to these questions are that an economy actually produces, as central to policy decisions.” measured by real GDP. —Richard G. Anderson, Economist1 Business cycle: The fluctuating levels of economic activity in an economy over a period of time measured from the beginning of one recession to the Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total market value, expressed in dollars, beginning of the next. of all final goods and services produced in an economy in a given year. GDP Federal funds rate: The interest rate at indicates the size of the economy by measuring the economy’s output. It which a depository institution lends funds is also one of the key measures economists use to assess the health of the that are immediately available to another economy. For GDP to measure the “real” increase or decrease in output depository institution overnight. over time, however, the effect of price changes needs to be removed from Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC): the data. Real GDP does that: It controls for (takes out) inflation and more A Committee created by law that consists of the seven members of the Board of accurately reflects actual economic growth. But knowing the size of the Governors; the president of the Federal economy, or its growth rate, only tells part of the story.
    [Show full text]
  • The Output Gap: What Is It, How Can It Be Estimated and Are Estimates Fit for Policy Makers’ Purposes? Julia Darby and Stuart Mcintyre, University of Strathclyde
    The output gap: what is it, how can it be estimated and are estimates fit for policy makers’ purposes? Julia Darby and Stuart McIntyre, University of Strathclyde Introduction The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), as part of its statutory remit to produce forecasts of the Scottish economy and revenues from devolved taxes, provide assessments of Scotland’s ‘output gap’, which in turn are derived from estimating ‘potential output’. The evolution of potential output and the output gap play key roles in any assessment of the current position of the Scottish economy, and in turn the outlook for future economic growth and tax revenues. This article looks at these concepts in more detail. In what follows we explain the concept of the output gap, its relevance to policy, how output gaps in a given economy can be estimated and why the estimates are always uncertain. We then discuss current views on the evolution of the UK’s output gap and the SFC’s estimates of Scotland’s output gap and end by discussing whether estimates of the output gap currently tell policymakers what they really need to know. What is the output gap30? In general, economists are not only interested in whether output is going up or down, but also in whether it is above or below its potential. The output gap provides an assessment, at a given point in time, of the difference between an economy’s estimated productive potential (typically referred to as ‘potential output’) and the actual level of output. Potential output is the maximum amount of goods and services an economy can produce when it operating efficiently, that is, at full capacity.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Issues in Monetary Economics January 1970
    Some Issues in Monetary Economies* By DAVID I. FAND Public policies are continuously sought which will assist in guiding the economy between the perils of inflation and the dangers of unemployment and under-production. During the last five years the perils of inflation have become increasingly apparent, and during the past year stabilization actions have been taken to reduce the rate of advance of the price level. At the present time there is growing concern that these actions may lead the economy into a recession, What are the vehicles and avenues of stabilization policy which can best restore the econ- oniy to a satisfactory course, that is, a high and rising level of output and employment with a reasonably stable price level? Unfortunately, students of this problem are not in ~ubstan- tial agreement on an answer. Economists have tended to fall into two conflicting schools of thought regarding economic stabilization — the income-expenditure approach and the modern quantity theory of money approach. Until recently, the dominant school has been the modern version of the income-expendi- ture theory which has evolved from the work of John Maynard Keynes in the 1930’s. Policy- makers in the 1950’s and 1960’s generally adopted the theoretical framework of this school for the formulation of economic stabilization actions. Primary emphasis was given to fiscal actions — Federal government spending and taxing programs — in guiding the economy be- tween inflation and unemployment. During the last two decades, proponents of the modern quantity theory of money have increasingly challenged the basic propositions of the income- expenditure school.
    [Show full text]