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Inflation Targets and Debt Accumulation in a Monetary Union

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  • Beetsma, Roel
  • Bovenberg, A Lans

Abstract

This paper explores the interaction between centralized monetary policy and decentralized fiscal policy in a monetary union. Discretionary monetary policy suffers from a failure to commit. Moreover, decentralized fiscal policymakers impose externalities on each other through the influence of their debt policies on the common monetary policy. These imperfections can be alleviated by adopting state-contingent inflation targets (to combat the monetary policy commitment problem) and shock-contingent debt targets (to internalize the externalities due to decentralized fiscal policy).

Suggested Citation

  • Beetsma, Roel & Bovenberg, A Lans, 1999. "Inflation Targets and Debt Accumulation in a Monetary Union," CEPR Discussion Papers 2324, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2324
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    1. Kenneth Rogoff, 1985. "The Optimal Degree of Commitment to an Intermediate Monetary Target," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 100(4), pages 1169-1189.
    2. Beetsma, Roel M. W. J. & Bovenberg, A. Lans, 1999. "Does monetary unification lead to excessive debt accumulation?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(3), pages 299-325, December.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hiroshi Fujiki & Hiroshi Osano & Hirofumi Uchida, 2004. "Optimal Contracts For Central Bankers And Public Debt Policy," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 55(4), pages 372-400, December.
    2. Lossani, M. & Natale, P. & Tirelli, P., 2003. "A nominal income growth target for a conservative ECB? When the policy mix matters," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 25(8), pages 685-699, November.
    3. Uchida, Hirofumi & Fujiki, Hiroshi, 2005. "Optimal inflation target under uncertainty," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 470-479, December.
    4. Dixit, Avinash, 2001. "Games of monetary and fiscal interactions in the EMU," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-6), pages 589-613, May.
    5. Ali al-Nowaihi & Paul Levine & Alex Mandilaras, 2006. "Central Bank Independence and the `Free Lunch Puzzle': A New Perspective," School of Economics Discussion Papers 0806, School of Economics, University of Surrey.
    6. Patrizio Tirelli, 2000. "Revisiting Public Debt and Inflation: Fiscal Implications of an Independent Central Banker," Working Papers 31, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Nov 2000.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Debt Targets; Decentralized Fiscal Policy; Discretionary Monetary Policy; Inflation Targets; Monetary Union;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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