The determination of public debt under both aggregate and idiosyncratic uncertainty

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Theory
Year: 2022
Volume: 203
Issue: C

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

We use an analytically tractable, heterogeneous-agent incomplete-markets model to show that the Ramsey planner's decision to finance stochastic public expenditures implies a departure from tax smoothing and an endogenous mean-reverting force to support positive debt growth despite the government's precautionary saving motives. Specifically, the government's attempt to balance the competing incentives between its own precautionary saving (tax smoothing) and households' precautionary saving (individual consumption smoothing)—even at the cost of extra tax distortion—implies an endogenous, soft lower bound on the stochastic unit-root dynamics of optimal taxes and public debt.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jetheo:v:203:y:2022:i:c:s0022053122000643
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25