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Fiscal Stimulus of Last Resort

Theoretical Economics 2021-04-08 v1

Abstract

I examine global dynamics in a monetary model with overlapping generations of finite-horizon agents and a binding lower bound on nominal interest rates. Debt targeting rules exacerbate the possibility of self-fulfilling liquidity traps, for agents expect austerity following deflationary slumps. Conversely, activist but sustainable fiscal policy regimes - implementing intertemporally balanced tax cuts and/or transfer increases in response to disinflationary trajectories - are capable of escaping liquidity traps and embarking inflation into a globally stable path that converges to the target. Should fiscal stimulus of last resort be overly aggressive, however, spiral dynamics around the liquidity-trap steady state exist, causing global indeterminacy.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2104.02753,
  title  = {Fiscal Stimulus of Last Resort},
  author = {Alessandro Piergallini},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.02753},
  year   = {2021}
}