Government of Canada

About: Government of Canada is a government organization based out in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Monetary policy & Productivity. The organization has 796 authors who have published 886 publications receiving 21366 citations. The organization is also known as: federal government of Canada & Her Majesty's Government.

Semi-Nonparametric Estimation of Random Coefficient Logit Model for Aggregate Demand

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a two-step semi-nonparametric estimator for the widely used random coefficient logit demand model. In the first step, exploiting the structure of logit choice probabilities, we transform the full demand system into a partial linear model and estimate the fixed (non-random) coefficients using standard linear sieve generalized method of moment (GMM). In the second step, we construct a sieve minimum distance (MD) estimator to uncover the distribution of random coefficients nonparametrically. We establish the asymptotic properties of the estimator and show the semi-nonparametric identification of the model in a large market environment. Monte Carlo simulations and empirical illustrations support the theoretical results and demonstrate the usefulness of our estimator in practice.

Effect of formulation properties on ground and foliar deposits of two insecticides in flushed and one year‐old balsam fir needles following aerial application

Abstract: A study was conducted in 1985 in Newfoundland to investigate the interrelationships between the physical properties of spray formulations, droplet-size spectra and deposits on ground sampling units, and deposits on flushed and one-year-old balsam fir foliage following aerial application of aminocarb and fenitrothion at different dosage rates, but using the same volume rates. The fenitrothion formulations were pseudoplastic, because of the presence of polymeric ingredients, and provided higher deposits on the ground sampling units and on foliage than the aminocarb formulations, which were nearly Newtonian. At similar dosage rates, the ground deposits of fenitrothion were about twice those of aminocarb, whereas the corresponding foliar deposits were about 6 to 8 times higher than those of aminocarb, suggesting possible advantages of pseudoplastic formulations in providing optimum droplet sizes for enhanced deposition on balsam fir needles. The foliar deposits generally showed an increase when the dosage rates of the two insecticides were increased. Deposits in flushed foliage were slightly higher than those in mature foliage, probably due to the location of the flushed needles at the extreme periphery of the tree canopy.

Limited Nominal Indexation of Optimal Financial Contracts

Abstract: We study a model with repeated moral hazard where financial contracts are not fully indexed to inflation because nominal prices are observed with delay as in Jovanovic and Ueda 1997. More constrained firms sign contracts that are less indexed to inflation and, as a result, their investment is more sensitive to nominal price shocks. We also find that the overall degree of nominal indexation increases with price uncertainty. An implication of this is that economies with higher inflation uncertainty are less vulnerable to a price shock of a given magnitude. The micro predictions of the model are tested empirically using macro and firm-level data from Canada.

Estimating Demand for Differentiated Products with Zeroes in Market Share Data

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a new approach to estimating differentiated product demand systems that allows for products with zero sales in the data. Zeroes in demand are a common problem in product differentiated markets, but fall outside the scope of existing demand estimation techniques. Our solution to the zeroes problem is based on constructing bounds for the conditional expectation of the inverse demand. These bounds can be translated into moment inequalities that are shown to yield consistent and asymptotically normal point estimator for demand parameters under natural conditions for differentiated product markets. In Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that the new approach works well even when the fraction of zeroes is as high as 95%. We apply our estimator to supermarket scanner data and find that correcting the bias caused by zeroes has important empirical implications, e.g., price elasticities become on the order of twice as large when zeroes are properly controlled.

Science and technology foresight: a provocative tool for contending with future challenges in food safety and public veterinary medicine.

Abstract: Summary The author describes how foresight methods can provide a provocative approach to some of the key challenges faced by the world of animal health and public veterinary practices while supporting the safety and security of the food system and public health in general. Being provocative is important because the future may be very unfamiliar and demands an approach of critical thinking, which can best be activated by having to consider the prospective reality of one or more substantially different policy operational environments. The factors that are shaping our future may also be quite disruptive (for example from 1989 to 1994 when the Cold War abruptly ended, the Soviet Union dissolved and the internet was born). Consequently it is essential that any forward preparedness efforts explore a range of plausible options and not immediately discount those that may in today’s terms appear unlikely. The author reviews the methods through to the point where scenario parameters are defined, and then switches to observations about how the process can influence and provoke policy formulation. The results of the foresight and scenarios employment are described by Willis in another paper in this volume.