This paper analyses the effect of the degree of the legal enforcement of credit contracts on the level of private investment. We use a model of corporate finance with moral hazard and collateralized asset. We introduce in the model a third agent: the government, which is responsible for the enforcement of credit contracts. In particular we consider the right to repossess two different types of assets in case of default: inside collateral and outside collateral. We show that the existence of credit constraints and their level depend on the degree of enforceability of creditor rights, provided by the public sector. Moreover, we find the optimal degree of legal enforcement and we investigate how it depends on the firms' wealth endowment.
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Paper provided by Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy in its series CSEF Working Papers with number
57.
Find related papers by JEL classification: G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General K1 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law K4 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior
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