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Stimulus versus Austerity: The Asymmetric Government Spending Multiplier

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  • Barnichon, Regis
  • Matthes, Christian

Abstract

Despite intense scrutiny estimates of the government spending multiplier remain highly uncertain with values ranging from 0.5 to 2. While a fiscal consolidation is generally assumed to have the same (mirror-image) effect as a fiscal expansion, we show that relaxing this assumption is crucial to understanding the effects of fiscal policy. The government spending multiplier is substantially below 1 for fiscal expansions, but the multiplier is substantially above 1 for fiscal consolidations.

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  • Barnichon, Regis & Matthes, Christian, 2015. "Stimulus versus Austerity: The Asymmetric Government Spending Multiplier," CEPR Discussion Papers 10584, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:10584
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Klein, Mathias, 2016. "Austerity and private debt," Ruhr Economic Papers 642, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    2. Mathias Klein, 2016. "Austerity and Private Debt," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1611, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Pietro Dallari & Antonio Ribba, 2015. "Economic Shocks and their Effects on Unemployment in the Euro Area Periphery under the EMU," Center for Economic Research (RECent) 114, University of Modena and Reggio E., Dept. of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    4. Domenico Ferraro & Giuseppe Fiori, 2020. "The Aging of the Baby Boomers: Demographics and Propagation of Tax Shocks," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 167-193, April.
    5. Steven M. Fazzari & James Morley & Irina B. Panovska, 2017. "When Do Discretionary Changes in Government Spending or Taxes Have Larger Effects?," Discussion Papers 2017-04, School of Economics, The University of New South Wales.
    6. Pietro Dallari & Antonio Ribba, 2015. "Economic Shocks and their Effects on Unemployment in the Euro Area Periphery under the EMU," Department of Economics (DEMB) 0057, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    7. Donato Masciandaro, 2014. "Macroeconomic Ideas, Business Cycles and Economic Policies: One Size Doesn’t Fit All - A Primer," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 14161, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    8. Pietro Dallari & Antonio Ribba, 2019. "The Dynamic Effects of Monetary Policy and Government Spending Shocks on Unemployment in the Peripheral Euro Area Countries," Department of Economics 0143, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    9. Dallari, Pietro & Ribba, Antonio, 2020. "The dynamic effects of monetary policy and government spending shocks on unemployment in the peripheral Euro area countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 218-232.
    10. Donato Masciandaro, 2018. "Central Banking and Macroeconomic Ideas: Economics, Politics and History," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 1858, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal policy; Gaussian mixture approximation;

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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