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What Accounts for the Change in U.S. Fiscal Policy Transmission?

Author

Listed:
  • Florin Bilbiie

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Gernot Mueller

    (Universität Bonn = University of Bonn)

  • Andre Meier

    (Research Department, Development Macroeconomics Division - International Monetary Fund)

Abstract

Using vector autoregressions on U.S. time series for 1957-79 and 1983-2004, we find government spending shocks to have stronger effects on output, consumption, and wages in the earlier period. We try to account for this observation within a DSGE model featuring price rigidities and limited asset market participation. Specifically, we estimate the structural parameters of the model for both periods by matching impulse responses. Model-based counterfactual experiments suggest that most of the changes in fiscal policy transmission are accounted for by increased asset market participation and the more active monetary policy of the Volcker-Greenspan period.

Suggested Citation

  • Florin Bilbiie & Gernot Mueller & Andre Meier, 2008. "What Accounts for the Change in U.S. Fiscal Policy Transmission?," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00622867, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-00622867
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1538-4616.2008.00166.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    government spending; asset market participation; fiscal policy; monetary policy; DSGE; vector autoregression; minimum distance estimation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy

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