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Finite horizons and the twin deficits

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  • Kenneth Kasa

Abstract

This paper uses Blanchard's (1985) model to study the relationship between budget deficits and trade deficits. The model is applied to annual post-war data from the U.S., Japan, and Germany. I find that in all three countries there is a significant link between trade deficits and budget deficits, holding constant expected changes in GNP and government expenditure. However, the implied planning horizons are quite different across countries. In particular, the implied planning horizon in the U.S. is only about 3 to 4 years, whereas in Japan it is 71 years and in Germany it is 31 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth Kasa, 1994. "Finite horizons and the twin deficits," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, pages 19-28.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedfer:y:1994:p:19-28:n:3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. B. Douglas Bernheim, 1987. "Ricardian Equivalence: An Evaluation of Theory and Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1987, Volume 2, pages 263-316, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yoichi Matsubayashi, 2010. "Budget Deficits and Current Account in Japan and the U.S.: An Empirical Evidence on the Twin Deficits Hypothesis," Discussion Papers 1010, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    2. Hsiao-chuan Chang, 2004. "Budget Balance And Trade Balance:Kin Or Strangers. A Case Study Of Taiwan," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 893, The University of Melbourne.
    3. Aviral Kumar TIWARI & Suresh K G & Mihai MUTAȘCU, 2015. "A Structural VAR analysis of Fiscal shocks on current accounts in Greece," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(3(604), A), pages 5-20, Autumn.
    4. Hany Eldemerdash & Hugh Metcalf & Sara Maioli, 2014. "Twin deficits: new evidence from a developing (oil vs. non-oil) countries’ perspective," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 825-851, November.
    5. Bilman, Mustafa Erhan & Karaoğlan, Sadık, 2020. "Does the twin deficit hypothesis hold in the OECD countries under different real interest rate regimes?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 205-215.
    6. Misztal, Piotr, 2012. "The link between government budget and current account in the Baltic countries," MPRA Paper 40784, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Shankar Prasad Acharya, 2009. "Verification of Causality through VAR and Intervention Analysis: Econometric Modeling on Budget Deficit and Trade Deficit in Nepal," NRB Economic Review, Nepal Rastra Bank, Economic Research Department, vol. 21, pages 1-30, April.
    8. Rafiq, Sohrab, 2010. "Fiscal stance, the current account and the real exchange rate: Some empirical estimates from a time-varying framework," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 276-290, November.
    9. Abdulnasser Hatemi-J & Ghazi Shukur, 2002. "Multivariate-based causality tests of twin deficits in the US," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(6), pages 817-824.
    10. Leachman, Lori L. & Francis, Bill B., 2000. "Multicointegration Analysis of the Sustainability of Foreign Debt," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 207-227, April.
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