infonet-economy

Workshop-Präsentation am "Model WTO" 2003; St. Gallen, 11. Juni 2003; Download der Präsentation: (210 KB)

In this paper we study the inefficiencies of the monetary equilibrium and optimal monetary policies in a search economy. We show that the same frictions that give fiat money a positive value generate an inefficient quantity of goods in each trade and an inefficient number of trades (or search decisions). The Friedman rule eliminates the first inefficiency and the Hosios rule the...

"Money *nAleksander BerentsennEconomics Departement, University of Basel, SwitzerlandnJune 10, 2003nAbstractnThis paper considers a monopolist’s supply of outside paper money in a random-matchingnmodel with divisible money and divisible goods. When binding supplynannouncements are feasible, the revenue-maximizing policy is characterized by anninitial period where the...

"People behave pro-socially in a wide variety of situations that standard economic theory is unable to explain. Social comparison is one explanation for such pro-social behavior: people contribute if others contribute or cooperate as well. This paper tests social comparison in a field experiment at the University of Zurich. Each semester every single student has to decide...

In this paper we discuss the main taxation related problems which arise from internet commerce. Additionally, a survey of the economic literature about this problem is provided. This literature mainly deals with the United States. First, effects on indirect taxation are discussed. Then, we deal with problems of direct taxes, especially corporate income taxes. Additionally, we discuss...

This paper examines the distributional effects of international outsourcing in a two-sector, two-factor model. The analysis allows for switches between diversified and specialized equilibria. Also, equilibria in which only some firms of a sector outsource (incomplete or partial outsourcing) are considered. It is the interplay of the cost-saving and substitution effects of...

Business students are portrayed as behaving too egoistically. The critics call for more socialnresponsibility and good citizenship behavior on the part of business students. We present evidence ofnpro-social behavior in business students. Every student at the University of Zurich has to decide eachnsemester whether he/she wants to contribute to two social funds administrated by the...