Abstract

How do product variety and quality affect the aggregate price bias? We develop a general equilibrium model that accounts for the joint interaction of product quality and variety. Our findings show that the aggregate price bias is procyclical and the contribution of product variety is persistent whereas the contribution of product quality becomes countercyclical in the medium to long run. We show that accounting for product quality and variety has critical implications on the measure of cyclical fluctuations. Measurements of cyclical fluctuations derived using the consumption deflator, which abstracts from changes in product quality and variety, underestimate the variables' true volatility.

By developing a class of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models with nominal rigidities and assuming a two-country currency union with sovereign risk, we show that there is not necessarily a trade-off between the prevention of default risk and stabilizing inflation. Under optimal monetary and fiscal policy, comprising a de facto inflation stabilization policy, the tax rate as an optimal fiscal policy tool plays an important role in stabilizing inflation, although not completely because of the distorted steady state. Changes in the tax rate to minimize welfare costs via stabilizing inflation then improve the fiscal surplus, and because of this and the incompletely stabilized inflation, the default rate does not increase as much.

This paper introduces endogenous product entry and exit based on creation and destruction of product variety in a general equilibrium model. Recessionary technology shocks induce exit of unprofitable products on impact, allocating resources towards more productive production lines. However, during the recovery phase, less productive production lines survive destruction, counteracting the original increase in productivity. The analysis shows that recoveries hinge on lower product destruction rather than higher product creation. We find that product heterogeneity and the persistence of technology shocks play a critical role for the cyclicality of product turnover. Endogenous product destruction is important to evaluate the effect of permanent policies of entry deregulation and subsidies aimed to stimulate the economy.

This paper studies the costs and benefits of fixed and flexible exchange rate regimes in the presence of endogenous intensive and extensive margins of trade. The net benefit depends on the levels and volatilities of those margins as well as on their correlation with consumers’ preferences. A fixed exchange rate regime is preferred for sufficiently high labour supply elasticities and lower love for product diversity. Delays between entry and production make fixed exchange rate regimes less attractive.

In the last few decades, the world economy has witnessed the expansion of trade, especially in the number of exchanged varieties, the so-called "extensive margins". In a theoretical model where extensive margins in both tradable and non-tradable sectors are endogenously determined, it is shown that the Harrod-Balassa-Samuelson (HBS) effect is amplified. Following an HBS productivity shock, when countries expand their extensive margins rather than the scale of production, wages appreciate further. Therefore, the expansion in extensive margins leads to a stronger appreciation in the price of non-traded goods. Furthermore, when traded and non-traded goods are complements, the number of firms in the non-traded sector increases despite the appreciation of non-traded goods prices. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.

This paper investigates a consumption-real exchange rate anomaly from the open macroeconomics literature known as the Backus-Smith puzzle. We both analytically and quantitatively examine how an expansion of trade along extensive margins can contribute to the puzzle's resolution. Our argument is based on 1) a wealth effect due to changes in the number of product varieties, 2) statistical inefficiency in measuring the number of product varieties, and 3) market incompleteness. Contrary to complete asset markets which, in general, feature overly strong risk sharing properties, changes in the number of product varieties under incomplete markets may produce a wealth effect under high trade elasticity. Since statistical agencies systematically fail to capture the welfare impact arising from that changes, data-consistent terms of trade and real exchange rates tend to appreciate due to this positive wealth effect. This provides a realistic correlation between data-consistent real exchange rates and consumption. •The Backus-Smith can be attenuated with changes in the number of product varieties.•The key is a wealth effect due to changes in extensive margins.•Another key is the statistical inefficiency in measuring them.•Market incompleteness is also required to achieve the result. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.