Asymmetric Forecast Densities for U.S. Macroeconomic Variables from a Gaussian Copula Model of Cross-Sectional and Serial Dependence

Most existing reduced-form macroeconomic multivariate time series models employ elliptical disturbances, so that the forecast densities produced are symmetric. In this article, we use a copula model with asymmetric margins to produce forecast densities with the scope for severe departures from symmetry. Empirical and skew t distributions are employed for the margins, and a high-dimensional Gaussian copula is used to jointly capture cross-sectional and (multivariate) serial dependence. The copula parameter matrix is given by the correlation matrix of a latent stationary and Markov vector autoregression (VAR). We show that the likelihood can be evaluated efficiently using the unique partial correlations, and estimate the copula using Bayesian methods. We examine the forecasting performance of the model for four U.S. macroeconomic variables between 1975:Q1 and 2011:Q2 using quarterly real-time data. We find that the point and density forecasts from the copula model are competitive with those from a Bayesian VAR. During the recent recession the forecast densities exhibit substantial asymmetry, avoiding some of the pitfalls of the symmetric forecast densities from the Bayesian VAR. We show that the asymmetries in the predictive distributions of GDP growth and inflation are similar to those found in the probabilistic forecasts from the Survey of Professional Forecasters. Last, we find that unlike the linear VAR model, our fitted Gaussian copula models exhibit nonlinear dependencies between some macroeconomic variables. This article has online supplementary material.     

中国生产性服务业TFP的时空差异与影响因素分析

在利用Malmquist指数法测算2005-2013年中国30个省份生产性服务业的全要素生产率(TFP)的基础上,采用核密度估计法分析了TFP的动态演变,并运用分位数回归方法对中国生产性服务业TFP的影响因素进行了实证分析。研究发现:在考察期内中国生产性服务业TFP总体呈下降态势,技术效率下降是其下降的主要原因;核密度曲线说明中国生产性服务业TFP省际差距扩大,技术效率和技术进步逐渐呈现两极分化的趋势;分位数回归结果表明,工业化水平和人力资本水平对生产性服务业TFP提升具有普遍的促进作用,而信息化水平、对外开放水平、制造业集中度对生产性服务业TFP提高的贡献大小均与地区生产性服务业TFP的水平有关。     

论江泽民的经济全球化思想

经济全球化思想是江泽民同志“三个代表”重要思想的有机组成部分,内容丰富,论述深刻,主要包括经济全球化的性质问题,两重性问题,发展中国家面临的抉择问题,中国的应对战略以及对经济全球化前景的展望等。深入研究江泽民同志的经济全球化思想对于建设中国特色社会主义具有重要的理论意义和现实意义。     

Rhetoric and Reality of Economic Self-sufficiency Among Rural,Low-Income Mothers: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined the contributions of maternal labor force participation and marital status on economic self-sufficiency over time for rural mothers. Data were from 174 rural families participating in three waves of data collection in Rural Families Speak. χ ² and multiple logistic regression were utilized. Results revealed only one-third of mothers moved toward economic self-sufficiency over three years. Maternal education, employment status, and weekly work hours were associated with improved economic well-being. Compared to single-parent families, unmarried-couple and married-couple families had increased odds of improving economically. In an analysis of all mothers with partners, married or unmarried, martial status was not significant in economic improvement. Findings suggest the role of marriage in welfare reform for rural families should be reconsidered.

MODELING THE ALLOCATION OF GRADUATE STUDENT FINANCIAL AID

Universities have always competed with one another for the relatively small number of highly qualified students interested in graduate education. This competition has been intensified recently by adverse demographic trends. This paper is concerned with the use of financial aid awards as a means of competition and with allocation of awards so that enrollments are maximized while satisfying academic standards and budget constraints. It also considers the randomness of actual aid disbursements and develops models of incremental aid allocation that increase enrollments but are within tolerance levels for budget overruns.     

我国区域金融发展与经济增长的关系研究——基于面板数据的实证研究

运用1980—2004年间相应经济指标的面板数据对我国东、中、西部经济增长与金融发展进行了实证分析,结果表明,中西部地区更多的依靠信贷规模扩张来推动经济增长,而东部地区更多的依赖于金融效率的提升。     

Tempered Mittag-Leffler Lévy processes

In this article, we introduce tempered Mittag-Leffler Lévy processes (TMLLP). TMLLP is represented as tempered stable subordinator delayed by a gamma process. Its probability density function and Lévy density are obtained in terms of infinite series and Mittag-Leffler function, respectively. Asymptotic forms of the tails and moments are given. A step-by-step procedure of the parameters estimation and simulation of sample paths is given. We also provide main results available for Mittag-Leffler Lévy processes (MLLP) and some extensions which are not available in a collective way in a single article. Our results generalize and complement the results available on Mittag-Leffler distribution and MLLP in several directions. Further, the asymptotic forms of the moments of the first-exit times of the TMLLP are also discussed.     

Subsampling-extrapolation bandwidth selection in bivariate kernel density estimation

This paper focuses on bivariate kernel density estimation that bridges the gap between univariate and multivariate applications. We propose a subsampling-extrapolation bandwidth matrix selector that improves the reliability of the conventional cross-validation method. The proposed procedure combines a U-statistic expression of the mean integrated squared error and asymptotic theory, and can be used in both cases of diagonal bandwidth matrix and unconstrained bandwidth matrix. In the subsampling stage, one takes advantage of the reduced variability of estimating the bandwidth matrix at a smaller subsample size m (m < n); in the extrapolation stage, a simple linear extrapolation is used to remove the incurred bias. Simulation studies reveal that the proposed method reduces the variability of the cross-validation method by about 50% and achieves an expected integrated squared error that is up to 30% smaller than that of the benchmark cross-validation. It shows comparable or improved performance compared to other competitors across six distributions in terms of the expected integrated squared error. We prove that the components of the selected bivariate bandwidth matrix have an asymptotic multivariate normal distribution, and also present the relative rate of convergence of the proposed bandwidth selector.     

Non-parametric estimation of reciprocal coordinate subtangent for right censored dependent scheme

The concept of reciprocal coordinate subtangent (RCST) has been used as a useful tool to study the monotone behavior of a continuous density function and for characterizing probability distributions. In this paper, we propose a non-parametric estimator for RCST based on the censored dependent data. Asymptotic properties of the estimator are established under suitable regularity conditions. A simulation study is carried out to examine the performance of the estimator. The usefulness of the estimator is also examined through a real data.     

金融周期、金融波动与中国经济增长——基于省际面板门槛模型的研究

本文应用面板门槛模型,研究了2005-2017年间我国31个省（市、自治区）金融波动对经济增长的影响。研究发现,随着金融周期所处阶段的变化,金融波动对经济增长会产生显著的非对称性双重门槛效应,主要体现为如下两点：首先,金融周期处于膨胀期、平稳期和萧条期时金融波动对经济增长会产生负向影响,但从影响系数值的大小来看,处于膨胀期时最大,是后两者的2倍之多,处于平稳期时最小且并不显著;其次,分区域的稳健性检验表明,金融发展水平高的区域双重门槛值出现得早,且两个门槛值间的区间要比金融发展水平低的区域宽28%。这些结论说明,经济增长对于金融波动的容忍弹性会随着金融周期所处的阶段而变化,金融发展水平的提高会放大经济增长对金融波动的容忍区间,但也会加速金融周期处于膨胀期时爆发金融危机的可能性,这使得当前我国存在着进一步发展金融水平和严控金融风险的矛盾,对此本文也提出了相应的政策建议。