Oil and the Macroeconomy Since the 1970s

37 Pages Posted: 8 Sep 2004

See all articles by Robert Barsky

Robert Barsky

Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Lutz Kilian

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 2004

Abstract

Increases in oil prices have been held responsible for recessions, periods of excessive inflation, reduced productivity and lower economic growth. In this Paper, we review the arguments supporting such views. First, we highlight some of the conceptual difficulties in assigning a central role to oil price shocks in explaining macroeconomic fluctuations, and we trace how the arguments of proponents of the oil view have evolved in response to these difficulties. Second, we challenge the notion that at least the major oil price movements can be viewed as exogenous with respect to the US macroeconomy. We examine critically the evidence that has led many economists to ascribe a central role to exogenous political events in modelling the oil market, and we provide arguments in favour of 'reverse causality' from macroeconomic variables to oil prices. Third, although none of the more recent oil price shocks has been associated with stagflation in the US economy, a major reason for the continued popularity of the oil shock hypothesis has been the perception that only oil price shocks are able to explain the US stagflation of the 1970s. We show that this is not the case.

Keywords: Oil shock, stagflation, OPEC, recession

JEL Classification: E31, E32

Suggested Citation

Barsky, Robert B. and Kilian, Lutz, Oil and the Macroeconomy Since the 1970s (July 2004). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=588243

Robert B. Barsky

Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago ( email )

230 South LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60604
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University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Economics ( email )

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Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Lutz Kilian (Contact Author)

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas ( email )

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PO Box 655906
Dallas, TX 75265-5906
United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

London
United Kingdom

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