Introduction to Modern Bayesian Econometrics

Book excerpt: Almost two hundred and forty years ago, an English clergyman named Thomas Bayes developed a method to calculate the chances of uncertain events. While his method has extensive applications to the work of applied economists, it is only recent advances in computing that have made it possible to exploit the full power of the Bayesian way of doing applied economics.In this new and expanding area, Tony Lancasters text provides a comprehensive introduction to the Bayesian way of doing applied economics. Using clear explanations and practical illustrations and problems, the text presents innovative, computer-intensive ways for applied economists to use the Bayesian method.The Introduction emphasizes computation and the study of probability distributions by computer sampling, showing how these techniques can provide exact inferences about a wide range of econometric problems. Covering all the standard econometric models, including linear and non-linear regression using cross-sectional, time series, and panel data, it also details causal inference and inference about structural econometric models. In addition, each chapter includes numerical and graphical examples and demonstrates their solutions using the S programming language and Bugs software.