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A Review of Nonfundamentalness and Identification in Structural VAR Models

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  • Lucia Alessi
  • Matteo Barigozzi
  • Marco Capasso

Abstract

We review, under a historical perspective, the developement of the problem of non- fundamentalness of Moving Average (MA) representations of economic models, starting from the work by Hansen and Sargent [1980]. Nonfundamentalness typically arises when agents' information space is larger than the econometrican's one. Therefore it is impos- sible for the latter to use standard econometric techniques, as Vector AutoRegression (VAR), to estimate economic models. We re-state the conditions under which it is pos- sible to invert an MA representation in order to get an ordinary VAR, and we consider how the latter is used in the literature to assess the validity of Dynamic Stochastic Gen- eral Equilibrium models, providing some interesting examples. We believe that possible nonfundamental representations of considered models are too often neglected in the liter- ature. We consider how factor models can be seen as an alternative to VAR for assessing the validity of an economic model without having to deal with the problem of nonfun- damentalness. We then review the works by Lippi and Reichlin [1993] and Lippi and Reichlin [1994] which are the first attempts to give to nonfundamental representations the economic relevance that they deserve, and to outline a method to obtain such repre- sentations starting from an estimated VAR.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucia Alessi & Matteo Barigozzi & Marco Capasso, 2007. "A Review of Nonfundamentalness and Identification in Structural VAR Models," LEM Papers Series 2007/22, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
  • Handle: RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2007/22
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    Cited by:

    1. Giorgio Fagiolo & Andrea Roventini, 2012. "Macroeconomic Policy in DSGE and Agent-Based Models," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(5), pages 67-116.
    2. G. Fagiolo & A. Roventini, 2009. "On the Scientific Status of Economic Policy: A Tale of Alternative Paradigms," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 6.
    3. Helmut Lütkepohl, 2012. "Fundamental Problems with Nonfundamental Shocks," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1230, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Lanne, Markku & Saikkonen, Pentti, 2013. "Noncausal Vector Autoregression," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(3), pages 447-481, June.
    5. Valter Di Giacinto & Giacinto Micucci & Pasqualino Montanaro, 2010. "Dynamic Macroeconomic Effects of Public Capital: Evidence from Regional Italian Data," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 69(1), pages 29-66, April.
    6. Lanne, Markku & Saikkonen, Pentti, 2013. "Noncausal Vector Autoregression," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(3), pages 447-481, June.
    7. Gianluca Cubadda & Francesco Giancaterini & Alain Hecq & Joann Jasiak, 2023. "Optimization of the Generalized Covariance Estimator in Noncausal Processes," Papers 2306.14653, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    8. Paul Beaudry & Franck Portier, 2014. "News-Driven Business Cycles: Insights and Challenges," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(4), pages 993-1074, December.
    9. Féve, Patrick & Jidoud, Ahmat, 2012. "Identifying News Shocks from SVARs," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 919-932.
    10. Johannes Hermanus Kemp, 2020. "Empirical estimates of fiscal multipliers for South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-91, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2009_018 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Nonfundamentalness; Structural VAR; Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Models; Factor Models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection

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