The outbreak of the financial crisis in 2008 witnessed a marked contraction in US consumption spending that had hitherto been boosted by historically high levels of household debt-financing. These events question the validity of conventional models of consumption based on the life-cycle...

We develop a neo-Kaleckian growth model that emphasizes the importance of consumption behavior. In our model, workers first make consumption decisions based on their gross income, and then treat debt servicing commitments as a substitute for saving. Workers' borrowing is induced by their desire...

Multi-equation econometric frameworks are used to investigate the impact of household debt on aggregate performance in US. In the vector autoregression analysis capturing the transitory feedback effects, we observe a bidirectional positive feedback process between aggregate income and debt....

We develop a stock-flow consistent neo-Kaleckian macro model which incorporates consumption emulation and consumer debt accumulation. Income distributional dimension is also incorporated via the conflict-claims approach of inflation. Using this model, we investigate the macroeconomic effects of...

Recent research finds that corporate leverage affects macroeconomic dynamics and can contribute to financial fragility. We show that consumer debt is also important. We add consumer debt to a stock-flow consistent neo-Kaleckian growth model and explore the macrodynamic ramifications. Consumer...

We extend Kaldor’s theory of income distribution to include workers’ debt accumulation and their motive to emulate rentiers’ consumption. Our results show that (i) the interaction between income distribution and emulation can produce instability, (ii) instability is more likely when the...

Previous analyses of macroeconomic imbalances have employed models that either focus exclusively on real-side effects or financial-side disturbances. Real-side models usually make the unrealistic assumption that firms that save more than they invest effortlessly and costlessly transfer those...

The historical growth record is reviewed and growth is shown to have resulted in divergence between the incomes of fast growing rich economies and slower growing poorer economies. Supply-led, neoclassical growth is then contrasted with demand-led, Keynesian growth. Three Keynesian growth...

We construct a multi-agent system (MAS) model of cyclical growth in which aggregate fluctuations result from variations in activity at firm level. The latter, in turn, result from changes in the state of long run expectations (SOLE) or “animal spirits” and their effect on firms’ investment...

Aggregate structural macroeconomic modelling (ASMM) is frequently criticized for being ad hoc and justified (if at all) only as a pragmatic expedient. This paper argues instead that ASMM is consistent with the principles of well-established bodies of social theory. Appeal to these principles...