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The Microeconomic foundations of Aggregate Production Functions

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  • Baqaee, David Rezza
  • Farhi, Emmanuel

Abstract

Aggregate production functions are reduced-form relationships that emerge endogenously from input-output interactions between heterogeneous producers and factors in general equilibrium. We provide a general methodology for analyzing such aggregate production functions by deriving their first- and second-order properties. Our aggregation formulas provide non-parameteric characterizations of the macro-elasticities of substitution between factors and of the macro bias of technical change in terms of micro sufficient statistics. They allow us to generalize existing aggregation theorems and to derive new ones. We relate our results to the famous Cambridge-Cambridge controversy.

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  • Baqaee, David Rezza & Farhi, Emmanuel, 2018. "The Microeconomic foundations of Aggregate Production Functions," CEPR Discussion Papers 13362, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:13362
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    5. Eric J. Bartelsman, 2019. "From New Technology to Productivity," European Economy - Discussion Papers 113, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    6. Carlo Milana, 2019. "Refuting Samuelson's Capitulation on the Re-switching of Techniques in the Cambridge Capital Controversy," Papers 1912.01250, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2019.
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    8. Juan E. Jacobo, 2022. "Back to the Surplus: An Unorthodox Neoclassical Model of Growth, Distribution and Unemployment with Technical Change," Papers 2211.14978, arXiv.org.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E0 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General
    • E1 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models
    • E25 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Aggregate Factor Income Distribution

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