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Stimulating Savings: An Analysis of Cash Handouts in Australia and the United States

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  • Sinclair Davidson
  • Ashton de Silva

Abstract

At the onset of the Global Financial Crisis governments around the world implemented fiscal stimulus packages. A key component of many of these packages was aimed at stimulating consumer spending. In Australia and the United States, for example, households received one-off cash payments. We assess the changes in the macroeconomic levels of consumption and savings of both countries coinciding with the timing of the household bonuses using an econometric time series method known as seemingly unrelated time-series equations. The results suggest that the one-off cash bonuses did not stimulate consumption. On the contrary, the evidence suggests savings was stimulated.

Suggested Citation

  • Sinclair Davidson & Ashton de Silva, 2013. "Stimulating Savings: An Analysis of Cash Handouts in Australia and the United States," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 20(2), pages 39-60.
    • Handle: RePEc:acb:agenda:v:20:y:2013:i:2:p:39-60
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    Cited by:

    1. Sinclair Davidson & Ashton de Silva, 2014. "The Plain Truth about Plain Packaging: An Econometric Analysis of the Australian 2011 Tobacco Plain Packaging Act," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 21(1), pages 27-44.
    2. Hamid Baghestani & Sehar Fatima, 2021. "Growth in US Durables Spending: Assessing the Impact of Consumer Ability and Willingness to Buy," Journal of Business Cycle Research, Springer;Centre for International Research on Economic Tendency Surveys (CIRET), vol. 17(1), pages 55-69, April.

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