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Linear and non-linear Price Decentralization. General equilibrium theory provides the conceptual foundation for our understanding of efficiency and welfare economics. However, at present it does not provide for an adequate understanding in many seetings: for instance, in the case of incomplete financial markets and markets with imperfect information. This project is part of the ongoing and broad research program in the Economic Theory Center of The University of Melbourne on general equilibriu ....Linear and non-linear Price Decentralization. General equilibrium theory provides the conceptual foundation for our understanding of efficiency and welfare economics. However, at present it does not provide for an adequate understanding in many seetings: for instance, in the case of incomplete financial markets and markets with imperfect information. This project is part of the ongoing and broad research program in the Economic Theory Center of The University of Melbourne on general equilibrium theory and mathematical economics. It seeks to extend the classical theory of price decentralization and rectify some of the defects of modern general equilibrium theory.Read moreRead less
Choice and Classification in complex and adversarial environments. Any policy must take account of individuals' incentives to strategically manipulate. Mechanism Design is an area of economic theory that addresses precisely this. In its theoretical development however, it overlooks practical constraints for monitoring behavior. For instance, for fraud detection and credit scoring, automated statistical machine learning models discussed in computer science (CS) are used. Here, we constrain ....Choice and Classification in complex and adversarial environments. Any policy must take account of individuals' incentives to strategically manipulate. Mechanism Design is an area of economic theory that addresses precisely this. In its theoretical development however, it overlooks practical constraints for monitoring behavior. For instance, for fraud detection and credit scoring, automated statistical machine learning models discussed in computer science (CS) are used. Here, we constrain monitoring strategies to be such algorithms and address the monitoring of a population of individuals or a similarly constrained large adversary. Notable cross disciplinary implications exist forRead moreRead less
Strategic Thought and Prediction in Strategic Environments. Game theory is now an integral tool for economics and business. It helps predict behavior in strategic environments and thus answers important questions: What form of auction to use in the pending sale of 3G spectrum? How should the government sell its bonds? How to detect implict collusion among companies? What division of benefits of joint research ventures will attract maximum participation?
This project aims to greatly increas ....Strategic Thought and Prediction in Strategic Environments. Game theory is now an integral tool for economics and business. It helps predict behavior in strategic environments and thus answers important questions: What form of auction to use in the pending sale of 3G spectrum? How should the government sell its bonds? How to detect implict collusion among companies? What division of benefits of joint research ventures will attract maximum participation?
This project aims to greatly increase the predictive power of game theory and provide decisive answers to questions such as above. This is achieved by developing a theory that relates individuals' current behavior to their experiences in analogous environments in the past.
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Investigating imprecision in preferences and its possible consequences for economics and economic choices. When people's preferences are not clear, their choices become variable and susceptible to theoretically irrelevant influences. Examples can be found in surveys of preferences intended to inform public policy in areas such as health, safety and the environment. Understanding the nature of imprecision in people's values and choices is also likely to be crucial for consumers' ability to advan ....Investigating imprecision in preferences and its possible consequences for economics and economic choices. When people's preferences are not clear, their choices become variable and susceptible to theoretically irrelevant influences. Examples can be found in surveys of preferences intended to inform public policy in areas such as health, safety and the environment. Understanding the nature of imprecision in people's values and choices is also likely to be crucial for consumers' ability to advance their interests in our complex, choice-filled society. We plan to draw out some of the implications of our experimental work on preference imprecision for consumer behaviour and existing business practices, including the regulation of fair trading.Read moreRead less
Risk and Australian public policy. This project will develop fundamentally new approaches to the theory of risk and uncertainty and their role in the design and management of complex projects and policy initiatives. The results will be applied to the central economic policy choices facing Australia; those connected with globalisation and microeconomic reform. This project will show how the latest advances in economic theory can help to illuminate the major issues in the Australian public debate, ....Risk and Australian public policy. This project will develop fundamentally new approaches to the theory of risk and uncertainty and their role in the design and management of complex projects and policy initiatives. The results will be applied to the central economic policy choices facing Australia; those connected with globalisation and microeconomic reform. This project will show how the latest advances in economic theory can help to illuminate the major issues in the Australian public debate, from the role of government and the market to the assessment of standards of living. The project will also help to bridge the gap between economics and other social sciences.Read moreRead less
