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Keeping Up with the Joneses: Implications for the Welfare Effects of Monetary Policy in Open Economies

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  • Pierdzioch, Christian

Abstract

A dynamic general equilibrium two-country optimizing model is used to analyze the welfare effects of monetary policy in open economies. The distinguishing feature of the model is that households' preferences feature a "keeping up with the Joneses" effect. This effect implies that households' utility depends upon the level of their consumption relative to the aggregate level of consumption. The model implies that, depending on the strength of the "keeping up with the Joneses" effect, an expansive monetary policy can be a "beggar-thyself" policy. Moreover, the welfare effects of monetary policy are asymmetric across countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierdzioch, Christian, 2003. "Keeping Up with the Joneses: Implications for the Welfare Effects of Monetary Policy in Open Economies," Kiel Working Papers 1166, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1166
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Abel, Andrew B, 1990. "Asset Prices under Habit Formation and Catching Up with the Joneses," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 38-42, May.
    2. Maurice Obstfeld & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 1996. "Foundations of International Macroeconomics," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262150476, December.
    3. Gali, Jordi, 1994. "Keeping Up with the Joneses: Consumption Externalities, Portfolio Choice, and Asset Prices," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 26(1), pages 1-8, February.
    4. Tille, Cedric, 2001. "The role of consumption substitutability in the international transmission of monetary shocks," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 421-444, April.
    5. John Y. Campbell & John Cochrane, 1999. "Force of Habit: A Consumption-Based Explanation of Aggregate Stock Market Behavior," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(2), pages 205-251, April.
    6. Harald Uhlig & Lars Ljungqvist, 2000. "Tax Policy and Aggregate Demand Management under Catching Up with the Joneses," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(3), pages 356-366, June.
    7. Obstfeld, Maurice & Rogoff, Kenneth, 1995. "Exchange Rate Dynamics Redux," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(3), pages 624-660, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tervala, Juha, 2008. "Jealousy and monetary policy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1797-1802, October.
    2. Tervala, Juha, 2012. "Keeping up with the Joneses and the welfare effects of monetary policy," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 104-111.
    3. Chang, Ming-Jen & Chang, Juin-Jen & Shieh, Jhy-Yuan, 2014. "Keeping up with the Joneses and exchange rate volatility in a Redux model," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 569-584.
    4. Eike Emrich & Christian Pierdzioch, 2015. "A Note on the International Coordination of Antidoping Policies," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 16(3), pages 312-321, April.
    5. Alejandro SALAZAR-ADAMS & Nicolás PINEDA-PABLOS, 2010. "Policies for Meeting Future Water Needs in Mexican Cities," EcoMod2010 259600147, EcoMod.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; Consumption externality; Welfare effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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