Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
The excess sensitivity of consumption to current income fluctuations is higher in countries where consumers borrow less. Low levels of consumer debt can result either from capital market imperfections or from a low demand for loans. The evidence suggests that the former view is more appropriate than the latter, and thus supports the hypothesis that excess sensitivity may be attributed to liquidity constraints, rather than to other factors. Copyright 1989 by American Economic Association.