New perspectives on Australian economic history: Geography, institutions and major episodes. This project will contribute directly to an improved knowledge of the determinants of the structure of economic activity, and macroeconomic performance and economic growth in Australia. Having a better understanding of the main influences on Australian economic growth will assist in the development of policies to promote these outcomes. The project will also make a significant addition to international ....New perspectives on Australian economic history: Geography, institutions and major episodes. This project will contribute directly to an improved knowledge of the determinants of the structure of economic activity, and macroeconomic performance and economic growth in Australia. Having a better understanding of the main influences on Australian economic growth will assist in the development of policies to promote these outcomes. The project will also make a significant addition to international knowledge in the field of new comparative economic history by adding an extra body of evidence to cross-country perspectives on the determinants of national economic performance that draws on Australia's distinctive geography and institutions. Finally, the project will provide valuable research training and skills.Read moreRead less
Increasing Returns and Economic Efficiency. The project attempts to increase the international profile of Australian research by extending the analysis of the challenging issues of economic efficiency in the presence of increasing returns. The proposed analysis takes account of both allocational efficiency and organizational efficiency. It will integrate the Dixit-Stiglitz model of the traditional analysis with the Yang-Ng-Shi model of the new framework to provide a more realistic analysis that ....Increasing Returns and Economic Efficiency. The project attempts to increase the international profile of Australian research by extending the analysis of the challenging issues of economic efficiency in the presence of increasing returns. The proposed analysis takes account of both allocational efficiency and organizational efficiency. It will integrate the Dixit-Stiglitz model of the traditional analysis with the Yang-Ng-Shi model of the new framework to provide a more realistic analysis that allows for increasing returns in both home and firm/market production. This conceptual extension constitutes an advance that is of analytical value and will also be relevant for the formulation of public economic policy in the Australian setting and also more generally. Read moreRead less
Testing for Age Discrimination in Hiring in the Australian Labour Market. This project will raise awareness in the community of the extent, or lack thereof, of age discrimination in the Australian labour market. This is particularly important as no other investigations of this nature have been made. The findings will provide a valuable and important complement to the surveys of employer's attitudes towards older workers. There will be policy implications for the structure and operation of anti-d ....Testing for Age Discrimination in Hiring in the Australian Labour Market. This project will raise awareness in the community of the extent, or lack thereof, of age discrimination in the Australian labour market. This is particularly important as no other investigations of this nature have been made. The findings will provide a valuable and important complement to the surveys of employer's attitudes towards older workers. There will be policy implications for the structure and operation of anti-discrimination legislation in Australia. The technique of using written applications to apply for jobs can highlight deficiencies in the current legislation and ways in which the legislation can be modified to make it more effective. Read moreRead less
House Prices in Australia: A Hedonic Analysis. House prices are an important input to monetary policy since they impact directly on inflation and may be a source of speculative bubbles. The Governor of the Reserve Bank, however, recently described housing as the ``weakest link in all the price data.'' This project will attempt to resolve this problem. The resulting indexes should be of considerable interest to the Reserve Bank, the media, home owners, the real estate industry, and enhance the re ....House Prices in Australia: A Hedonic Analysis. House prices are an important input to monetary policy since they impact directly on inflation and may be a source of speculative bubbles. The Governor of the Reserve Bank, however, recently described housing as the ``weakest link in all the price data.'' This project will attempt to resolve this problem. The resulting indexes should be of considerable interest to the Reserve Bank, the media, home owners, the real estate industry, and enhance the reputation of Australian universities. They will also quantify the extent of the burden imposed on young people by rising house prices, and its consequent strain on society.Read moreRead less
Agglomeration of Economic Activity in a Developing Country Context. This project examines the geographical concentration of manufacturing by exploiting unusually detailed Indonesian firm-level data. The analysis is based on a new rich body of theory which explicitly takes account of the spatial linkages and transport costs between firms and their markets. Indonesia's high internal transport costs -arising from its geography and poor internal transport system - make it an interesting case study. ....Agglomeration of Economic Activity in a Developing Country Context. This project examines the geographical concentration of manufacturing by exploiting unusually detailed Indonesian firm-level data. The analysis is based on a new rich body of theory which explicitly takes account of the spatial linkages and transport costs between firms and their markets. Indonesia's high internal transport costs -arising from its geography and poor internal transport system - make it an interesting case study. Further, the importance of regional development to the country's political stability make deconcentration of industry a vital policy issue. An understanding of the agglomeration process is essential to the development of effective policies aimed at stimulating under-developed regions.Read moreRead less