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The effects of public spending externalities

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  • Ercolani, Valerio
  • Valle e Azevedo, João

Abstract

We conduct a positive analysis on the effects of ‘externalities’ produced by government spending. To this effect, we estimate, using U.S. data, an RBC model with two salient features. First, we allow government consumption to directly affect the marginal utility of consumption. Second, we allow public capital to shift the productivity of private factors. We provide an identification analysis that supports the strategy adopted for estimating the parameters governing these two channels. On one hand, private and government consumption are robustly estimated to be substitute goods. Because of substitutability, labor supply reacts little to a government consumption shock, so the estimated output multiplier is much lower than in models with separabilities. On the other hand, our results point towards public investment being ‘unproductive’.

Suggested Citation

  • Ercolani, Valerio & Valle e Azevedo, João, 2014. "The effects of public spending externalities," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 173-199.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:dyncon:v:46:y:2014:i:c:p:173-199
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2014.06.016
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    2. J. F. M. De Jong & M. Ferdinandusse & J. Funda, 2018. "Public capital in the 21st century: as productive as ever?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(51), pages 5543-5560, November.
    3. Albonico, Alice & Paccagnini, Alessia & Tirelli, Patrizio, 2016. "In search of the Euro area fiscal stance," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(PB), pages 254-264.
    4. João Valle e Azevedo & Valerio Ercolani, 2012. "An evaluation of government expenditures’ externalities," Economic Bulletin and Financial Stability Report Articles and Banco de Portugal Economic Studies, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    5. João Valle e Azevedo, 2013. "The Output Effects of (Non-Separable) Government Consumption at the Zero Lower Bound," Working Papers w201310, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    6. Anton I. Votinov & Victoria A. Gribova & Samvel S. Lazaryan, 2023. "Analysis of the Transmission Mechanism of Public Investments: The Case of the DSGE Model," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 5, pages 8-26, October.
    7. Anna Kormilitsina & Sarah Zubairy, 2018. "Propagation Mechanisms for Government Spending Shocks: A Bayesian Comparison," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 50(7), pages 1571-1616, October.
    8. Haytem Troug, 2020. "Monetary policy with non-separable government spending," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 426-449, January.
    9. Troug, Haytem, 2019. "Monetary Policy with Non-Separable Government Spending," MPRA Paper 92323, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Haytem Troug & Ernil Sabaj, 2023. "Monetary policy in a small open economy with non-separable government spending," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 51(1), pages 39-70, October.
    11. Ercolani, Valerio & Valle e Azevedo, João, 2019. "How Can The Government Spending Multiplier Be Small At The Zero Lower Bound?," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(8), pages 3457-3482, December.
    12. Bonam, Dennis & Ciccarelli, Matteo & Gomes, Sandra & Aldama, Pierre & Bańkowski, Krzysztof & Buss, Ginters & da Costa, José Cardoso & Christoffel, Kai & Elfsbacka Schmöller, Michaela & Jacquinot, Pasc, 2024. "Challenges for monetary and fiscal policy interactions in the post-pandemic era," Occasional Paper Series 337, European Central Bank.
    13. Dawood, Taufiq Carnegie & Francois, John Nana, 2018. "Substitution between private and government consumption in African economies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 129-139.
    14. J. F. M. De Jong & M. Ferdinandusse & J. Funda, 2018. "Public capital in the 21st century: as productive as ever?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(51), pages 5543-5560, November.
    15. Noel Rapa, 2017. "Estimates of Fiscal Multipliers using MEDSEA," CBM Working Papers WP/04/2017, Central Bank of Malta.
    16. Haytem Troug & Ernil Sabaj, 2023. "Monetary policy in a small open economy with non-separable government spending," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 51(1), pages 39-70, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public spending externalities; Fiscal multipliers; Government consumption; Government investment; DSGE models; Bayesian estimation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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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