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The macroeconomic impact of infrastructure investment: a review of channels

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  • Valerio Ercolani

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

This paper provides a critical review of the literature on the macroeconomic effects of public infrastructure investment associated with the main underlying transmission channels. Typically, this type of stimulus fosters economic activity in the medium-to-long run because the public capital stock needs time to build up and to exert its effects. However, under the current circumstances – such as considerable economic slack, policy rates constrained at zero and heightened uncertainty – the stimulus can be expansionary even at shorter horizons, i.e. from one to three years. Given the large infrastructure gaps in most emerging and advanced economies, infrastructure investment could have high returns in terms of individuals’ welfare and productivity growth. Strengthening health infrastructures, supporting maintenance investment, and coordinating infrastructure stimuli across countries emerge as particularly appropriate policies today.

Suggested Citation

  • Valerio Ercolani, 2021. "The macroeconomic impact of infrastructure investment: a review of channels," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 613, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_613_21
    as

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    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2021-0613/QEF_613_21.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alan J. Auerbach & Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2012. "Measuring the Output Responses to Fiscal Policy," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(2), pages 1-27, May.
    2. Nicholas Bloom & Max Floetotto & Nir Jaimovich & Itay Saporta†Eksten & Stephen J. Terry, 2018. "Really Uncertain Business Cycles," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(3), pages 1031-1065, May.
    3. Hafedh Bouakez & Michel Guillard & Jordan Roulleau-Pasdeloup, 2017. "Public Investment, Time to Build, and the Zero Lower Bound," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 23, pages 60-79, January.
    4. Aschauer, David Alan, 1989. "Is public expenditure productive?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 177-200, March.
    5. Boehm, Christoph E., 2020. "Government consumption and investment: Does the composition of purchases affect the multiplier?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 80-93.
    6. Garin, Andrew, 2019. "Putting America to work, where? Evidence on the effectiveness of infrastructure construction as a locally targeted employment policy," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 108-131.
    7. Garrett-Peltier, Heidi, 2017. "Green versus brown: Comparing the employment impacts of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and fossil fuels using an input-output model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 439-447.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sergio Destefanis & Valter Di Giacinto, 2022. "EU structural funds and GDP per capita: Spatial VAR evidence for the European regions," Discussion Paper series in Regional Science & Economic Geography 2022-09, Gran Sasso Science Institute, Social Sciences, revised Oct 2024.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public infrastructure investment; productivity; slack; ZLB; uncertainty; fiscal multipliers; COVID-19; secular stagnation; welfare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures

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