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Lack of Preparation for Rare Events

Author

Listed:
  • Bartosz Maćkowiak

    (European Central Bank - ECB, CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research)

  • Mirko Wiederholt

    (Goethe University Frankfurt = Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research)

Abstract

A new view of crises is proposed: A rare event occurs, consciously unprepared agents take bad actions, and catastrophic consequences follow. We model agents who prepare to act in different contingencies. They can process only a finite amount of information and thus cannot prepare perfectly for all contingencies. In equilibrium, agents equate the probability-weighted expected loss due to suboptimal action across contingencies, implying that the expected loss in a rare event is orders of magnitude larger than in normal times. Limited liability causes even less preparation for rare events and creates inefficiencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Bartosz Maćkowiak & Mirko Wiederholt, 2018. "Lack of Preparation for Rare Events," Post-Print hal-03943567, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03943567
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2018.07.007
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Carola Binder, 2020. "Coronavirus Fears and Macroeconomic Expectations," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(4), pages 721-730, October.
    2. Bartosz Maćkowiak & Filip Matějka & Mirko Wiederholt, 2023. "Rational Inattention: A Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 61(1), pages 226-273, March.
    3. Nicola Garbarino, 2025. "Concrete Adaptation under Extreme Precipitation," ifo Working Paper Series 419, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Alessandro Cantelmo, 2022. "Rare Disasters, the Natural Interest Rate and Monetary Policy," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 84(3), pages 473-496, June.
    5. Donato Masciandaro, 2020. "Covid-19 Helicopter Money, Monetary Policy And Central Bank Independence: Economics And Politics," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 20137, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    6. Nimark, Kristoffer P. & Sundaresan, Savitar, 2019. "Inattention and belief polarization," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 203-228.
    7. Giovanna Centorrino, 2020. "Covid-19 and the Search for the Common Good: The Case of Parmon Spa (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-23, August.
    8. Flynn, Joel P. & Sastry, Karthik A., 2023. "Strategic mistakes," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    9. Bernardo Candia & Olivier Coibion & Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2020. "Communication and the Beliefs of Economic Agents," NBER Working Papers 27800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Ghouse, Ghulam & Bhatti, Muhammad Ishaq & Aslam, Aribah & Ahmad, Nawaz, 2023. "Asymmetric spillover effects of Covid-19 on the performance of the Islamic finance industry: A wave analysis and forecasting," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    11. Stanislav Anatolyev & Sergei Seleznev & Veronika Selezneva, 2021. "How does the financial market update beliefs about the real economy? Evidence from the oil market," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(7), pages 938-961, November.
    12. Donato Masciandaro, 2020. "Ecb Helicopter Money: Economic And Political Economy Arithmetics," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 20138, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    13. Kizys, Renatas & Tzouvanas, Panagiotis & Donadelli, Michael, 2021. "From COVID-19 herd immunity to investor herding in international stock markets: The role of government and regulatory restrictions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    14. Hachem, Kinda, 2021. "Inefficiently low screening with Walrasian markets," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 935-948.
    15. Daniel Susskind, 2022. "Rational inattention and public signals," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 58(2), pages 225-255, February.
    16. Hibiki Ichiue & Maiko Koga & Tatsushi Okuda & Tatsuya Ozaki, 2019. "Households' Liquidity Constraint, Optimal Attention Allocation, and Inflation Expectations," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 19-E-8, Bank of Japan.
    17. Hanspal, Tobin & Weber, Annika & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2020. "Exposure to the COVID-19 stock market crash and its effect on household expectations," SAFE Working Paper Series 279, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General

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