Abstract
After the banking crises experienced by many countries in the 1990s and in 2008, financial market conditions have turned out to be a relevant factor for economic fluctuations. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether frictions in financial markets are important for business cycles, and whether the recent 2007-2008 crisis has enhanced (or reduced) the size of some shocks and the role played by financial factors in driving economic fluctuations. The analysis is based on both versions of the Smets and Wouters DSGE model (2003, 2007), which are estimated using Bayesian techniques. Both versions are augmented to include an endogenous financial accelerator mechanism which arises from information asymmetries between lenders and borrowers that create inefficiencies in financial markets.
The analysis is based on the same data-set as in the Smets and Wouters model, but extended to 2010. One first set of results suggests that the recent crisis has amplified the relevance of financial factors. Overall, this paper proves that the Smets and Wouters model augmented with a financial accelerator mechanism is suitable to capture much of the historical developments in U.S. financial markets that led to the financial crisis in 2007-2008. In particular, the concomitance of a peak in leverage ratio and the deepening of the recession supports the argument that leverage and credit have an important role to play in shaping the business cycle, in particular the intensity of recessions.

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