We investigate the occurrence of risk sharing among Italian regions with respect to both long run and short run income fluctuations by means of Vector Equilibrium Correction Models (VEqCMs) which allow to test all implications of the theory without preliminary filtering or transformations of data, and without imposing constraints on the homogeneity of preferences across regions. Our estimates over the 1960-1965 period show that preferences are not homogenous across regions and that the evidence in favour of regional risk sharing is more pronounced than commonly highlighted in previous research. Results also show that in Italy risk sharing devices acting through markets or through the welfare state would in principle allow the optimal stabilisation of regional economies, however the effectiveness of such tools is negatively affected by the environment where regions act: risk aversion prevents the mobility of labour force as well as portfolio diversification and thus restricts the full effectiveness of strategies.
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Paper provided by Department of Statistics, University of Bologna in its series Quaderni di Dipartimento with number
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Find related papers by JEL classification: E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomics: Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth F40 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - General C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation R20 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - Household Analysis - - - General
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Baxter, Marianne & Crucini, Mario J, 1995.
"Business Cycles and the Asset Structure of Foreign Trade,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 36(4), pages 821-54, November.
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