We propose a nonparametric test for multiple calibration of numerical general equilibrium models, and we present an effective algorithm for computing counterfactual equilibria in homothetic Walrasian economies, where counterfactual equilibria are solutions to the Walrasian inequalities.
Keywords: Applied general equilibrium analysis, Walrasian inequalities, Calibration
We show that a demand function is derived from maximizing a quasilinear utility function subject to a budget constraint if and only if the demand function is cyclically monotone. On finite data sets consisting of pairs of market prices and consumption vectors, this result is equivalent to a solution of the Afriat inequalities where all the marginal utilities of income are equal.
We explore the implications of these results for maximization of a random quasilinear utility function subject to a budget constraint and for representative agent general equilibrium models.
The duality theory for cyclically monotone demand is developed using the Legendre-Fenchel transform. In this setting, a consumer’s surplus is measured by the conjugate of her utility function.
Keywords: Permanent income hypothesis, Afriat’s theorem, Law of demand, Consumer’s surplus, Testable restrictions
In the empirical and theoretical literature a consumer’s utility function is often assumed to be quasilinear. In this paper we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for testing if the consumer acts as if she is maximizing a quasilinear utility function over her budget set. If the consumer’s choices are inconsistent with maximizing a quasilinear utility function over her budget set, then we compute the “best” quasilinear rationalization of her choices.
A common stochastic restriction in econometric models separable in the latent variables is the assumption of stochastic independence between the unobserved and observed exogenous variables. Both simple and composite tests of this assumption are derived from properties of independence empirical processes and the consistency of these tests is established. As an application, we simulate estimation of a random quasilinear utility function, where we apply our tests of independence.
Keywords: Cramer–von Mises distance, Empirical independence processes, Random utility models, Semiparametric econometric models, Specification test of independence
A common stochastic restriction in econometric models separable in the latent variablesis the assumption of stochastic independence between the unobserved and observed exogenous variables. Both simple and composite tests of this assumption are derived from properties of independence empirical processes and the consistency of these tests is established
Keywords: Cramér-von Mises distance, Empirical independence processes, Random utility models, Semiparametric econometric models, Specification test of independence
In this paper we introduce a family of minimum distance from independence estimators, suggested by Manski’s minimum mean square from independence estimator. We establish strong consistency, asymptotic normality and consistency of resampling estimates of the distribution and variance of these estimators. For Manski’s estimator we derive both strong consistency and asymptotic normality.
We present a method for consistently estimating nonparametric functions and distributions in simultaneous equations models. This method is used to identify and estimate a random utility model of consumer demand. Our identification conditions for this particular model extend the results of Houthakker (1950), Uzawa (1971) and Mas-Colell (1977), where a deterministic utility function is uniquely recovered from its deterministic demand function.
This paper studies the extent to which qualitative features of Walrasian equilibria are refutable given a finite data set. In particular, we consider the hypothesis that the observed data are Walrasian equilibria in which each price vector is locally stable under tâtonnement. Our main result shows that a finite set of observations of prices, individual incomes and aggregate consumption vectors is rationalizable in an economy with smooth characteristics if and only if it is rationalizable in an economy in which each observed price vector is locally unique and stable under tâtonnement. Moreover, the equilibrium correspondence is locally monotone in a neighborhood of each observed equilibrium in these economies. Thus the hypotheses that equilibria are locally stable under tâtonnement, equilibrium prices are locally unique and equilibrium comparative statics are locally monotone are not refutable with a finite data set.
We present a finite system of polynomial inequalities in unobservable variables and market data that observations on market prices, individual incomes and aggregate endowments must satisfy to be consistent with the equilibrium behavior of some pure trade economy. Quantifier elimination is used to derive testable propositions on finite data sets for the pure trade model.
We model the space of marketed assets as a Riesz space of commodities. In this setting, two alternative characterizations are given of the space of continuous options on a bounded asset, s, with limited liability. The first characterization represents every continuous option on s as the uniform limit of portfolios of calls on s. The second characterization represents an option as a continuous sum (or integral) of Arrow-Debreu securities, with respect to s. The pricing implications of these representations are explored. In particular, the Breeden-Litzenberger pricing formula is shown to be a direct consequence of the integral representation theorem.
We report a generalization of recent results on the existence of marginal cost pricing equilibria (MCPE) in economies with an increasing returns to scale industry. Our result makes no ad hoc assumptions which force the equilibrium to be on the efficiency frontier of the aggregate production possibility set. We also present an additional condition under which our MCPE are productivity efficient in the aggregate.