Information Technology and the U.S. Economy

69 Pages Posted: 25 Jan 2001

See all articles by Dale W. Jorgenson

Dale W. Jorgenson

Harvard University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Date Written: January 2001

Abstract

The resurgence of the American economy since 1995 has outrun all but the most optimistic expectations. Economic forecasting models have been seriously off track and growth projections have been revised to reflect a more sanguine outlook only recently. It is not surprising that the unusual combination of more rapid growth and slower inflation in the 1990's has touched off a strenuous debate among economists about whether improvements in America's economic performance can be sustained.

The starting point for the economic debate is the thesis that the 1990's are a mirror image of the 1970's, when an unfavorable series of "supply shocks" led to stagflation -- slower growth and higher inflation. In this view, the development of information technology (IT) is one of a series of positive, but temporary, shocks. The competing perspective is that IT has produced a fundamental change in the U.S. economy, leading to a permanent improvement in growth prospects.

JEL Classification: EO

Suggested Citation

Jorgenson, Dale W., Information Technology and the U.S. Economy (January 2001). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=257536 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.257536

Dale W. Jorgenson (Contact Author)

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Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

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