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Excess capacity in a fixed-cost economy

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  • Murphy, Daniel
Abstract
This paper proposes a new mechanism that can explain persistent economic slack. The theory shows that when producers face negligible marginal costs and desired spending is below the economy’s capacity, the economy features slack in equilibrium, even when prices are flexible and there are no other frictions. A heterogeneous household version of the model demonstrates how an economy can enter a capacity trap in response to a temporary negative demand shock: when demand by some consumers falls temporarily, other consumers’ permanent income (and hence their desired consumption) also falls. Since output is determined by demand, the permanent fall in desired consumption causes a permanent state of excess capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Murphy, Daniel, 2017. "Excess capacity in a fixed-cost economy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 245-260.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:91:y:2017:i:c:p:245-260
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.11.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Dennis Egger & Johannes Haushofer & Edward Miguel & Paul Niehaus & Michael Walker, 2022. "General Equilibrium Effects of Cash Transfers: Experimental Evidence From Kenya," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(6), pages 2603-2643, November.
    2. Alan Auerbach & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Daniel Murphy, 2020. "Local Fiscal Multipliers and Fiscal Spillovers in the USA," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 68(1), pages 195-229, March.
    3. Balleer, Almut & Noeller, Marvin, 2023. "Monetary policy in the presence of supply constraints: Evidence from German firm-level data," Ruhr Economic Papers 1060, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Almut Balleer & Marvin Noeller, 2023. "Monetary Policy in the Presence of Supply Constraints: Evidence from German Firm-Level Data," CESifo Working Paper Series 10261, CESifo.
    5. Wang, Hua & Liao, Lingtao & Wu, Ji (George), 2023. "Robot adoption and firm's capacity utilization: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Stefanadis, Christodoulos, 2023. "Oligarchy, underutilized capacity, and government policy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    7. Nöller, Marvin & Balleer, Almut, 2023. "Monetary Policy in the Presence of Supply Constraints: Evidence from German Firm-level Data," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277638, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Auerbach, Alan J. & Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & Murphy, Daniel, 2021. "Inequality, fiscal policy and COVID19 restrictions in a demand-determined economy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Auerbach, Alan & Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & McCrory, Peter B. & Murphy, Daniel, 2022. "Fiscal multipliers in the COVID19 recession," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    10. Samidh Pal, 2023. "Causes of Excess Capacity," Papers 2304.02137, arXiv.org.
    11. Yuliya Demyanyk & Elena Loutskina & Daniel Murphy, 2019. "Fiscal Stimulus and Consumer Debt," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(4), pages 728-741, October.
    12. Demirel, Ufuk Devrim, 2021. "The short-term effects of tax changes: The role of state dependence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 918-934.
    13. Alan J. Auerbach & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Daniel Murphy, 2019. "Macroeconomic Frameworks," NBER Working Papers 26365, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Karl Naumann-Woleske & Michael Benzaquen & Maxim Gusev & Dimitri Kroujiline, 2021. "Capital Demand Driven Business Cycles: Mechanism and Effects," Papers 2110.00360, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2022.
    15. Alan J. Auerbach & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Daniel Murphy, 2019. "Local Fiscal Multipliers and Fiscal Spillovers in the United States," NBER Working Papers 25457, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Murphy, Daniel & Walsh, Kieran James, 2022. "Government spending and interest rates," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    17. Wang, Yanping & Yang, Shitian & Tang, Weizheng & Wei, Li, 2024. "Government GDP targets and corporate capacity expansion – Empirical evidence based on A-share listed companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    E12; E22; E32; Excess capacity; Flexible prices; Business cycles; Fixed costs; Capacity traps;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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