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Falling real interest rates, rising debt: A free lunch?

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  • Rogoff, Kenneth

Abstract

Deep systemic financial crises tend to be infrequent events, as they leave deep lasting scars on the psyche of consumers, investors, politicians and regulators. Normally, especially given strengthened regulation and, one would not expect another systemic event for many decades. But the situation today is anything but normal. Record high global public and private debt combined with political paralysis and extraordinarily weak leadership outside central banks make today’s uncharacteristically fragile at this point in the debt supercycle.

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  • Rogoff, Kenneth, 2020. "Falling real interest rates, rising debt: A free lunch?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 778-790.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:42:y:2020:i:4:p:778-790
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2020.03.004
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    3. Chowdhury, Mohammad Ashraful Ferdous & Prince, Ehsanur Rauf & Shoyeb, Mohammad & Abdullah, Mohammad, 2024. "The threshold effect of institutional quality on sovereign debt and economic stability," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 39-59.
    4. Kozlov, Roman, 2021. "An age-structured model for the effect of interest rate changes on consumption," Discussion Papers 2021/8, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    5. Robert Kraemer & Jonne Lehtimäki, 2024. "Government debt, European Institutions and fiscal rules: a synthetic control approach," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(4), pages 1112-1157, August.
    6. Carmen M. Reinhart & Franziska L. Ohnsorge & Kenneth S. Rogoff & M. Ayhan Kose, 2022. "The Aftermath of Debt Surges," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 637-663, August.
    7. Debrun, Xavier & Masuch, Klaus & Ferrero, Guiseppe & Vansteenkiste, Isabel & Ferdinandusse, Marien & von Thadden, Leopold & Hauptmeier, Sebastian & Alloza, Mario & Derouen, Chloé & Bańkowski, Krzyszto, 2021. "Monetary-fiscal policy interactions in the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 273, European Central Bank.
    8. Andrian, Leandro Gaston & Rodríguez, César M. & Valencia, Oscar, 2024. "Surges in the Shadows: Stock-Flow Adjustments and Public Debt Spikes," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13725, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Heimberger, Philipp, 2023. "Public debt and r-g risks in advanced economies: Eurozone versus stand-alone," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    10. Sur, Abhisek & Nandy, Amarendu & Ray, Partha, 2024. "Does foreign currency borrowing make firms vulnerable? Experience of emerging India," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 530-551.
    11. Philipp Heimberger, 2023. "Do Interest-growth Differentials Affect Fiscal Policy? Evidence for Advanced Economies," wiiw Working Papers 230, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    12. Di Serio, Mario & Fragetta, Matteo & Melina, Giovanni, 2021. "The impact of r-g on Euro-Area government spending multipliers," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    13. Hodula, Martin & Janků, Jan & Pfeifer, Lukáš, 2023. "Macro-prudential policies to contain the effect of structural risks on financial downturns," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1204-1222.
    14. Mindaugas Butkus & Diana Cibulskiene & Lina Garsviene & Janina Seputiene, 2022. "Role of Uncertainty in Debt-Growth Nexus," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(1), pages 58-78.
    15. Mawejje, Joseph & Odhiambo, Nicholas M., 2022. "The determinants and cyclicality of fiscal policy: Empirical evidence from East Africa," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 55-70.
    16. Jussi Lindgren, 2021. "Examination of Interest-Growth Differentials and the Risk of Sovereign Insolvency," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-14, April.
    17. Roman Kozlov, 2023. "The Effect of Interest Rate Changes on Consumption: An Age-Structured Approach," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-25, January.
    18. Andrian, Leandro Gaston & Valencia, Oscar & Hirs, Jorge & Urrea Rios, Ivan Leonardo, 2022. "Fiscal Rules and Economic Cycles: Quality (Always) Matters," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12639, Inter-American Development Bank.
    19. Rogoff, Kenneth, 2021. "Fiscal sustainability in the aftermath of the great pause," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 783-793.

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