07/04/2024
MEANING OF ECONOMETRICS
Econometrics is the social science that applies the tools of economic theory, mathematics and statistical inference to analyze economic phenomena and to estimate causal relationships among variables i.e. how a change in one variable affects the other. Thus, econometrics combines economic theory, mathematics and statistics. This amalgamation of the three subjects is vital as illustrated below.
Definition of Econometrics (Greene, 2003)
Econometrics is the field of economics that concerns itself with the application of mathematical statistics, and tools of statistical inference to the empirical measurement of relationships postulated by economic theory.
ECONOMIC THEORY
Economic theory forms the basis for any econometric work, and should really be the starting point for econometric analysis.
However, theory itself lacks empirical content. For example, economic theory tells us that people tend to consume more in consumption expenditure, whenever their disposable income raises, i.e. the economic theory of consumption. However, as can be noted, the theory fails to give empirical content, e.g. by how much will consumption expenditure increases if income increases by one unit?
This lack in empirical content is of interest to an econometrician. Thus, econometrics helps to empirically verify economic theory.
MATHEMATICAL ECONOMICS
Mathematical economics helps us to convert the theory into an equation, which is then empirically tested by the econometrician. Thus with mathematical economics, we can say, where C is consumption expenditure and Yd is disposable income.
STATISTICS
Statistics provides the econometrician with the know-how and tools of data collection, processing, analysis and presentation of results. Thus statistics helps to test theories and explain the results.
Note: none of these three subjects independently constitutes econometrics. Actually it is their UNIFICATION that constitutes econometrics (ECONOMETRICA).