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The economics of the super-multiplier

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  • Thomas Palley

Abstract

This paper links the super-multiplier to Keynesian macroeconomics, showing it to be the most Keynesian of growth perspectives. Next, the paper shows that the super-multiplier is a micro-economically coherent theory of investment and capital accumulation. Firms' decisions regarding capital accumulation coordinate demand and supply growth in goods markets. The paper then explores the implications of incorporating the super-multiplier in the Neo-Kaleckian and Cambridge growth models. Lastly, it shows how labor markets and unemployment can be added into super-multiplier models to provide a comprehensive growth model that addresses Solow's (1956) labor market knife-edge problem. Incorporating labor markets does not change the fundamental super-multiplier result that growth is determined by the growth of autonomous demand.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Palley, 2018. "The economics of the super-multiplier," FMM Working Paper 33-2018, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:imk:fmmpap:33-2018
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    File URL: http://www.boeckler.de/pdf/p_fmm_imk_wp_33_2018.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Olivier Allain, 2015. "Tackling the instability of growth: a Kaleckian-Harrodian model with an autonomous expenditure component," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 39(5), pages 1351-1371.
    2. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    3. Christian Schoder, 2014. "Effective Demand, Exogenous Normal Utilization and Endogenous Capacity in the Long Run: Evidence from a Cointegrated Vector Autoregression Analysis for the USA," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(2), pages 298-320, May.
    4. Marc Lavoie, 2016. "Convergence Towards the Normal Rate of Capacity Utilization in Neo-Kaleckian Models: The Role of Non-Capacity Creating Autonomous Expenditures," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(1), pages 172-201, February.
    5. Olivier Allain, 2013. "Tackling the instability of growth: A Kaleckian model with autonomous demand expenditures," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00821080, HAL.
    6. Fabio Freitas & Franklin Serrano, 2015. "Growth Rate and Level Effects, the Stability of the Adjustment of Capacity to Demand and the Sraffian Supermultiplier," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 258-281, July.
    7. Serrano, Franklin, 1995. "Long Period Effective Demand and the Sraffian Supermultiplier," Contributions to Political Economy, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 14(0), pages 67-90.
    8. Steven M Fazzari & Piero Ferri & Anna Maria Variato, 2020. "Demand-led growth and accommodating supply," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 44(3), pages 583-605.
    9. Franklin Serrano & Fabio Freitas, 2017. "The Sraffian supermultiplier as an alternative closure for heterodox growth theory," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(1), pages 70-91, April.
    10. Thomas I. Palley, 2012. "Growth, Unemployment And Endogenous Technical Progress: A Hicksian Resolution Of Harrod'S Knife-Edge," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(3), pages 512-541, July.
    11. Cesaratto, Sergio, 2017. "Garegnani, Ackley and the years of high theory at Svimez," Centro Sraffa Working Papers CSWP26, Centro di Ricerche e Documentazione "Piero Sraffa".
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    Cited by:

    1. Eric Kemp‐Benedict, 2020. "Convergence of actual, warranted, and natural growth rates in a Kaleckian–Harrodian‐classical model," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(4), pages 851-881, November.
    2. Dejuán, Óscar & McCombie, John S.L., 2018. "The Supermultiplier-Cum-Finance. Economic Limits of a Credit Driven System," Centro Sraffa Working Papers CSWP32, Centro di Ricerche e Documentazione "Piero Sraffa".
    3. Piero Ferri & Fabio Tramontana, 2022. "Autonomous demand, multiple equilibria and unemployment dynamics," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 17(1), pages 209-223, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Super-multiplier; growth; unemployment; endogenous technical progress; Solow Knife-edge; Hicks; Kaldor;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory

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