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Lars Pålsson Syll
Professor at Malmö University. Primary research interest - the philosophy, history and methodology of economics.

Lars P. Syll

A new perspective on microfoundations

Defenders of microfoundations and its rational expectations equipped representative agent’s intertemporal optimization often argue as if sticking with simple representative agent macroeconomic models doesn’t impart a bias to the analysis. I unequivocally reject that unsubstantiated view, and have given the reasons why here. These defenders often also maintain that there are no methodologically coherent alternatives to microfoundations modeling. That allegation is of course...

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Econometric alchemy

Thus we have “econometric modelling”, that activity of matching an incorrect version of [the parameter matrix] to an inadequate representation of [the data generating process], using insufficient and inaccurate data. The resulting compromise can be awkward, or it can be a useful approximation which encompasses previous results, throws light on economic theory and is sufficiently constant for prediction, forecasting and perhaps even policy. Simply writing down an “economic...

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Heterogeneity and the flaw of averages

Heterogeneity and the flaw of averages With interactive confounders explicitly included, the overall treatment effect β0 + β′zt is not a number but a variable that depends on the confounding effects. Absent observation of the interactive compounding effects, what is estimated is some kind of average treatment effect which is called by Imbens and Angrist (1994) a “Local Average Treatment Effect,” which is a little like the lawyer who explained that when he...

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Marketization undermining the welfare system

Marketization undermining the welfare system Sweden has during the last couple of decades tried to marketize the public welfare sector. The prime mover behind the marketization has (allegedly) been the urge for cost-minimization, freedom of choice, and improved quality. The results have (unsurprisingly) been far from successful. In a recent dissertation presented at Uppsala University, Linda Moberg summarizes her findings on the implications of the...

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Keynes & MMT

[Bendixen says the] old ‘metallist’ view of money is superstitious, and Dr. Bendixen trounces it with the vigour of a convert. Money is the creation of the State; it is not true to say that gold is international currency, for international contracts are never made in terms of gold, but always in terms of some national monetary unit; there is no essential or important distinction between notes and metallic money; money is the measure of value, but to regard it as having value...

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