IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nax/conyad/v63y2018i2p9-10.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A generic fiscal rule: Proposal and design

Author

Listed:
  • Guido Zacka

    (Universidad de Buenos Aires y Universidad Nacional de San Martín)

  • Daniel Sotelsekb

    (Universidad de Alcalá, España)

Abstract

The State has two essential tools to achieve the goal of macroeconomics stability, monetary policy and fiscal policy. However, the progress in terms of behavioral rules has been greater in the case of monetary policy. This article aims to make a contribution in relation to the mechanism that should be followed by a fiscal rule to promote a counter-cyclical behavior, without questioning the solvency of the public sector. To do so, the flexibility of the rule is fundamental, through a proper selection of its base and a clear and transparent escape clause. Once described its desirable characteristics, a generic fiscal rule is proposed, which has to be adapted to each particular case. This is done for the case of Spain in the years prior to the last crisis. Finally, it is concluded that a well-designed fiscal rule can be really useful not only for purposes of solvency and stability but also as a guide for discretion.

Suggested Citation

  • Guido Zacka & Daniel Sotelsekb, 2018. "A generic fiscal rule: Proposal and design," Contaduría y Administración, Accounting and Management, vol. 63(2), pages 9-10, Junio.
    • Handle: RePEc:nax:conyad:v:63:y:2018:i:2:p:9-10
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.cya.unam.mx/index.php/cya/article/view/1188/1308
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alberto Alesina & Filipe R. Campante & Guido Tabellini, 2008. "Why is Fiscal Policy Often Procyclical?," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 6(5), pages 1006-1036, September.
    2. Marina Halac & Pierre Yared, 2014. "Fiscal Rules and Discretion Under Persistent Shocks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 82, pages 1557-1614, September.
    3. Joshua Aizenman & Michael Gavin & Ricardo Hausmann, 2001. "Optimal tax and debt policy with endogenously imperfect creditworthiness," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 367-395.
    4. Enrique Alberola & Iván Kataryniuk & Ángel Melguizo & René Orozco, 2018. "Fiscal Policy and the Cycle in Latin America: the Role of Financing Conditions and Fiscal Rules," Revista ESPE - Ensayos sobre Política Económica, Banco de la Republica de Colombia, vol. 36(85), pages 101-116, April.
    5. Buti, M. & Eijffinger, S.C.W. & Franco, D., 2003. "Revisiting the stability and growth pact : Grand design or internal adjustment?," Other publications TiSEM 043c3668-8744-491c-a329-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    6. Paolo Manasse, 2005. "Deficit Limits, Budget Rules, and Fiscal Policy," IMF Working Papers 2005/120, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Zvi Hercowitz & Michel Strawczynski, 2004. "Cyclical Ratcheting in Government Spending: Evidence from the OECD," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(1), pages 353-361, February.
    8. repec:idb:brikps:78971 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Buti, Marco, 2003. "Revisiting the stability and growth pact: grand design or internal adjustment?," Sede de la CEPAL en Santiago (Estudios e Investigaciones) 34908, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    10. Jiménez, Juan Pablo & Tromben, Varinia, 2006. "Política fiscal en países especializados en productos no renovables en América Latina," Macroeconomía del Desarrollo 5413, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    11. Cukierman, Alex & Meltzer, Allan H, 1986. "A Positive Theory of Discretionary Policy, the Cost of Democratic Government and the Benefits of a Constitution," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 24(3), pages 367-388, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guido Zacka & Daniel Sotelsekb, 2018. "Propuesta y diseño de una regla fiscal genérica," Contaduría y Administración, Accounting and Management, vol. 63(2), pages 7-8, Junio.
    2. Martin Larch & João Nogueira Martins, 2007. "Fiscal indicators - Proceedings of the the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs Workshop held on 22 September 2006 in Brussels," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 297, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    3. Jean-Paul Pollin & Jean-Luc Gaffard, 2013. "Pourquoi faut-il séparer les activités bancaires ?," Sciences Po publications info:hdl:2441/1cud3763mom, Sciences Po.
    4. Michal Mackiewicz, 2007. "Making the Stability Pact More Flexible: Does It Lead to Pro-Cyclical Fiscal Policies?," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 28(2), pages 251-268, June.
    5. Alesina, A. & Passalacqua, A., 2016. "The Political Economy of Government Debt," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & Harald Uhlig (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 2599-2651, Elsevier.
    6. Jan Zápal, 2007. "Cyclical Bias in Government Spending: Evidence from New EU Member Countries," Working Papers IES 2007/15, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised May 2007.
    7. Manasse, Paolo & Panizza, Ugo & Dos Reis, Laura, 2007. "Targeting the Structural Balance," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1595, Inter-American Development Bank.
    8. Sangita Misra & Rajiv Ranjan, 2018. "Fiscal rules and procyclicality: an empirical analysis," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 207-228, December.
    9. Amy K. Filipek & Till Schreiber, 2010. "The Stability and Growth Pact: Past Performance and Future Reforms," Working Papers 97, Department of Economics, College of William and Mary.
    10. Paolo Manasse, 2006. "Procyclical Fiscal Policy: Shocks, Rules, and Institutions: A View From Mars," IMF Working Papers 2006/027, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Mackiewicz, Michał, 2005. "Making The Stability Pact More Flexible: Can It Lead to Procyclical Fiscal Policies?," MPRA Paper 16033, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Zvi Hercowitz & Michel Strawczynski, 2005. "Government Spending Adjustment: The OECD Since the 1990s," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2005.09, Bank of Israel.
    13. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1cud3763momrc7c9o91o4g581 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Truger, Achim & Hein, Eckhard, 2004. "Macroeconomic co-ordination as an economic policy concept : opportunities and obstacles in the EMU," WSI Working Papers 125, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    15. Pierre Richard Agénor & Devrim Yilmaz, 2006. "The Tyranny of Rules: Fiscal Discipline, Productive Spending, and Growth," Economics Discussion Paper Series 0616, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    16. João T. Jalles, 2022. "Do credit rating agencies reward fiscal prudence?," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 2-22, April.
    17. Muscatelli, Vito A. & Natale, Piergiovanna & Tirelli, Patrizio, 2012. "A simple and flexible alternative to Stability and Growth Pact deficit ceilings. Is it at hand?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 14-26.
    18. Wichmann, Roberta Moreira & Portugal, Marcelo Savino, 2013. "Política Fiscal Assimétrica: O Caso do Brasil," Revista Brasileira de Economia - RBE, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil), vol. 67(3), September.
    19. Jacques Pelkmans, 2006. "Testing for Subsidiarity," Bruges European Economic Policy Briefings 13, European Economic Studies Department, College of Europe.
    20. Ardanaz, Martín & Izquierdo, Alejandro, 2017. "Current Expenditure Upswings in Good Times and Capital Expenditure Downswings in Bad Times?: New Evidence from Developing Countries," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 8558, Inter-American Development Bank.
    21. António Afonso & Peter Claeys & Ricardo Sousa, 2011. "Fiscal regime shifts in Portugal," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 10(2), pages 83-108, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nax:conyad:v:63:y:2018:i:2:p:9-10. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Alberto García-Narvaez (Technical Editor) (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fcunamx.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.