A History of Macroeconomics from Keynes to Lucas and Beyond

by Michel De Vroey

Overview

This book retraces the history of macroeconomics from Keynes's General Theory to the present. Central to it is the contrast between a Keynesian era and a Lucasian - or dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) - era, each ruled by distinct methodological standards. In the Keynesian era, the book studies the following theories: Keynesian macroeconomics, monetarism, disequilibrium macroeconomics (Patinkin, Leijongufvud and Clower), non-Walrasian equilibrium models, and first-generation new Keynesian models. Three stages are identified in the DSGE era: new classical macroeconomics (Lucas), RBC modelling, and second-generation new Keynesian modeling. The book also examines a few selected works aimed at presenting alternatives to Lucasian macroeconomics. While not eschewing analytical content, Michel De Vroey focuses on substantive assessments, and the models studied are presented in a pedagogical and vivid yet critical way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316417980
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/07/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Michel De Vroey is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Louvain and visiting professor at the Université Saint Louis, Brussels. He has published several books, including Involuntary Unemployment: The Elusive Quest for a Theory (2007) and Keynes, Lucas: D'une macroéconomie à l'autre (2009). He has also published extensively in scholarly journals.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Keynes and Keynesian Macroeconomics: 1. Keynes's General Theory; 2. Keynesian macroeconomics; 3. The neoclassical synthesis program: Klein and Patinkin; 4. Monetarism; 5. Phelps and Friedman: the natural rate of unemployment; 6. Leijonhufvud and Clower; 7. Non-Walrasian equilibrium models; 8. Assessment; Part II. DSGE Macroeconomics: 9. Lucas and the emergence of DSGE macroeconomics; 10. A methodological breach; 11. Assessing Lucas; 12. Early reactions to Lucas; 13. Reacting to Lucas: first generation new Keynesians; 14. Reacting to Lucas: alternative research lines; 15. Real business cycle modeling: Kydland and Prescott's contribution; 16. Real business cycle modeling: critical reactions and further developments; 17. Real business cycle modeling: assessment; 18. Second generation new Keynesian modeling; Part III. A Broader Perspective: 19. The history of macroeconomics against the Marshall–Walras divide; 20. Standing up to DSGE macroeconomics; 21. Looking back, looking ahead.