General Equilibrium and the New Neoclassical Synthesis

Abstract

We present a general equilibrium model of the new neoclassical synthesis that has the same level of generality as the Arrow-Debreu model. This involves a stochastic multi-period economy with a monetary sector and sticky commodity prices. We formulate the notion of a sticky price equilibrium where all agents form rational expectations on prices for commodities and assets, interest rates, and rationing. We present a general result showing that monetary policy imposes no restrictions whatsoever on nominal equilibrium price levels and that the set of sticky price equilibria has a dimension equal to the number of terminal date-events. Stickiness of prices implies that this indeterminacy is real.

Keywords: general equlibrium, monetary policy, sticky prices, new neoclassical synthesis, indeterminacy

JEL Classification: D50, D90, E50