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Sir Robert Giffen Meets Russia in Early 1990s

Author

Listed:
  • Yochanan Shachmurove

    (Department of Economics, University of Pennsyslvania and The City College of The City University of New York)

  • Janusz Szyrmer

    (CASE-Ukraine, Kiev)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the theoretical foundations of Giffen goods and details the difficulty with which prior studies have encountered limited empirical proof of Giffenity. Subsequently, a discussion of the economic overview of Russia during the early 1990s is provided. The paper then applies Giffenity to the newly established free market system of post-Soviet Union Russia while acknowledging changes in the prices for goods, specifically, for inferior food commodities. The paper concludes by advocating for the need to incorporate Giffenity into current economic theory to make it more comprehensive.

Suggested Citation

  • Yochanan Shachmurove & Janusz Szyrmer, 2011. "Sir Robert Giffen Meets Russia in Early 1990s," PIER Working Paper Archive 11-020, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    • Handle: RePEc:pen:papers:11-020
    as

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    File URL: https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/filevault/11-020.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gilley, Otis W & Karels, Gordon V, 1991. "In Search of Giffen Behavior," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 29(1), pages 182-189, January.
    2. Battalio, Raymond C & Kagel, John H & Kogut, Carl A, 1991. "Experimental Confirmation of the Existence of a Giffen Good," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(4), pages 961-970, September.
    3. Sherwin Rosen, 1999. "Potato Paradoxes," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(S6), pages 294-313, December.
      • Rosen, Sherwin, 1997. "Potato Paradoxes," Working Papers 135, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    4. Di Vita, Giuseppe, 2001. "Are the outputs derived from secondary materials giffen goods?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 255-260, December.
    5. David Mckenzie, 2002. "Are tortillas a Giffen Good in Mexico?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7.
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    13. Davies, John E, 1994. "Giffen Goods, the Survival Imperative, and the Irish Potato Culture," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(3), pages 547-565, June.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Giffen goods; inferior goods; subsistence; Russia; household consumption; post-soviet transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment

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