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Alternative Strategies to Reduce Public Deficits: Taxes vs. Spending

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  • Oscar Bajo-Rubio
  • Antonio G. Gómez-Plana

Abstract

We examine the effects of several alternative measures intended to reduce government deficits for the case of Spain, distinguishing between those acting through taxes and through spending. The Spanish case is relevant as an example of front-loaded fiscal adjustment that has led to a large GDP fall, where (unlike the cases of Greece, Ireland and Portugal) the authorities were able to choose the composition of the adjustment measures. The empirical methodology is based on a computable general equilibrium model. All the simulated policies lead to a decrease in the levels of output and employment, and to a higher unemployment rate. The greatest contractionary effects appear in the case of an increase in the income tax, followed by spending cuts, especially in public education; in contrast, the contractionary effect is weaker for indirect tax increases. While income distribution for labour worsens with spending cuts, it slightly improves with tax increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Oscar Bajo-Rubio & Antonio G. Gómez-Plana, 2015. "Alternative Strategies to Reduce Public Deficits: Taxes vs. Spending," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 45-70, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:recsxx:v:18:y:2015:i:1:p:45-70
    DOI: 10.1016/S1514-0326(15)30003-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Sergey Zhavoronkov & Konstantin Yanovskiy & Kirill Rodionov, 2015. "Political Factors of the Cuts and Surges in Government Spending: The Effects on Old Market Democracies and Post-Communist Countries," Working Papers 146, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, revised 2015.
    2. Moheddine Younsi & Marwa Bechtini, 2024. "Financing Health Systems in Developing Countries: the Role of Government Spending and Taxation," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 13182-13210, September.
    3. P. Campoy-Muñoz & M. A. Cardenete & F. J. De Miguel-Vélez & J. Pérez-Mayo, 2022. "How does fiscal austerity impact on poverty and inequality? The Spanish case," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 715-737, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General

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