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Progressive Taxation as an Automatic Stabilizer under Nominal Wage Rigidity and Preference Shocks

Author

Listed:
  • Miroslav Gabrovski

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa)

  • Jang-Ting Guo

    (Department of Economics, University of California Riverside)

Abstract

Previous research has shown that in the context of a prototypical New Keynesian model, more progressive income taxation may lead to higher volatilities of hours worked and total output in response to a monetary disturbance. We analytically show that this business-cycle destabilization result is overturned within an otherwise identical macroeconomy subject to impulses to the household's utility formulation. Under a continuously or linearly progressive fiscal policy rule, an increase in the tax progressivity will always raise the degree of equilibrium nominal-wage rigidity, and thus serve as an automatic stabilizer that mitigates cyclical fluctuations driven by preference shocks. Our analysis illustrates that whether a more progressive tax schedule (de)stabilizes the business cycle depends crucially on the underlying driving source.

Suggested Citation

  • Miroslav Gabrovski & Jang-Ting Guo, 2020. "Progressive Taxation as an Automatic Stabilizer under Nominal Wage Rigidity and Preference Shocks," Working Papers 202004, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucr:wpaper:202004
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guo, Jang-Ting & Lansing, Kevin J., 1998. "Indeterminacy and Stabilization Policy," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 82(2), pages 481-490, October.
    2. Miroslav Gabrovski & Jang-Ting Guo, 2019. "Progressive Taxation, Nominal Wage Rigidity, and Business Cycle Destabilization," Working Papers 201902, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    3. Schmitt-Grohe, Stephanie & Uribe, Martin, 1997. "Balanced-Budget Rules, Distortionary Taxes, and Aggregate Instability," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 105(5), pages 976-1000, October.
    4. Dromel, Nicolas L. & Pintus, Patrick A., 2007. "Linearly progressive income taxes and stabilization," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 25-29, March.
    5. Kleven, Henrik Jacobsen & Kreiner, Claus Thustrup, 2003. "The role of taxes as automatic destabilizers in New Keynesian economics," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(5-6), pages 1123-1136, May.
    6. Bencivenga, Valerie R, 1992. "An Econometric Study of Hours and Output Variation with Preference Shocks," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 33(2), pages 449-471, May.
    7. Fabrizio Mattesini & Lorenza Rossi, 2012. "Monetary Policy and Automatic Stabilizers: The Role of Progressive Taxation," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(5), pages 825-862, August.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Progressive Income Taxation; Automatic Stabilizer; Nominal Wage Rigidity; Preference Shocks.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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