We examine Lars E O Svensson's prominent critique of the monetary policy of the Sveriges Riksbank (the Swedish central bank) from 1995-2012. Our main objection concerns Svensson's conclusion that the original pre-Friedman/Phelps version of the Phillips curve based on constant inflation...

This paper compares the boom-bust cycle in Finland and Sweden 1984-1995 with the average boom-bust pattern in industrialized countries as calculated from an international sample for the period 1970-2002. Two clear conclusions emerge. First, the Finnish-Swedish experience is much more volatile...

Several central banks have adopted inflation targets. The implementation of these targets is flexible; the central banks aim to meet the target over the long term but allow inflation to deviate from the target in the short-term in order to avoid unnecessary volatility in the real economy. In this...

Hong and Kao (2004) proposed a panel data test for serial correlation of unknown form. However, their test is computationally difficult to implement, and simulation studies show the test to have bad small-sample properties. We extend Gencay’s (2011) time series test for serial correlation to...

This paper provides the first comparative analysis of different types of publicly owned banks operating in China between 1997 and 2008. Using principal component analysis and Granger-causality tests, this study shows that China’s state-owned commercial banks and rural credit cooperatives did...

This paper explores the development of market integration within the Baltic Sea region as well as between the region and England, from the early 1840s to around 1890. It exploits two new datasets on grain prices. The paper applies a new method for measuring market integration by combining a...