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Die Konjunkturbereinigung der Schuldenbremse: ein Plädoyer für methodische Reformen
[The Cyclical Adjustment Procedure of the German Debt Brake: a Plea for Methodical Reforms]

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Ochsner

    (German Council of Economic Experts)

  • Christopher Zuber

    (Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung)

Abstract

The cyclical adjustment procedure of the debt brake is one of the most important elements of the German deficit rule. The cyclical adjustment enables governments that are borrowing to take account of current business cycle developments: In economic upturns, the scope for net borrowing shrinks, and in downturns, it grows. Recently, various aspects of this procedure have been criticised. We argue that methodical reforms to the estimation procedure can reduce revisions and are better suited to quantify estimation uncertainty. However, revisions cannot be completely avoided. In our view, improving the estimation method with a lagged consideration of revisions seems appropriate for fiscal policy. In contrast, the technical component of the cyclical adjustment procedure should not be the starting point for a political reorientation of the German debt brake.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Ochsner & Christopher Zuber, 2022. "Die Konjunkturbereinigung der Schuldenbremse: ein Plädoyer für methodische Reformen [The Cyclical Adjustment Procedure of the German Debt Brake: a Plea for Methodical Reforms]," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 102(11), pages 822-825, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:wirtsc:v:102:y:2022:i:11:d:10.1007_s10273-022-3322-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10273-022-3322-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James Morley & Benjamin Wong, 2020. "Estimating and accounting for the output gap with large Bayesian vector autoregressions," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Marek Jarociński & Michele Lenza, 2018. "An Inflation‐Predicting Measure of the Output Gap in the Euro Area," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 50(6), pages 1189-1224, September.
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    5. Berger, Tino & Ochsner, Christian, 2022. "Robust real-time estimates of the German output gap based on a multivariate trend-cycle decomposition," Discussion Papers 35/2022, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    6. James D. Hamilton, 2018. "Why You Should Never Use the Hodrick-Prescott Filter," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(5), pages 831-843, December.
    7. Breuer Sebastian & Elstner Steffen, 2020. "Germany’s Growth Prospects against the Backdrop of Demographic Change," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(5), pages 565-605, October.
    8. Max Krahé & Florian Schuster & Philippa Sigl-Glöckner, 2021. "Wird die Konjunkturkomponente der Schuldenbremse ihrer Aufgabe noch gerecht? [Is the Cyclical Component of the Debt Brake Still Up to Its Task?]," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 101(8), pages 621-628, August.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    E32; E62; H62;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • 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

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