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Public Debt Bubbles In Heterogeneous Agent Models With Tail Risk

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  • Narayana R. Kocherlakota

Abstract

This article studies the public debt implications of an analytically tractable class of incomplete insurance macroeconomic models in which agents face a near‐zero probability of a highly adverse outcome. In generic models of this kind, there exists a public debt bubble, so that the real interest rate is perpetually below the growth rate (set to zero). There is no upper bound on the deficit level or debt level that is sustainable in a bubbly equilibrium. In a public debt bubble, ex ante steady‐state welfare is higher if the government chooses policies that give rise to a larger level of debt.

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  • Narayana R. Kocherlakota, 2023. "Public Debt Bubbles In Heterogeneous Agent Models With Tail Risk," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 64(2), pages 491-509, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:iecrev:v:64:y:2023:i:2:p:491-509
    DOI: 10.1111/iere.12613
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mark Aguiar & Manuel Amador & Cristina Arellano, 2021. "Micro Risks and Pareto Improving Policies," Working Papers 2021-15, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    2. Narayana R. Kocherlakota, 2023. "Infinite Debt Rollover in Stochastic Economies," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(5), pages 1629-1658, September.
    3. Tomohiro Hirano & Alexis Akira Toda, 2023. "Bubble Necessity Theorem," CIGS Working Paper Series 23-011E, The Canon Institute for Global Studies.
    4. Lenel, Moritz, 2022. "Comment on “The supply and demand for safe assets”," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 148-150.
    5. Ricardo Reis, 2021. "The constraint on public dept when r," BIS Working Papers 939, Bank for International Settlements.
    6. Kocherlakota, Narayana R., 2022. "Stabilization with fiscal policy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 1-14.
    7. Masataka Eguchi & Toshiya Hatano, 2023. "What is fiscal sustainability?―Transversality condition, Domar condition, the fiscal theory of the price level―," Public Policy Review, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance Japan, vol. 19(3), pages 1-29, September.
    8. Atif Mian & Ludwig Straub & Amir Sufi, 2021. "A Goldilocks Theory of Fiscal Policy," Working Papers 2021-37, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    9. Osband, Kent & Filoso, Valerio & Capasso, Salvatore, 2024. "The limits of limitless debt," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. Ricardo Reis, 2021. "The constraint on public dept when r," BIS Working Papers 939, Bank for International Settlements.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

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