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Sovereign default risk and commitment for fiscal adjustment

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  • Carlos Eduardo Gonçalves
  • Bernardo Guimarães

Abstract

This paper studies fiscal policy in a model of sovereign debt and default. A time-inconsistency problem arises: since the price of past debt cannot be affected by current fiscal policy and governments cannot credibly commit to a certain path of tax rates, debtor countries choose suboptimally low fiscal adjustments. An international lender of last resort, capable of designing an implicit contract that coax debtors into a tougher fiscal stance via the provision of cheap (but senior) lending in times of crisis, can work as a commitment device and improve social welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Eduardo Gonçalves & Bernardo Guimarães, 2012. "Sovereign default risk and commitment for fiscal adjustment," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2012_23, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    • Handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2012wpecon23
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Bernardo Guimaraes & Oz Iazdi, 2015. "IMF conditionalities, liquidity provision, and incentives for fiscal adjustment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(5), pages 705-722, October.
    3. Stefan Niemann & Paul Pichler, 2020. "Optimal fiscal policy and sovereign debt crises," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 37, pages 234-254, July.
    4. Siming Liu & Hewei Shen, 2022. "Fiscal Commitment and Sovereign Default Risk," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 46, pages 98-123, October.
    5. Arazmuradov, Annageldy, 2016. "Assessing sovereign debt default by efficiency," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 100-113.
    6. Bernardo Guimaraes & Carlos Eduardo Ladeira, 2021. "The determinants of IMF fiscal conditionality: Economics or politics?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(3), pages 1361-1399, November.
    7. Javier Bianchi & Pablo Ottonello & Ignacio Presno, 2023. "Fiscal Stimulus under Sovereign Risk," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 131(9), pages 2328-2369.
    8. Bernardo Guimaraes & Lucas Tumkus, 2020. "On the costs of sovereign default in quantitative models," Discussion Papers 2021, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    9. Juan Carlos Hatchondo & Leonardo Martinez & Francisco Roch, 2022. "Numerical Fiscal Rules for Economic Unions: the Role of Sovereign Spreads," Working Papers 147, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    10. Jeon, Kiyoung & Kabukcuoglu, Zeynep, 2018. "Income inequality and sovereign default," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 211-232.
    11. Alamgir, Farzana & Cotoc, Johnny & Johri, Alok, 2023. "The bribe rate and long run differences in sovereign borrowing costs," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    12. Cordella, Tito & Powell, Andrew, 2021. "Preferred and non-preferred creditors," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    13. Tamon Asonuma & Hyungseok Joo, 2021. "Public Capital and Fiscal Constraint in Sovereign Debt Crises," School of Economics Discussion Papers 0621, School of Economics, University of Surrey.
    14. Stefan Niemann & Paul Pichler, 2020. "Optimal fiscal policy and sovereign debt crises," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 37, pages 234-254, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fiscal adjustment; sovereign debt; sovereign default; time inconsistency; IMF;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems

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