Matching DSGE models to data with applications to fiscal and robust monetary policy [Elektronische Ressource] / von Alexander Kriwoluzky

Alexander Kriwoluzky, (M.A.)

Informations

• Publié par: humboldt-universitat_zu_berlin
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 30
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Matching DSGE Models To Data With Applications
To Fiscal And Robust Monetary Policy
Three Essays In Dynamic Macroeconomics
DISSERTATION
zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades
doctor rerum politicarum
(Dr. rer. pol.)
eingereicht an der
Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
von
Herr Alexander Kriwoluzky, (M.A.)
geboren am 6.7.1978 in Berlin
Präsident der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin:
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Christoph Markschies
Dekan der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät:
Prof. Oliver Günther, Ph.D.
Gutachter:
1. Prof. Harald Uhlig, Ph.D.
2. Prof. Bartosz Mackowiak, Ph.D.
Tag des Kolloquiums: 9. Juli 2009Abstract
This thesis is concerned with three questions: first, how can the effects macroe-
conomic policy has on the economy in general be estimated? Second, what are the
effects of a pre-announced increase in government expenditures? Third, how should
monetary policy be conducted, if the policymaker faces uncertainty about the economic
environment.
In the first chapter I suggest to estimate the effects of an exogenous disturbance
on the economy by considering the parameter distributions of a Vector Autoregression
(VAR) model and a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model jointly.
This allows to resolve the major issue a researcher has to deal with when working
with a VAR model and a DSGE model: the identification of the VAR model and the
potential misspecification of the DSGE model.
The second chapter applies the methodology presented in the preceding chapter to
investigate the effects of a pre-announced change in government expenditure on private
consumption and real wages. The shock is identified by exploiting its pre-announced
nature, i.e. different signs of the responses in endogenous variables during the an-
nouncement and after the realization of the shock. Private consumption is found to
respond negatively during the announcement period and positively after the realiza-
tion. The reaction of real wages is positive on impact and positive for two quarters
after the realization.
In the last chapter ’Optimal Policy Under Model Uncertainty: A Structural-
Bayesian Estimation Approach’ I investigate jointly with Christian Stoltenberg how
policy should optimally be conducted when the policymaker is faced with uncertainty
about the economic environment. The standard procedure is to specify a prior over the
parameter space ignoring the status of some sub-models. We propose a procedure that
ensures that the specified set of sub-models is not discarded too easily. We find that
optimal policy based on our procedure leads to welfare gains compared to the standard
practice.
Keywords:
Bayesian Model Estimation, Vector Autoregression, Identification, Government
expenditure shock, Optimal monetary policy, Model Uncertainty, Non-invertibilityZusammenfassung
Diese Doktorarbeit untersucht drei Fragestellungen. Erstens, wie die Wirkung von
plötzlichen Änderungen exogener Faktoren auf endogene Variablen empirisch im Allge-
meinen zu bestimmen ist. Zweitens, welche Effekte eine Erhöhung der Staatsausgaben
im Speziellen hat. Drittens, wie optimale Geldpolitik bestimmt werden kann, wenn der
Entscheider keine eindeutigen Modelle für die ökonomischen Rahmenbedingungen hat.
Im ersten Kapitel entwickele ich eine Methode, mithilfe derer die Effekte von plötz-
lichen Änderungen exogener Faktoren auf endogene Variablen geschätzt werden kön-
nen. Dazu wird die gemeinsame Verteilung von Parametern einer Vektor Autoregres-
sion (VAR) und eines stochastischen allgemeinen Gleichgewichtsmodelles (DSGE) be-
stimmt. Auf diese Weise können zentrale Probleme gelöst werden: das Identifikations-
problem der VAR und eine mögliche Misspezifikation des DSGE Modells.
Im zweitem Kapitel wende ich die Methode aus dem ersten Kapitel an, um den
Effekt einer angekündigten Erhöhung der Staatsausgaben auf den privaten Konsum
und die Reallöhne zu untersuchen. Die Identifikation beruht auf der Einsicht, dass
endogene Variablen, oft qualitative Unterschiede in der Periode der Ankündigung und
nach der Realisation zeigen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der private Konsum negativ
im Zeitraum der Ankündigung reagiert und positiv nach der Realisation. Reallöhne
steigen zum Zeitpunkt der Ankündigung und sind positiv für zwei Perioden nach der
Realisation.
