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On the International Dimension of Fiscal Policy

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  • Gianluca Benigno
  • Bianca De Paoli

Abstract

This paper analyses the international dimension of fiscal policy using a small open economy framework in which the government finances its spending by levying distortionary taxation and issuing non-state-contingent debt. The main finding of the paper is that, once the open economy aspect of the policy problem is considered, it is not optimal to smooth taxes following idiosyncratic shocks. Even when prices are flexible and inflation can costlessly act as a shock absorber to restore fiscal equilibrium, the presence of a terms of trade externality lead to movements in the tax rate. Also in contrast with the closed economy, the introduction of sticky prices can reduce the optimal volatility of taxes.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianluca Benigno & Bianca De Paoli, 2009. "On the International Dimension of Fiscal Policy," CEP Discussion Papers dp0905, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0905
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    2. Benigno, Pierpaolo & Woodford, Michael, 2012. "Linear-quadratic approximation of optimal policy problems," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(1), pages 1-42.
    3. José-Miguel Cardoso-Costa & Vivien Lewis, 2017. "Fiscal Policy and Inflation in a Monetary Union," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 84(336), pages 779-796, October.
    4. Alexander Mihailov & Katrin Ullrich, 2015. "Institution Design for Macroeconomic Policy," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2015-01, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    5. Dmitriev, Mikhail & Hoddenbagh, Jonathan, 2012. "The optimal design of a fiscal union," MPRA Paper 46007, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Apr 2013.
    6. Di Giorgio, Giorgio & Nisticò, Salvatore, 2013. "Productivity shocks, stabilization policies and the dynamics of net foreign assets," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 210-230.
    7. Auray, Stéphane & de Blas, Beatriz & Eyquem, Aurélien, 2011. "Ramsey policies in a small open economy with sticky prices and capital," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1531-1546, September.
    8. Stéphane Auray & Aurélien Eyquem & Paul Gomme, 2016. "A Tale Of Tax Policies In Open Economies," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57(4), pages 1299-1333, November.
    9. Auray, Stéphane & Eyquem, Aurélien & Gomme, Paul, 2018. "Ramsey-optimal tax reforms and real exchange rate dynamics," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 159-169.
    10. Marco Riguzzi & Philipp Wegmueller, 2017. "Economic Openness and Fiscal Multipliers," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 1-35, January.
    11. Franz Hamann & Jesús Bejarano & Diego Rodríguez, 2015. "Monetary policy implications for an oil-exporting economy of lower long-run international oil prices," Borradores de Economia 12615, Banco de la Republica.
    12. Simon Wren-Lewis & Fabian Eser, 2009. "When is Monetary Policy All we Need?," Economics Series Working Papers 430, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    13. Chan Wang & Heng-fu Zou, 2013. "On the efficiency of monetary and fiscal policy in open economies," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 14(1), pages 179-206, May.
    14. Paulo Vieira & Celsa Machado & Ana Paula Ribeiro, 2016. "Optimal Fiscal Simple Rules for Small and Large Countries of a Monetary Union," EcoMod2016 9685, EcoMod.
    15. Lewis, Vivien & Winkler, Roland, 2015. "Fiscal policy and business formation in open economies," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 603-620.
    16. Fujiwara, Ippei & Kam, Timothy & Sunakawa, Takeki, 2019. "Sustainable international monetary policy cooperation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Angelo Marsiglia Fasolo, 2014. "The Ramsey Steady State under Optimal Monetary and Fiscal Policy for Small Open Economies," Working Papers Series 357, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    18. Gianluca Benigno & Pierpaolo Benigno & Salvatore Nisticò, 2012. "Risk, Monetary Policy, and the Exchange Rate," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(1), pages 247-309.
    19. İrem Zeyneloğlu & Gilbert Koenig, 2016. "Recent Economic Developments and the Implications for Fiscal Policy in Open Economy Macroeconomics," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 126(6), pages 1023-1056.
    20. Jesús Bejarano & Franz Hamann & Paulina Restrepo-Echavarria & Diego Rodríguez, 2016. "Monetary Policy in an Oil-Exporting Economy," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 98(3), pages 239-261.
    21. Leonardo Barreto, 2018. "Nonconventional monetary policy in a regime-switching model with endogenous financial crises," Documentos CEDE 16382, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    optimal policy; fiscal policy; small open economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • 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
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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