We study a small open economy characterized by two empirically important frictions— incomplete financial markets and an inability of the government to commit to policy. We characterize the best sustainable fiscal policy and show that it can amplify and prolong shocks to output. In particular, even when the government is completely benevolent, the government’s credibility not to expropriate capital varies endogenously with the state of the economy and may be “scarcest” during recessions. This increased threat of expropriation depresses investment, prolonging downturns. It is the incompleteness of financial markets and the lack of commitment that generate investment cycles even in an environment where first-best capital stock is constant.
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Paper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in its series Working Papers with number
06-9.
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Chari, V.V. & Kehoe, Patrick J., 1999.
"Optimal fiscal and monetary policy,"
Handbook of Macroeconomics,
in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 26, pages 1671-1745
Elsevier.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Aaron Tornell & Philip R. Lane, 1999.
"The Voracity Effect,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 89(1), pages 22-46, March.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Chari, V V & Kehoe, Patrick J, 1990.
"Sustainable Plans,"
Journal of Political Economy,
University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(4), pages 783-802, August.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
V.V. Chari & Patrick J. Kehoe, 1989.
"Sustainable plans,"
Staff Report
122, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
[Downloadable!]
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