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Cyclical drivers of fiscal policy in sub-Saharan Africa: New insights from the time-varying heterogeneity approach

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  • Kassouri, Yacouba
  • Altıntaş, Halil

Abstract

We extend the topical literature on the cyclical behavior of fiscal policy in developing countries subject to terms of trade cycles by applying the interactive fixed effects model that allow for unobserved time-varying heterogeneity in the impact of fundamentals. Based on a sample of 20 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1985 to 2017, our results support existing evidence about developing countries that fiscal policy is pro-cyclical in SSA countries. Whereas this pro-cyclicality is valid for government spending and fiscal balance, government revenue is slightly counter-cyclical. We also find that the pro-cyclicality of government expenditure and fiscal balance escalates during episodes of terms of trade booms. Our results make a strong case for the support of the pivotal role of Sovereign Wealth Funds, access to international financial markets, and flexible exchange rate regimes in reversing the pro-cyclical behavior of fiscal policy.

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  • Kassouri, Yacouba & Altıntaş, Halil, 2021. "Cyclical drivers of fiscal policy in sub-Saharan Africa: New insights from the time-varying heterogeneity approach," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 51-67.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:70:y:2021:i:c:p:51-67
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eap.2021.01.019
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    3. Chigozie Nelson Nkalu & Chike Cletus Agu, 2023. "Fiscal Policy and Economic Stabilization Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa: A New Evidence from Panel VEC Model and Hodrick-Prescott Filter Cyclical Decomposition," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
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    7. Kassouri, Yacouba & Kacou, Kacou Yves Thierry, 2022. "Does the structure of credit markets affect agricultural development in West African countries?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 588-601.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal policy; Terms of trade; Cyclicality; Interactive fixed effects; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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