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Lumpy Consumer Durables, Market Power, and Endogenous Business Cycles

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  • Kala Krishna
  • Cemile Yavas

Abstract

This paper examines the role of lumpy consumer durables and market power in generating endogenous cycles which seem to be consistent with the facts. When goods are durable, past consumption choices determine the current market size which consists of consumers who have not purchased the good previously, and who have the income to make their potential demand effective. Larger past sales, ceteris paribus, thus naturally result in a smaller current market size and income. In this manner, the seeds of a downturn are sown in an upturn.

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  • Kala Krishna & Cemile Yavas, 2001. "Lumpy Consumer Durables, Market Power, and Endogenous Business Cycles," NBER Working Papers 8296, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:8296
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    1. Kala Krishna & Cemile Yavas, 2004. "Lumpy consumer durables, market power, and endogenous business cycles," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(2), pages 375-391, May.
    2. Soo, Kwok Tong, 2017. "Indivisibilities in the Ricardian model of trade," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 311-317.
    3. Kala Krishna & Cemile Yavas, 2002. "When Does Trade Hurt? Market, Transition and Developing Economies," NBER Working Papers 8995, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical

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