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Budget Deficits and Economic Growth

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  • Futagami, Koichi
  • Shibata, Akihisa

Abstract

This paper investigates the sustainability and welfare effects of government budget deficits by using a simple endogenous growth model with overlapping generations. It is shown that, if the initial volume of government debt and the ratio of primary budget deficits to GDP are not large, then there can exist two steady-growth equilibria, one of which is associated with a higher growth rate and the other of which is associated with a lower growth rate. It is also shown that changes in government spending cannot be Pareto improving although they affect the long-run growth rate and each generation's utility.

Suggested Citation

  • Futagami, Koichi & Shibata, Akihisa, 1998. "Budget Deficits and Economic Growth," Public Finance = Finances publiques, , vol. 53(3-4), pages 331-354.
    • Handle: RePEc:pfi:pubfin:v:53:y:1998:i:3-4:p:331-54
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    • Futagami, Koichi & 二神, 孝一 & フタガミ, コウイチ & Shibata, Akihisa & 柴田, 章久 & シバタ, アキヒサ, 2003. "Budget Deficits and Economic Growth," Discussion Paper 133, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.

    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandru Minea & Patrick Villieu, 2009. "Borrowing to Finance Public Investment? The ‘Golden Rule of Public Finance’ Reconsidered in an Endogenous Growth Setting," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 103-133, March.
    2. Maxime Menuet & Alexandru Minea & Patrick Villieu, 2018. "Deficit, monetization, and economic growth: a case for multiplicity and indeterminacy," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 65(4), pages 819-853, June.
    3. Takayuki Ogawa, 2005. "Welfare Analysis of Debt Policy during Recessions," ISER Discussion Paper 0642, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    4. Ehigiamusoe, Kizito Uyi & Lean, Hooi Hooi, 2020. "The role of deficit and debt in financing growth in West Africa," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 216-234.
    5. Real Arai, 2011. "Productive Government Expenditure and Fiscal Sustainability," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 67(4), pages 327-351, December.
    6. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4341 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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