Macroeconomic Analysis

by Dirk Niepelt

Overview

A concise but rigorous and thorough introduction to modern macroeconomic theory.

This book offers an introduction to modern macroeconomic theory. It is concise but rigorous and broad, covering all major areas in mainstream macroeconomics today and showing how macroeconomic models build on and relate to each other. The self-contained text begins with models of individual decision makers, proceeds to models of general equilibrium without and with friction, and, finally, presents positive and normative theories of economic policy.

After a review of the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomics, the book analyzes the household optimization problem, the representative household model, and the overlapping generations model. It examines risk and the implications for household choices and macroeconomic outcomes; equilibrium asset returns, prices, and bubbles; labor supply, growth, and business cycles; and open economy issues. It introduces frictions and analyzes their consequences in the labor market, financial markets, and for investment; studies money as a unit of account, store of value, and medium of exchange; and analyzes price setting in general equilibrium. Turning to government and economic policy, the book covers taxation, debt, social security, and monetary policy; optimal fiscal and monetary policies; and sequential policy choice, with applications in capital income taxation, sovereign debt and default, politically motivated redistribution, and monetary policy biases. Macroeconomic Analysis can be used by first-year graduate students in economics and students in master's programs, and as a supplemental text for advanced courses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262043472
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	12/31/2019
Series:	The MIT Press
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	224,428
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dirk Niepelt is Director of the Study Center Gerzensee and Professor at the University of Bern.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

An orderly and elegant presentation of essential ideas of modern macroeconomics with a perfect mix of tools and applications.

—Thomas Sargent, Professor of Economics, New York University; recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

This book provides an excellent introduction into dynamic macroeconomics. Its analysis is deep, self-contained, and still concise. The chapters on labor search frictions, financial frictions, and money are an extra plus and make it a superb choice for a first-year PhD or advanced master's course in macroeconomics.

—Markus Brunnermeier, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Economics, Princeton University

A needed, up-to-date primer on macroeconomic theory. It is comprehensive, covering all the essential topics, from optimal consumption and labor supply to economic growth, business cycles, and asset markets. It is thorough and rigorous, yet accessible, as it requires little prior knowledge of the key concepts and mathematical tools.

—George-Marios Angeletos, Professor of Economics, MIT

Macroeconomic Analysis is the rare textbook that is both comprehensive and rigorous, as well as concise and simple. By staying focused on the core model of dynamic macroeconomics, it elegantly navigates through many topics. After studying this book, students will be ready to join the exciting debates in modern macroeconomics.

—Ricardo Reis, A. W. Phillips Professor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science

Niepelt's textbook provides a concise, but rigorous introduction to the key concepts, tools, and models that constitute modern macroeconomic theory. His pedagogical approach, introducing the key building blocks of the theory one at a time, and focusing on what is essential at each stage, should make the learning experience a pleasant one. I expect it to become a staple reference in first-year graduate courses.

—Jordi Galí, CREI, Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Barcelona GSE

Finally, a book that fills the longstanding, and growing, gap between existing undergraduate and graduate macroeconomics textbooks. The winning approach of the author is to rigorously develop the core insights in each topic studied, avoiding superfluous diversions. The emphasis on government policy and political economy is especially useful in interpreting current global macroeconomic events.

—Gianluca Violante, Professor of Economics, Princeton University

This is an excellent textbook for macroeconomics at the master's or beginning PhD level. The topics and the material used to cover them are well chosen; the treatment gives a solid and unified background for positive and normative analysis. It strikes a good balance between being conceptually clear and logically consistent, and at the same time quite accessible.

—Fernando Alvarez, Saieh Family Professor of Economics, University of Chicago