Abstract
This paper presents the model used for simulation purposes within the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance. REMS (a Rational Expectations Model for the Spanish economy) is a small open economy dynamic general equilibrium model in the vein of the New-Neoclassical-Keynesian synthesis models, with a strongly micro-founded system of equations. In the long run REMS behaves in accordance with the neoclassical growth model. In the short run, it incorporates nominal, real and financial frictions. Real frictions include adjustment costs in consumption (via habits in consumption and rule-of-thumb households) and investment into physical capital. Due to financial frictions, there is no perfect arbitrage between different types of assets. The model also allows for slow adjustment in wages and price rigidities, which are specified through a Calvo-type Phillips curve. All these modelling choices are fairly in line with other existing models for the Spanish economy. One valuable contribution of REMS to the renewed vintage of D(S)GE models attempting to feature the Spanish economy is the specification of the labour market according to the search paradigm, which is best suited to assess the impact of welfare policies on both the intensive and extensive margins of employment. The model’s most valuable asset is the rigour of the analysis of the transmission channels linking policy action with economic outcomes.
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Acknowledgments
This research could have not been accomplished without the unconditional support of Juan Varela. We would like to thank the helpful comments and suggestions of Javier Andrés, Pablo Burriel, Francisco Corrales, Ángel de la Fuente, Víctor Gómez, Luis González-Calbet, Campbel Leith, Ángel Melguizo, Eduardo Pedreira, Álvaro Sanmartín and participants at the workshop on Lisbon methodology organized by the EU Commission and at the XXXII SAE. The work of Andrés de Bustos with the dataset has been invaluable. Financial support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Fundación Rafael del Pino is gratefully acknowledged. J. E. Boscá and J. Ferri also thank the financial support by CICYT Grants ECO2008-04669 and ECO2009-09569 and Luis Puch CICYT Grant SEJ2004-04579.
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Boscá, J.E., Díaz, A., Doménech, R. et al. A rational expectations model for simulation and policy evaluation of the Spanish economy. SERIEs 1, 135–169 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13209-009-0013-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13209-009-0013-8