The Role of Real Wages, Productivity, and Fiscal Policy in Germany's Great Depression 1928-37
Abstract
We study the behavior of output, employment, consumption, and investment in Germany during the Great Depression of 1928-37. In this time period, real wages were countercyclical, and productivity and fiscal policy was procyclical. We use the neoclassical growth model to investigate how much these factors contribute to the depression. We find that real wages which were significantly above their market clearing levels were the most important factor for the economic decline in the depression. Changes in productivity and fiscal policy were also important for the decline and recovery. Even though our analysis is limited to a small number of factors, the model accounts surprisingly well for the Depression in Germany. (Copyright: Elsevier)Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics in its journal Review of Economic Dynamics.
Volume (Year): 5 (2002)
Issue (Month): 1 (January)
Pages: 100-127
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Related research
Keywords: Great Depression; Germany; growth model; real wages; productivity; fiscal policy;Other versions of this item:
- Jonas D. M. Fisher & Andreas Hornstein, 2002. "Data Appendix to The Role of Real Wages, Productivity, and Fiscal Policy in Germany's Great Depression 1928-37," Technical Appendices fisher02, Review of Economic Dynamics.
- Jonas D. M. Fisher & Andreas Hornstein, 2001. "The role of real wages, productivity, and fiscal policy in Germany's Great Depression, 1928-37," Working Paper 01-07, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
- E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
- E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
- E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy
- N14 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: 1913-
- O47 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Measurement of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Craig Burnside & Martin Eichenbaum & Jonas D.M. Fisher, 2000.
"Assessing the Effects of Fiscal Shocks,"
NBER Working Papers
7459, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Craig Burnside & Martin Eichenbaum & Jonas D.M. Fisher, 1999. "Assessing the effects of fiscal shocks," Working Paper Series WP-99-18, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
- Jonas Fisher, 2000. "Assessing the Effects of Fiscal Shocks," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 1499, Econometric Society.
- Harold L. Cole & Lee E. Ohanian, 1999. "The Great Depression in the United States from a neoclassical perspective," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, issue Win, pages 2-24.
Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Weder, Mark, 2003.
"Some Observations on the Great Depression in Germany,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
3716, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Mark Weder, 2006. "Some Observations on the Great Depression in Germany," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 7, pages 113-133, 02.
- Weder, Mark, 2004.
"A Heliocentric Journey into Germany's Great Depression,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
4191, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Mark Weder, 2006. "A heliocentric journey into Germany's Great Depression," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 58(2), pages 288-316, April.
- Weder, Mark, 2003. "A Heliocentric Journey into Germany´s Great Depression," SFB 373 Discussion Papers 2003,50, Humboldt University of Berlin, Interdisciplinary Research Project 373: Quantification and Simulation of Economic Processes.
- Mark Weder, 2005. "A Heliocentric Journey into Germany's Great Depression," Economic History 0510002, EconWPA.
- Mark Weder, 2005. "A Heliocentric Journey into Germany's Great Depression," School of Economics Working Papers 2005-13, University of Adelaide, School of Economics.
- Mark Weder, 2004. "A Heliocentric Journey into Germany's Great Depression," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2004 53, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
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