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Money and price dispersion in the united states

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  • Hercowitz, Zvi

Abstract

This paper reports an empirical test of a price dispersion equation, using data on the U.S. after World War II. The equation, derived elsewhere from aversion of the partial information-localized market models, relates price dispersion to the magnitude of changes in the aggregate disturbances. In order to test the model a series on price dispersion is computed using annual wholesale price indexes for the period 1948-76. The data on money shocks are the unanticipated money growth series estimated by Barro. The tests also include a measure of aggregate-real disturbances. From the theoretical point of view the results are negative. They reject the hypothesis that unexpected money shocks, as measured by Barro, affect price dispersion in the way predicted by the model. In a previous paper, a similar model was tested with data from the German hyperinflation and found supported to a considerable extent. The difference in the results may be related to the extreme magnitude of the monetary disturbances during that period, and to the apparently important effect of unincluded relative disturbances in the United States.
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  • Hercowitz, Zvi, 1982. "Money and price dispersion in the united states," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 25-37, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:10:y:1982:i:1:p:25-37
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    1. Hercowitz, Zvi, 1981. "Money and the Dispersion of Relative Prices," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(2), pages 328-356, April.
    2. Cukierman, Alex & Wachtel, Paul, 1982. "Relative Price Variability and Nonuniform Inflationary Expectations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(1), pages 146-157, February.
    3. Lucas, Robert E, Jr, 1973. "Some International Evidence on Output-Inflation Tradeoffs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(3), pages 326-334, June.
    4. Parks, Richard W, 1978. "Inflation and Relative Price Variability," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(1), pages 79-95, February.
    5. Vining, Daniel R, Jr & Elwertowski, Thomas C, 1976. "The Relationship between Relative Prices and the General Price Level," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 66(4), pages 699-708, September.
    6. Frederick C. Mills, 1927. "The Behavior of Prices," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number mill27-1.
    7. Barro, Robert J., 1976. "Rational expectations and the role of monetary policy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 1-32, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. V. H. Smith & J. S. Lapp, 1993. "Relative Price Variability Among Agricultural Commodities And Macroeconomic Instability In The United Kingdom," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 272-283, May.
    2. Paul Armknecht & Mick Silver, 2014. "Post-Laspeyres: The Case for a New Formula for Compiling Consumer Price Indexes," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(2), pages 225-244, June.
    3. repec:kap:iaecre:v:11:y:2005:i:1:p:111-119 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Hofman, Bert & Koop, Michael J., 1990. "Monetary overhang and the dynamics of prices, exchange rates, and income in the transition to a market economy," Kiel Working Papers 418, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Blejer, Mario I. & Leiderman, Leonardo, 1981. "Inflation and Relative-Price Variability in the Open Economy," Foerder Institute for Economic Research Working Papers 275329, Tel-Aviv University > Foerder Institute for Economic Research.
    6. David Fielding & Christopher Hajzler & James (Jim) C. MacGee, 2017. "Price-Level Dispersion versus Inflation-Rate Dispersion: Evidence from Three Countries," Staff Working Papers 17-3, Bank of Canada.
    7. Charles Freedman, 1982. "The effect of U.S. policies on foreign countries: the case of Canada," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 97-129.
    8. John B. Taylor, 1982. "The role of expectations in the choice of monetary policy," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 47-95.
    9. Balke, Nathan S. & Wynne, Mark A., 2007. "The relative price effects of monetary shocks," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 19-36, March.
    10. B. Dianne Pauls, 1986. "Comovements in aggregate and relative prices: some evidence on neutrality," International Finance Discussion Papers 285, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    11. S. Rao Aiyagari, 1990. "Deflating the case for zero inflation," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 14(Sum), pages 2-11.
    12. John B. Taylor, 1983. "Rational Expectations Models in Macroeconomics," NBER Working Papers 1224, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Ioanna Reziti, 2005. "The Relationship Between Macroeconomic Variables and Relative Price Variability in Greek Agriculture," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 11(1), pages 111-119, February.
    14. Chávez Alvarez, Gonzalo, 1989. "Alta Inflación, Hiperinflación y Variabilidad de los Precios Relativos: El Caso Boliviano," Documentos de trabajo 5/1989, Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana.
    15. Zeinab Partow, 1995. "Una revisión de la Literatura sobre los Costos de la Inflación," Borradores de Economia 032, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.

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