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Government indebtedness and european consumers behaviour

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  • António Afonso

Abstract

According to conventional macroeconomics, public debt has a significant effect on the economy since consumers see public debt as net wealth, however, according to the Ricardian Equivalence hypothesis, that effect would be absent. This paper’s results, obtained from Euler equation estimations, using a panel data approach, indicate that it would be wise to reject the debt neutrality hypothesis for the EU-15. However, estimations carried out after dividing the countries into two groups, tentatively allow us to conclude that private consumption in "less indebted" countries seems to be more responsive to wealth increases than in the "more indebted" countries.

Suggested Citation

  • António Afonso, 2001. "Government indebtedness and european consumers behaviour," Working Papers Department of Economics 2001/12, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.
  • Handle: RePEc:ise:isegwp:wp122001
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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Deficit finance; Ricardian equivalence; Private consumption; European Union; panel data.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

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