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Is Government Spending at the Zero Lower Bound Desirable?

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  • Florin O. Bilbiie
  • Tommaso Monacelli
  • Roberto Perotti

Abstract

We build a medium-scale DSGE model and calibrate it to fit the main macroeconomic variables during the US Great Recession. Using it to evaluate the welfare effects of increasing government consumption at the zero lower bound beyond what was actually observed in the data, we reach three main results. First, the increase in government consumption after 2008, albeit small in present value terms, was close to optimal. Second, frontloading the same stimulus would have been welfare-improving. Third, larger welfare effects occur in our model for parameter values implying either large welfare costs of modest recessions (e.g., high consumption curvature), or outright large recessions.

Suggested Citation

  • Florin O. Bilbiie & Tommaso Monacelli & Roberto Perotti, 2019. "Is Government Spending at the Zero Lower Bound Desirable?," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 147-173, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmac:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:147-73
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mac.20150229
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General

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