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Pluralism, the Lucas critique, and the integration of macro and micro

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  • Peter Skott

    (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

Abstract

Mainstream macroeconomics has pursued .micro founded.models based on the explicit optimization by representative agents. The result has been a long and wasteful detour. But elements of the Lucas critique are relevant, also for heterodox economists. Challenging common heterodox views on microeconomics and formalization, this paper argues that (i) economic models should not be based purely on empirically observed regularities,(ii) heterodox economists must be able to tell an integrated story about goal-oriented micro behavior in a specific macro environment, and (iii)relatively simple analytical models have an essential role to play. JEL Categories: E1; B5

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Skott, 2012. "Pluralism, the Lucas critique, and the integration of macro and micro," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2012-04, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ums:papers:2012-04
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lorenzo Esposito & Giuseppe Mastromatteo, 2019. "Defaultnomics: Making Sense of the Barro-Ricardo Equivalence in a Financialized World," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_933, Levy Economics Institute.
    2. Peter Skott & Martin Rapetti & Arslan Razmi, 2012. "Real exchange rates and the long-run effects of aggregate demand in economies with underemployment," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2012-06, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.
    3. Corrado Di Guilmi, 2017. "The Agent†Based Approach To Post Keynesian Macro†Modeling," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 1183-1203, December.
    4. Schoder, Christian, 2017. "Are Dynamic Stochastic Disequilibrium models Keynesian or neoclassical?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 46-63.
    5. Christian Schoder, 2015. "A Keynesian Dynamic Stochastic Labor-Market Disequilibrium model for business cycle analysis," IMK Working Paper 157-2015, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    6. Katherine Moos, 2016. "The Transvaluation of the Theory of Economic Policy: The Lucas Critique Reconsidered," Working Papers 1603, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    7. Giuseppe Mastromatteo & Giuseppe Mastromatteo, 2016. "Minsky at Basel: A Global Cap to Build an Effective Postcrisis Banking Supervision Framework," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_875, Levy Economics Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    micro foundations; pluralism; old Keynesian theory; Kaleckian investment function.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E1 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models
    • B5 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches

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