Current Account Dynamics in a Small Open-Economy Model of Status Seeking

In this paper we analyze the implications of status preference, modeled as relative wealth, for the current account in a small open-economy framework with capital stock dynamics. We demonstrate that the transitional dynamics of the economy are characterized by two distinct speeds of adjustment: a speed of adjustment arising from status preference and a speed of adjustment arising from installation costs of investment. This structure implies that the current account balance depends on both speeds of adjustment as well as on the long-run equilibrium, which is a function of the degree of status consciousness. As a consequence, the current account can exhibit nonmonotonic behavior in transition to the steady-state equilibrium subsequent to a productivity disturbance. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005..