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How do fiscal rules shape governments' spending behavior?

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  • Cezara Vinturis

Abstract

At odds with the large literature devoted to the fiscal discipline effects of fiscal rules, only few contributions investigate their impact on public spending. Estimations based on the entropy balancing method reveal the following causal effects: fiscal rules significantly reduce total public spending and public consumption, leave public investment mostly unaffected, and increase the public investment‐to‐public consumption ratio. Moreover, the type of fiscal rule and countries' level of economic development influence the way fiscal rules affect public spending. Lastly, fiscal rules' features are a major driving force of the way governments change public spending in the presence of fiscal rules.

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  • Cezara Vinturis, 2023. "How do fiscal rules shape governments' spending behavior?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(2), pages 322-341, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:61:y:2023:i:2:p:322-341
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.13120
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    3. Niklas Potrafke, 2023. "The Economic Consequences of Fiscal Rules," CESifo Working Paper Series 10765, CESifo.
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    5. Apeti, Ablam Estel & Combes, Jean-Louis & Minea, Alexandru, 2023. "Inflation targeting and the composition of public expenditure: Evidence from developing countries," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Sebastian Blesse & Florian Dorn & Max Lay, 2023. "A Targeted Golden Rule for Public Investments?," EconPol Policy Reports 42, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    7. Jocelyne Zoumenou & Antonia Lopez Villavicencio, 2024. "Do Binding Fiscal Rules Enhance Fiscal Stability? Evidence from European Union Countries," EconomiX Working Papers 2024-29, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    8. Robert Kraemer & Jonne Lehtimäki, 2023. "Government debt: the impact of fiscal rules at the European and national level," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 50(3), pages 783-805, August.
    9. Hippolyte Balima & Alexandru Minea & Cezara Vinturis, 2023. "Do sovereign credit rating events affect the foreign exchange market? Evidence from a treatment effect analysis," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 90(1), pages 156-181, July.
    10. López-Herrera, Carmen & Cordero, José M. & Pedraja-Chaparro, Francisco & Polo, Cristina, 2023. "Fiscal rules and their influence on public sector efficiency," MPRA Paper 119018, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Bambe, Bao-We-Wal & Combes, Jean-Louis & Kaba, Kabinet & Minea, Alexandru, 2024. "Inflation targeting and firm performance in developing countries," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

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