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Deterministic vs. Stochastic Trend in U.S. GNP, Yet Again

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Author Info
Francis X. Diebold
Abdelhak S. Senhadji

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Abstract

A sleepy consensus has emerged that U.S. GNP data are uninformative as to whether trend is better described as deterministic or stochastic. Although the distinction is not critical in some contexts, it is important for point forecasting, because the two models imply very different long-run dynamics and hence different long-run forecasts. We argue that, even for the famously recalcitrant GNP series, unit root tests over long spans can be informative. Our results make clear that uncritical repetition of the `we don't know, and we don't care' mantra is just as scientifically irresponsible as blind adoption of the view that `all macroeconomic series are difference-stationary,' or the view that `all macroeconomic series are trend-stationary.' There is simply no substitute for serious, case- by-case analysis.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 5481.

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Date of creation: Mar 1996
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5481

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C00 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - General - - - General
E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles

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  3. Diebold, Francis X. & Rudebusch, Glenn D., 1989. "Long memory and persistence in aggregate output," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 189-209, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  4. Rudebusch, Glenn D, 1993. "The Uncertain Unit Root in Real GNP," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(1), pages 264-72, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. John Y. Campbell & Pierre Perron, 1991. "Pitfalls and Opportunities: What Macroeconomists Should Know About Unit Roots," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1991, Volume 6, pages 141-220 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Ng, S. & Perron, P., 1994. "Unit Root Tests ARMA Models with Data Dependent Methods for the Selection of the Truncation Lag," Cahiers de recherche 9423, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
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  7. Balke, Nathan S & Gordon, Robert J, 1989. "The Estimation of Prewar Gross National Product: Methodology and New Evidence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(1), pages 38-92, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. DeJong, D.N. & Whiteman, C.H., 1991. "The Case for Trend-Stationarity is Stronger than we Thought," Working Papers 91-05, University of Iowa, Department of Economics.
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  13. de Haan, Jakob & Zelhorst, Dick, 1993. "Does Output Have a Unit Root? New International Evidence," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 25(7), pages 953-60, July.
  14. Graham Elliott & Thomas J. Rothenberg & James H. Stock, 1992. "Efficient Tests for an Autoregressive Unit Root," NBER Technical Working Papers 0130, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Meese, Richard & Geweke, John, 1984. "A Comparison of Autoregressive Univariate Forecasting Procedures for Macroeconomic Time Series," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 2(3), pages 191-200, July.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please 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.)

  1. Victor Zarnowitz & Ataman Ozyildirim, 2002. "Time Series Decomposition and Measurement of Business Cycles, Trends and Growth Cycles," NBER Working Papers 8736, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Guillaume Chevillon, 2004. "`Weak` trends for inference and forecasting in finite samples," Economics Series Working Papers 210, University of Oxford, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Valentina Corradi & Norman R. Swanson, 2003. "The Effect of Data Transformation on Common Cycle, Cointegration and Unit Root Tests: Monte Carlo Results and a Simple Test," Departmental Working Papers 200322, Rutgers University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Ruxandra Prodan, 2004. "Potential Pitfalls in Determining Multiple Structural Changes with an Application to Purchasing Power Parity," Econometric Society 2004 North American Summer Meetings 90, Econometric Society. [Downloadable!]
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