Im abschließendem Kapitel untersuche ich gemeinsam mit Christian Stoltenberg,
wie Geldpolitik gesteuert werden sollte, wenn die Modellierung der Ökonomie unsicher
ist. Wenn ein Modell um einen Parameter erweitert wird, kann das Modell dadurch
so verändert werden, dass sich die Politikempfehlungen zwischen dem ursprünglichen
und dem neuen Modell unterscheiden. Oft wird aber lediglich das erweiterte Modell
betrachtet. Wir schlagen eine Methode vor, die beiden Modellen Rechnung trägt und
somit zu einer besseren Politik führt.
Schlagwörter:
Bayesianische Modellschätzung, Vektor Autoregression, Identifizierung,
Staatsausgabenerhöhung, Optimale Geldpolitik, Modellunsicherheit,
Nicht-invertibilitätAcknowledgements
This thesis is the result of my work over the past four years. During this time, many
people supported me and contributed to it. Here, I want to mention them one by one.
Most of all, I am indebted to my thesis supervisor Harald Uhlig. It is due to his
inspiring courses on dynamic macroeconomics that I have developed such an interest
in this field. Later, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to become his Ph.D.
student. His numerous suggestions and comments have been of enormous influence to
my work. I am also very grateful to him for introducing me to Chris Sims and initiating
a stay at Princeton University. Besides employing me at collaborative research center
649, he supported my applications to external funding, for which I am also thankful.
Furthermore, I want to thank Bartosz Mackowiak, my second supervisor, for taking
his time and discussing some issues of my work in depth. I have learned a lot talking
to him and working on a joint project which unfortunately did not make it into the
thesis, but I am confident that we will finish it in the near future.
On Harald Uhlig’s initiative I was invited by Chris Sims to visit Princeton Uni-
versity. This thesis benefited substantially from his comments, chapter 2 having been
mostly worked out during my stay at Princeton University. I also had the opportunity
to talk to Noah Williams about chapter 4 of the thesis, which is closely related to his
work. So I owe him a lot, too.
I would further like to stress the inspiring and fruitful atmosphere of the group of
other students I have been working with during the past years. Especially, I want to
thank Christian Stoltenberg, who is also co-author of chapter 4, Martin Kliem, Holger
Gerhardt, Stefan Ried and Mathias Trabandt. Fortunately, we did not only work.
Thanks for that, too. I am also grateful to Susann Roethke for her administrative
support and to Jan Auerbach, Patrick Habscheid and Simon Roesel for their research
assistance.
For funding I want to particularly thank the collaborative research center 649 at
Humboldt University Berlin. Moreover, I received funding from the DEKA Bank for
two years and a research grant from the German Exchange Service (DAAD) while I
was visiting Princeton University.
Besides an academic side of life I am fortunate enough to have a circle of family
and friends - a never ending source of support. Above all, I want to thank Silke for
being by my side and encouraging me in my work.
viiviiiContents
List of Figures xiii
List of Tables xv
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Scope of the study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Literature review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.1 Identification of a structural VAR model . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.2 Estimation of DSGE models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2.3 The DSGE model and the VAR model considered jointly . . . . 7
1.2.4 Government expenditure shock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2.5 Robust monetary policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Outline of the thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2 Matching Theory and Data: Bayesian Vector Autoregression and Dy-
namic Stochastic General Equilibrium Models 15
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2 Related Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.3 Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3.1 The VAR model and its corresponding VMA model . . . . . . . 20
2.3.2 The DSGE model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.3.3 The idea in a nutshell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.3.4 Nested approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.4 Evaluating the joint distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.4.1 Conditional of the VMA model parameters . . . . . 24
2.4.2 The conditional distribution of the DSGE model parameters . . 30
2.4.3 Sampling algorithm for the joint posterior distribution . . . . . 31
2.5 Example 1: