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Budget deficits, public debt and the level of public investment

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  • Malcom SAWYER

Abstract

This paper begins by briefly identifying the two traditions in macroeconomic analysis with regard to budget deficits, that of ‘fiscal consolidation and Ricardian equivalence’ and the ‘functional finance’ approach. The paper argues for the deficits/debt position to be approached in terms of ‘functional finance’, which sets the budget position to be compatible with the highest achievable and sustainable level of economic activity, to an alternative ‘rule’ for budget deficits to those such as ‘balanced budget over the cycle’. The paper points to the focus on the size of the public debt, and argues that the government’s capital account balance sheet should be viewed in terms of assets and liabilities and not liabilities alone. The paper also argues that there is no merit in the adoption of a ‘golden rule’.

Suggested Citation

  • Malcom SAWYER, 2009. "Budget deficits, public debt and the level of public investment," Departmental Working Papers 2009-31, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    • Handle: RePEc:mil:wpdepa:2009-31
    as

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    File URL: http://wp.demm.unimi.it/files/wp/2009/DEMM-2009_031wp.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diego Martinez-Lopez, 2006. "Linking Public Investment to Private Investment. The Case of Spanish Regions," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 411-423.
    2. Buiter, Willem H, 2001. "Notes on 'A Code for Fiscal Stability.'," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 53(1), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Easterly, William & Rebelo, Sergio, 1993. "Fiscal policy and economic growth: An empirical investigation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 417-458, December.
    4. Aschauer, David Alan, 1989. "Does public capital crowd out private capital?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 171-188, September.
    5. Olivier Jean Blanchard & Stanley Fischer, 1989. "Lectures on Macroeconomics," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262022834, December.
    6. Erenburg, S. J. & Wohar, Mark E., 1995. "Public and private investment: Are there causal linkages?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 1-30.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Functional finance; fiscal consolidation; budget deficits; public sector balance sheet; public debt;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures

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