Can passive monetary policy decrease the debt burden?

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control
Year: 2024
Volume: 159
Issue: C

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Large expansionary fiscal measures are often implemented with monetary accommodation during an economic crisis. When a government is highly indebted, and the timing of switching to the conventional regime M (passive fiscal/active monetary policies) is uncertain, a government spending increase in regime F (active fiscal/passive monetary policies) increases government debt. Such regime uncertainty dampens inflation and debt revaluation effects. Also, as regime uncertainty generates a smaller real interest rate decline, debt servicing costs fall less, and tax revenues increase less, than in the fixed regime F. These factors contribute to reversing the debt decline for a spending increase in the fixed regime F. The result holds under adverse supply shocks and potentially higher capital taxes, relevant factors in the post-COVID U.S. economy.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:dyncon:v:159:y:2024:i:c:s0165188923002087
Journal Field
Macro
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25