Essays in Macroeconomic Analysis

Abstract

This dissertation consists of four essays concerning the analysis of dynamic fluctuations in various U.S. macroeconomic aggregates with particular attention to the links between real private investment, real private consumption and different aspects of government spending. These essays constitute four separate approaches that are based on different assumptions and conduct different methodological avenues. While each chapter is meant to be "stand-alone" and independent of each other, all four center around one motivating factor: the recent evidence of differential growth rates between real consumption and real investment in the U.S. Different production processes for investment and consumption, sector-specific technology processes and price fluctuations are separately examined as potential factors that could account for this not so recent phenomenon.