Models for the analysis of consumer demand in the post war United Kingdom

The thesis involves an examination of theoretical models of consumer behaviour that are available and their empirical application to a variety of data on post-war United Kingdom consumer demand. Major theoretical results involve classification of demand systems exhibiting linear group spending functions and that are consistent with strongly separable preferences formulation of preferences which admit the introduction of exogenous parameters into the demand system in a particularly simple fashion; characterisation of the restrictions which reduce generalised separable to separable systems; conditions for linear aggregation across consumers with grouped income distribution data; conditions for aggregation across consumers with endogenous labour supply and an associated functional form for the distribution of incomes; the relationship between myopic state adjustment models and neoclassical models; conditions for the existence of Fisherian user costs in intertemporal models; the relationship between short and long run consumer choices. Major empirical exercises involve estimation of a generalised separable system exhibiting nonlinear Engel curves on a fine commodity classification (eighty seven commodities) estimation of a demand system disaggregated by consumer and consequent testing of aggregate demand theory estimation of an inter temporal model to explain purchases of durables, non durables and consumer saving.