Dissecting fiscal multipliers under the fiscal theory of the price level

B-Tier
Journal: European Economic Review
Year: 2017
Volume: 95
Issue: C
Pages: 62-83

Authors (2)

Beck-Friis, Peder (not in RePEc) Willems, Tim (Bank of England)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

We derive analytical expressions for fiscal multipliers on output and inflation under the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level. In the associated ‘fiscal regime’, taxation multipliers turn positive, while the government spending multiplier has the same functional form as its counterpart in the ‘monetary regime’, augmented by a nominal wealth effect. As a result, fiscal multipliers tend to be larger in the fiscal regime, with the degree of price stickiness being a key determinant of their exact sizes. In particular, multipliers go to infinity as prices become fully fixed, and collapse to their equivalents in the monetary regime as prices become fully flexible. Standard calibrations suggest that the fiscal regime hosts a government spending multiplier on output that lies between 1 and 3. We also analyze the effectiveness of money-financed fiscal stimulus. In the fiscal regime, money-financed stimulus is equivalent to a particular form of debt-financed stimulus. The effectiveness of money-financed stimulus in raising output (relative to inflation) decreases as monetary policy becomes more responsive to inflation.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:eecrev:v:95:y:2017:i:c:p:62-83
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29