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Bifurcation of macroeconometric models and robustness of dynamical inferences

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  • William, Barnett
  • Guo, Chen

Abstract

In systems theory, it is well known that the parameter spaces of dynamical systems are stratified into bifurcation regions, with each supporting a different dynamical solution regime. Some can be stable, with different characteristics, such as monotonic stability, periodic damped stability, or multiperiodic damped stability, and some can be unstable, with different characteristics, such as periodic, multiperiodic, or chaotic unstable dynamics. But in general the existence of bifurcation boundaries is normal and should be expected from most dynamical systems, whether linear or nonlinear. Bifurcation boundaries in parameter space are not evidence of model defect. While existence of such bifurcation boundaries is well known in economic theory, econometricians using macroeconometric models rarely take bifurcation into consideration, when producing policy simulations from macroeconometrics models. Such models are routinely simulated only at the point estimates of the models’ parameters. Barnett and He (1999) explored bifurcation stratification of Bergstrom and Wymer’s (1976) continuous time UK macroeconometric model. Bifurcation boundaries intersected the confidence region of the model’s parameter estimates. Since then, Barnett and his coauthors have been conducting similar studies of many other newer macroeconometric models spanning all basic categories of those models. So far, they have not found a single case in which the model’s parameter space was not subject to bifurcation stratification. In most cases, the confidence region of the parameter estimates were intersected by some of those bifurcation boundaries. The most fundamental implication of this research is that policy simulations with macroeconometric models should be conducted at multiple settings of the parameters within the confidence region. While this result would be as expected by systems theorists, the result contradicts the normal procedure in macroeconometrics of conducting policy simulations solely at the point estimates of the parameters. This survey provides an overview of the classes of macroeconometric models for which these experiments have so far been run and emphasizes the implications for lack of robustness of conventional dynamical inferences from macroeconometric policy simulations. By making this detailed survey of past bifurcation experiments available, we hope to encourage and facilitate further research on this problem with other models and to emphasize the need for simulations at various points within the confidence regions of macroeconometric models, rather than at only point estimates.

Suggested Citation

  • William, Barnett & Guo, Chen, 2015. "Bifurcation of macroeconometric models and robustness of dynamical inferences," MPRA Paper 63772, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:63772
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    2. Chatelain, Jean-Bernard & Ralf, Kirsten, 2020. "Hopf Bifurcation from New-Keynesian Taylor Rule to Ramsey Optimal Policy," EconStor Open Access Articles, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. Chatelain, Jean-Bernard & Ralf, Kirsten, 2021. "Hopf Bifurcation From New-Keynesian Taylor Rule To Ramsey Optimal Policy," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(8), pages 2204-2236, December.
    4. Chatelain, Jean-Bernard & Ralf, Kirsten, 2022. "Ramsey Optimal Policy In The New-Keynesian Model With Public Debt," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(6), pages 1588-1614, September.
    5. Barnett, William A. & Hu, Mingzhi & Wang, Xue, 2019. "Does the utilization of information communication technology promote entrepreneurship: Evidence from rural China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 12-21.
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    8. William Barnett & Unal Eryilmaz, 2022. "Monetary Policy and Determinacy: An Inquiry in Open Economy New Keynesian Framework," WORKING PAPERS SERIES IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED ECONOMICS 202203, University of Kansas, Department of Economics.
    9. William, Barnett & Hu, Jingxian, 2017. "Capital Control, Exchange Rate Regime, and Monetary Policy: Indeterminacy and Bifurcation," MPRA Paper 81450, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Maxime MENUET & Alexandru MINEA & Patrick VILLIEU & Anastasios XEPAPADEAS, 2021. "Growth, Endogenous Environmental Cycles, and Indeterminacy," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 2889, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bifurcation; Hopf; robustness; dynamical inference; policy simulations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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