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Aggregation of Producer Durables with Exogenous Technical Change and Endogenous Useful lives

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  • Bitros, George C.

Abstract

The received theory of aggregation has been erected on certain fundamental hypotheses. One of them is that producer durables deteriorate exponentially, which implies that their replace-ment is proportional to the corresponding capital stocks. However the proportionality hypothesis conflicts with most of the available theoretical and empirical evidence. So an effort to relax it is long overdue. To this end the present paper investigates the conditions for consistent aggregation in a two-sector vintage capital model with exogenous technological change and endogenous use-ful lives. In the model aggregation is achieved by adaptation of the procedure first suggested by Haavelmo (1960). From the simulations of the solution with data from the United States in the post-war period it is found that the conventional approach to aggregation may be responsible for significant biases in the measurement of the economy-wide capital stock.

Suggested Citation

  • Bitros, George C., 2008. "Aggregation of Producer Durables with Exogenous Technical Change and Endogenous Useful lives," MPRA Paper 8243, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:8243
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nickell, Stephen, 1975. "A closer look at replacement investment," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 54-88, February.
    2. J. K. Whitaker, 1966. "Vintage Capital Models and Econometric Production Functions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 33(1), pages 1-18.
    3. Joan Robinson, 1953. "The Production Function and the Theory of Capital," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 21(2), pages 81-106.
    4. Brown, Murray & Chang, Winston W, 1976. "Capital Aggregation in a General Equilibrium Model of Production," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(6), pages 1179-1200, November.
    5. Eisner, Robert, 1972. "Components of Capital Expenditures: Replacement and Modernization Versus Expansion," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 54(3), pages 297-305, August.
    6. R. E. Hall, 1968. "Technical Change and Capital from the Point of View of the Dual," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 35(1), pages 35-46.
    7. Paul A. Samuelson, 1962. "Parable and Realism in Capital Theory: The Surrogate Production Function," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 29(3), pages 193-206.
    8. Franklin M. Fisher, 1965. "Embodied Technical Change and the Existence of an Aggregate Capital Stock," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 32(4), pages 263-288.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dimitrios Koumparoulis, 2011. "The Proportionality Hypothesis in Capital Theory: an Assessment of the Literature," EuroEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 27, pages 27-39, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    E20;

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology

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