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Public debt is always toxic to economic growth

Author

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  • Juhana Hukkinen

    (Bank of Finland)

  • Matti Viren

    (Bank of Finland and Department of Economics, University of Turku)

Abstract

This paper deals with the debt-growth relationship using several time-series tools. The idea is to find out whether the inverse relationship between these variable can be detected without imposing any functional forms for the estimating relationship and whether the relationship does indeed reflect some nonlinear features. Thus recursive correlations with different orderings of the time-series are computed using the Reinhart and Rogoff panel data. After that, recursive correlations are re-estimated with data that are cyclically adjusted to reflect the structural features of these two variables. The nature of the relationship is also scrutinized by using various variable-parameter estimation techniques (Kalman Filter, Logistic functional form and recursive estimation). Finally, some analyses of causality are carried out using these (filtered) data. The analysis clearly shows that the inverse relationship is very robust indeed and it rather supports the ``toxic debt'' hypothesis than the cyclical debt accumulation hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Juhana Hukkinen & Matti Viren, 2013. "Public debt is always toxic to economic growth," Discussion Papers 88, Aboa Centre for Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tkk:dpaper:dp88
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    File URL: http://ace-economics.fi/kuvat/dp88.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Herndon & Michael Ash & Robert Pollin, 2014. "Does high public debt consistently stifle economic growth? A critique of Reinhart and Rogoff," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 38(2), pages 257-279.
    2. Aschauer, David Alan, 1989. "Is public expenditure productive?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 177-200, March.
    3. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2010. "Growth in a Time of Debt," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 573-578, May.
    4. James Tobin, 1965. "The Burden Of The Public Debt: A Review Article," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 20(4), pages 679-682, December.
    5. André Sapir & Marco Buti, 1998. "Economic policy in EMU," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/8078, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Simone Salotti & Carmine Trecroci, 2012. "Even Worse than You thought: The Impact of Public Debt on Aggregate Investment and Productivity," DEGIT Conference Papers c017_020, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Ikonen, Pasi, 2017. "Financial depth, debt, and growth," Bank of Finland Scientific Monographs, Bank of Finland, volume 0, number e51.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    debt; government deficit; growth; causality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes

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