Skip to main content
Log in

Estimation of structural impulse responses: short-run versus long-run identifying restrictions

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
AStA Advances in Statistical Analysis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There is evidence that estimates of long-run impulse responses of structural vector autoregressive (VAR) models based on long-run identifying restrictions may not be very accurate. This finding suggests that using short-run identifying restrictions may be preferable. We compare structural VAR impulse response estimates based on long-run and short-run identifying restrictions and find that long-run identifying restrictions can result in much more precise estimates for the structural impulse responses than restrictions on the impact effects of the shocks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Blanchard, O., Quah, D.: The dynamic effects of aggregate demand and supply disturbances. Am. Econ. Rev. 79, 655–673 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiano, L.J., Eichenbaum, M., Evans, C.: Monetary policy shocks: what have we learned and to what end? In: Taylor, J.B., Woodford, M. (eds.) Handbook of Macroeconomics, vol. 1A, pp. 65–148. Elsevier, Amsterdam (1999)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Christiano, L.J., Eichenbaum, M., Vigfusson, R.J.: Alternative procedures for estimating vector autoregressions identified with long-run restrictions. J. Eur. Econ. Assoc. 4, 475–483 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erceg, C., Guerrieri, L., Gust, C.: Can long-run restrictions identify technology shocks? J. Eur. Econ. Assoc. 3, 1237–1278 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faust, J., Leeper, E.: When do long-run identifying restrictions give reliable results? J. Bus. Econ. Stat. 15, 345–353 (1997)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Fernández-Villaverde, J., Rubio-Ramírez, J.F., Sargent, T.J., Watson, M.W.: ABCs (and Ds) of understanding VARs. Am. Econ. Rev. 97, 1021–1026 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galí, J.: Technology, employment, and the business cycle: do technology shocks explain aggregate fluctuations? Am. Econ. Rev. 89(1), 249–271 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gospodinov, N.: Inference in nearly nonstationary SVAR models with long-run identifying restrictions. J. Bus. Econ. Stat. 28, 1–12 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Kilian, L.: Small-sample confidence intervals for impulse response functions. Rev. Econ. Stat. 80, 218–230 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilian, L.: Not all oil price shocks are alike: disentangling demand and supply shocks in the crude oil market. Am. Econ. Rev. 99, 1053–1069 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilian, L., Lütkepohl, H.: Structural Vector Autoregressive Analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2017). (forthcoming)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Lütkepohl, H.: New Introduction to Multiple Time Series Analysis. Springer-Verlag, Berlin (2005)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Lütkepohl, H., Staszewska-Bystrova, A., Winker, P.: Comparison of methods for constructing joint confidence bands for impulse response functions. Int. J. Forecast. 31, 782–798 (2015a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lütkepohl, H., Staszewska-Bystrova, A., Winker, P.: Confidence bands for impulse responses: Bonferroni versus Wald. Oxf. Bull. Econ. Stat. 77, 800–821 (2015b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pesavento, E., Rossi, B.: Small-sample confidence intervals for multivariate impulse response functions at long horizons. J. Appl. Econ. 21, 1135–1155 (2005)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Ravenna, F.: Vector autoregressions and reduced form representations of DSGE models. J. Monet. Econ. 54, 2048–2064 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sims, C.A.: Macroeconomics and reality. Econometrica 48, 1–48 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank two anonymous referees for constructive comments on the exposition of the paper. The research for this paper was partly carried out while the first author was a Bundesbank Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin. Financial support was provided by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through SFB 649 “Economic Risk” and the National Science Center, Poland (NCN) through HARMONIA 6: UMO-2014/14/M/HS4/00901.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Winker.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lütkepohl, H., Staszewska-Bystrova, A. & Winker, P. Estimation of structural impulse responses: short-run versus long-run identifying restrictions. AStA Adv Stat Anal 102, 229–244 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10182-017-0300-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10182-017-0300-9

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation