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Alberto Alesina: The Science of Using Political Economy Concepts to Explain the Macroeconomic Landscape

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  • Andrew Hughes Hallett

Abstract

Alberto Alesina is distinguished for having introduced, or more properly re-introduced, political economy considerations into macroeconomic policy analysis. His seminal contributions to the problems of fiscal consolidation and the optimal size and number of nations (or the possibility that nations or economic unions might find it in their interest to break-up) are as relevant today as ever. They are reviewed here, and set in a debt targeting framework that allows them to be deployed to maximum advantage. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2012

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  • Andrew Hughes Hallett, 2012. "Alberto Alesina: The Science of Using Political Economy Concepts to Explain the Macroeconomic Landscape," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 40(4), pages 351-365, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:40:y:2012:i:4:p:351-365
    DOI: 10.1007/s11293-012-9341-3
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    12. Bernoth, Kerstin & Hughes Hallett, Andrew & Lewis, John, 2015. "The Cyclicality Of Automatic And Discretionary Fiscal Policy: What Can Real-Time Data Tell Us?," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(1), pages 221-243, January.
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    18. Klaus Desmet & Michel Breton & Ignacio Ortuño-Ortín & Shlomo Weber, 2011. "The stability and breakup of nations: a quantitative analysis," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 183-213, September.
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    21. Bokan, Nikola & Hughes Hallett, Andrew, 2008. "The Impact of Tax and Market Distortions on the Phillips Curve and the Natural Rate of Unemployment," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 2, pages 1-28.
    22. Giancarlo Corsetti & Keith Kuester & André Meier & Gernot J. Müller, 2010. "Debt Consolidation and Fiscal Stabilization of Deep Recessions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 41-45, May.
    23. Robert E. Hall, 2009. "By How Much Does GDP Rise If the Government Buys More Output?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 40(2 (Fall)), pages 183-249.
    24. Alberto Alesina & Roberto Perotti, 1997. "Fiscal Adjustments in OECD Countries: Composition and Macroeconomic Effects," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 44(2), pages 210-248, June.
    25. Alberto Alesina, 2002. "The Size of Countries: Does it Matter?," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1975, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    26. Alberto Alesina & Guido Tabellini, 1990. "A Positive Theory of Fiscal Deficits and Government Debt," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 57(3), pages 403-414.
    27. Lane, Philip R. & Perotti, Roberto, 1998. "The trade balance and fiscal policy in the OECD," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-5), pages 887-895, May.
    28. Pietro Alessandrini & Michele Fratianni & Andrew Hughes Hallett & Andrea Filippo Presbitero, 2012. "External imbalances and financial fragility in the euro area," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 66, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    29. ,, 2009. "Economics of Monetary Union," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 8, number 9780199563234.
    30. Olivier Blanchard & Roberto Perotti, 2002. "An Empirical Characterization of the Dynamic Effects of Changes in Government Spending and Taxes on Output," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(4), pages 1329-1368.
    31. J. Bradford DeLong & Lawrence H. Summers, 2012. "Fiscal Policy in a Depressed Economy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 43(1 (Spring), pages 233-297.
    32. Alesina, Alberto & Wacziarg, Romain, 1998. "Openness, country size and government," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 305-321, September.
    33. Lane, Philip R. & Perotti, Roberto, 2003. "The importance of composition of fiscal policy: evidence from different exchange rate regimes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(9-10), pages 2253-2279, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco Forte, 2012. "The New Macro Political Economy of Alberto Alesina," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 40(4), pages 417-428, December.
    2. Silvia Fedeli & Francesco Forte, 2014. "Deficits, tax burden and unemployment," Chapters, in: Francesco Forte & Ram Mudambi & Pietro Maria Navarra (ed.), A Handbook of Alternative Theories of Public Economics, chapter 5, pages 116-140, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal consolidations; Decentralization; Separatism; Debt targets; Fiscal rules; H63; H77; E62; B41;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology

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