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Testing the Optimality of Consumption Decisions of the Representative Household: Evidence from Brazil

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  • Gesteira Costa, Marcos
  • Carrasco-Gutierrez, Carlos Enrique

Abstract

This paper investigates whether there is a fraction of consumers that do not behave as fully forward-looking optimal consumers in the Brazilian economy. The generalized method of moments technique was applied to nonlinear Euler equations of the consumption-based capital assets model contemplating utility functions with time separability and non-separability. The results show that when the household utility function was modeled as constant relative risk aversion, external habits and Kreps-Porteus, estimates of the fraction of rule-of-thumb households was, respectively, 89%, 78% and 22%. According to this, a portion of disposable income goes to households who consume their current incomes in violation of the permanent income hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Gesteira Costa, Marcos & Carrasco-Gutierrez, Carlos Enrique, 2015. "Testing the Optimality of Consumption Decisions of the Representative Household: Evidence from Brazil," Revista Brasileira de Economia - RBE, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil), vol. 69(3), September.
    • Handle: RePEc:fgv:epgrbe:v:69:y:2015:i:3:a:30037
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    Cited by:

    1. Ribeiro, Gustavo & Teles, Vladmir & Costa-Filho, João, 2023. "The Spending Cap and Monetary Policy Effectiveness," MPRA Paper 116148, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Divino, Jose Angelo & Maciel, Daniel T.G.N. & Sosa, Wilfredo, 2020. "Government size, composition of public spending and economic growth in Brazil," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 155-166.
    3. Tomas Havranek & Anna Sokolova, 2016. "Do Consumers Really Follow a Rule of Thumb? Three Thousand Estimates from 130 Studies Say "Probably Not"," Working Papers 2016/08, Czech National Bank.
    4. Holanda Oliveira, Lucio Hellery & Carrasco Gutierrez, Carlos Enrique, 2015. "The Dynamics of the Brazilian Current Account with Rule of Thumb Consumers," MPRA Paper 66079, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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