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Uncertainty and Fiscal Policy in an Asymmetric Monetary Union

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  • Carsten Hefeker
  • Blandine Zimmer

Abstract

We examine monetary and fiscal interactions in a monetary union model with uncertainty due to imperfect central bank transparency. It is first shown that monetary uncertainty discourages excessive taxation and may thus reduce average inflation and output distortions. However, as countries enter the monetary union, this tax-restraining effect of uncertainty is mitigated. The monetary union may hence lead to higher fiscal distortions in some member countries, depending on governments’ spending targets and on the change in the degree of uncertainty implied by common monetary policy.
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  • Carsten Hefeker & Blandine Zimmer, 2011. "Uncertainty and Fiscal Policy in an Asymmetric Monetary Union," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 163-178, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:openec:v:22:y:2011:i:1:p:163-178
    DOI: 10.1007/s11079-009-9120-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Meixing Dai, 2016. "Static And Dynamic Effects Of Central Bank Transparency," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 55-78, January.
    2. Meixing Dai & Moïse Sidiropoulos & Eleftherios Spyromitros, 2015. "Fiscal Policy, Institutional Quality and Central Bank Transparency," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(5), pages 523-545, September.
    3. Olaoye, Olumide O. & Eluwole, Oluwatosin O. & Ayesha, Aziz & Afolabi, Olugbenga O., 2020. "Government spending and economic growth in ECOWAS: An asymmetric analysis," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    4. Meixing Dai & Moïse Sidiropoulos, 2011. "Fiscal disciplining effect of central bank opacity: Stackelberg versus Nash equilibrium," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(4), pages 3068-3076.
    5. Cornel OROS & Blandine ZIMMER, 2019. "Myopic governments and conservative central banks: are they compatible?," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2019-06, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    6. Montserrat Ferre & Judit Garcia & Carolina Manzano, 2021. "The Effects of Corruption in a Monetary Union," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 539-557, July.
    7. Mohamed Arouri & David Roubaud, 2016. "On the determinants of stock market dynamics in emerging countries: the role of economic policy uncertainty in China and India," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(2), pages 760-770.
    8. Oros, Cornel & Zimmer, Blandine, 2015. "Uncertainty and fiscal policy in a monetary union: Why does monetary policy transmission matter?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 85-93.
    9. Hefeker, Carsten & Zimmer, Blandine, 2011. "The optimal choice of central bank independence and conservatism under uncertainty," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 595-606.
    10. Oros, Cornel & Zimmer, Blandine, 2020. "Budget uncertainty in a monetary union," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    11. Dai, Meixing & Sidiropoulos, Moïse, 2011. "Monetary and fiscal policy interactions with central bank transparency and public investment," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 195-208, September.
    12. Carsten Hefeker & Blandine Zimmer, 2015. "Optimal Conservatism and Collective Monetary Policymaking under Uncertainty," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 259-278, April.
    13. Carsten Hefeker & Blandine Zimmer, 2010. "Central bank independence and conservatism under uncertainty: Substitutes or complements?," Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 140-10, Universität Siegen, Fakultät Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Wirtschaftsinformatik und Wirtschaftsrecht.
    14. Juan Cristóbal Campoy & Juan Carlos Negrete, 2017. "Distortionary Taxation and Central Bank Design in a Monetary Union," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 222(3), pages 65-90, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary union; Fiscal policy; Transparency of monetary policy; Asymmetries; E 58; E 63; F 36;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • 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
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

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