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When Melius Abundare Is No Longer True: Excessive Financialization and Inequality as Drivers of Stagnation

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  • Riccardo Pariboni
  • Walter Paternesi Meloni
  • Pasquale Tridico

Abstract

The apparently never-ending phase of economic slowdown that advanced economies have been experiencing in recent decades has recently contributed to the resurrection of the hoary old argument of ‘secular stagnation’. In this paper, situated intellectually within the strand of research documenting the negative impact on growth of inequality and financialization, we elaborate on the idea that such a prolonged period of stagnation is associated with a new paradigm of socio-economic policy, known as ‘finance-dominated capitalism’.In this way, we distance ourselves from the mainstream ‘secular stagnation’ narrative, adopting instead a post-Keynesian perspective that allows us to discuss the links between financialization and inequality, on one hand, and economic performance, on the other. Then, we submit our arguments to empirical scrutiny by undertaking an econometric analysis of 21 OECD countries between 1990 and 2016. The evidence indicates that excessive levels of financialization, along with high inequality and weak labor market institutions, have a negative impact on real growth.Based on our findings, we propose possible demand-side policies, to be implemented through expansionary fiscal measures, which could help sustain GDP growth and employment in the current context of stagnation, mitigating income inequality and sustaining an inclusive recovery at the same time.

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  • Riccardo Pariboni & Walter Paternesi Meloni & Pasquale Tridico, 2020. "When Melius Abundare Is No Longer True: Excessive Financialization and Inequality as Drivers of Stagnation," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 216-242, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:revpoe:v:32:y:2020:i:2:p:216-242
    DOI: 10.1080/09538259.2020.1769282
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    1. Eckhard Hein & Christian Schoder, 2011. "Interest rates, distribution and capital accumulation -- A post-Kaleckian perspective on the US and Germany," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 693-723, November.
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    3. Alfaro, Laura & Chanda, Areendam & Kalemli-Ozcan, Sebnem & Sayek, Selin, 2010. "Does foreign direct investment promote growth? Exploring the role of financial markets on linkages," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 242-256, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joel Rabinovich & Niall Reddy, 2024. "Corporate Financialization: A Conceptual Clarification and Critical Review of the Literature," Working Papers PKWP2402, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    2. João Alcobia & Ricardo Barradas, 2022. "Falling Labour Share and the Anaemic Growth in Portugal: a Post-Keynesian Econometric Analysis," Working Papers REM 2022/0247, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    3. Yuegang Song & Ruibing Wu, 2022. "The Impact of Financial Enterprises’ Excessive Financialization Risk Assessment for Risk Control based on Data Mining and Machine Learning," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 60(4), pages 1245-1267, December.
    4. Zhang, Ying & Andrew, Jane, 2022. "Financialisation and the Conceptual Framework: An update," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Ricardo Barradas, 2023. "Why Has Labor Productivity Slowed Down in the Era of Financialization?: Insights from the Post-Keynesians for the European Union Countries," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 55(3), pages 390-422, September.
    6. Ciaffi, Giovanna & Deleidi, Matteo & Di Bucchianico, Stefano, 2024. "Stagnation despite ongoing innovation: Is R&D expenditure composition a missing link? An empirical analysis for the US (1948–2019)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    7. Peter Flaschel & Sigrid Luchtenberg & Hagen Kramer & Christian Proano & Mark Setterfield, 2021. "Contemporary Macroeconomic Outcomes: A Tragedy in Three Acts," Working Papers 2105, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    8. João Alcobia & Ricardo Barradas, 2023. "Functional Income Distribution And Secular Stagnation In Europe: An Analysis Of The Post-Keynesian Growth Drivers," Working Papers REM 2023/0283, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    9. Zhengjuan Xie & Jiang Du & Yongchao Wu, 2022. "Does financialization of non-financial corporations promote the persistence of innovation: evidence from A-share listed manufacturing corporations in China," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(2), pages 229-250, June.
    10. Stirati, Antonella & Paternesi Meloni, Walter, 2021. "Unemployment and the wage share: a long-run exploration for major mature economies," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 330-352.
    11. Walter Paternesi Meloni & Antonella Stirati, 2023. "The decoupling between labour compensation and productivity in high‐income countries: Why is the nexus broken?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(2), pages 425-463, June.
    12. Ricardo Pereira Barradas, 2022. "The Finance-Growth Nexus in the Age of Financialisation: An Empirical Reassessment for the European Union Countries," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 69(4), pages 527-554.
    13. Walter Paternesi Meloni, 2021. "The price vs. non-price competitiveness conundrum: a post-Keynesian comparative political economy analysis," Working Papers PKWP2109, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    14. Ricardo Barradas & Rishi Lakhani, 2024. "The finance–inequality nexus in the era of financialisation: Evidence for Portugal," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 3510-3544, July.
    15. Acocella, Nicola, 2021. "Stagnation," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 74(2), pages 121-140.
    16. Walter Paternesi Meloni & Antonella Stirati, 2021. "What has driven the delinking of wages from productivity? A political economy-based investigation for high-income economies," Working Papers PKWP2104, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).

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