IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/aee/wpaper/1302.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Alternative strategies to reduce public deficits: Taxes vs. spending

Author

Listed:
  • Oscar Bajo-Rubio

    (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha)

  • Antonio G. Gómez-Plana

    (Universidad Pública de Navarra)

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the effects of several alternative measures intended to reduce government deficits, distinguishing between those acting through either taxes or spending, for the case of Spain. The empirical methodology is based on a computable general equilibrium model. All the simulated policies lead to a decrease in the levels of output and employment, and to a higher unemployment rate. Spending cuts show greater contractionary effects than tax increases, and are associated with a worsening in the distribution of income for labour. These effects are stronger in the case of spending cuts in Public education.

Suggested Citation

  • Oscar Bajo-Rubio & Antonio G. Gómez-Plana, 2013. "Alternative strategies to reduce public deficits: Taxes vs. spending," Working Papers 13-02, Asociación Española de Economía y Finanzas Internacionales.
  • Handle: RePEc:aee:wpaper:1302
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.aeefi.com/RePEc/pdf/defi13-02.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2009. "Varieties of Crises and Their Dates," Introductory Chapters, in: This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, Princeton University Press.
    2. Alberto Alesina & Silvia Ardagna, 1998. "Tales of fiscal adjustment," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 13(27), pages 488-545.
    3. Oscar Bajo-Rubio & Antonio G. Gómez-Plana, 2004. "Reducing Social Contributions for Unskilled Labor as a Way of Fighting Unemployment: An Empirical Evaluation for the Case of Spain," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 60(2), pages 160-185, August.
    4. Kehoe, Timothy J & Polo, Clemente & Sancho, Ferran, 1995. "An Evaluation of the Performance of an Applied General Equilibrium Model of the Spanish Economy," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 6(1), pages 115-141, June.
    5. J. Bradford DeLong & Lawrence H. Summers, 2012. "Fiscal Policy in a Depressed Economy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 44(1 (Spring), pages 233-297.
    6. repec:rnp:ecopol:09111 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Francesco Giavazzi & Marco Pagano, 1990. "Can Severe Fiscal Contractions Be Expansionary? Tales of Two Small European Countries," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1990, Volume 5, pages 75-122, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Christina D. Romer & David H. Romer, 2010. "The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(3), pages 763-801, June.
    9. Bajo-Rubio, Oscar & Gomez-Plana, Antonio G., 2005. "Simulating the effects of the European Single Market: A CGE analysis for Spain," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 689-709, September.
    10. Ballard, Charles L. & Kang, Kiwon, 2003. "International ramifications of US tax-policy changes," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 25(8), pages 825-835, November.
    11. Kemal Dervis & Jaime de Melo & Sherman Robinson, 2015. "A General Equilibrium Analysis Of Foreign Exchange Shortages In A Developing Economy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 4, pages 71-86, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    12. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1769 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Rutherford, Thomas F, 1999. "Applied General Equilibrium Modeling with MPSGE as a GAMS Subsystem: An Overview of the Modeling Framework and Syntax," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 14(1-2), pages 1-46, October.
    14. Alberto Alesina & Roberto Perotti, 1997. "Fiscal Adjustments in OECD Countries: Composition and Macroeconomic Effects," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 44(2), pages 210-248, June.
    15. Antonio Gómez Gómez-Plana & Pedro Pascual Arzoz, 2011. "Fraude fiscal e IVA en España: incidencia en un modelo de equilibrio general," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 199(4), pages 9-52, December.
    16. Howe, Howard, 1975. "Development of the extended linear expenditure system from simple saving assumptions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 305-310, July.
    17. Burfisher,Mary E., 2011. "Introduction to Computable General Equilibrium Models," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521139779, December.
    18. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/1769 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Burfisher,Mary E., 2011. "Introduction to Computable General Equilibrium Models," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521766968, December.
    20. Shoven,John B. & Whalley,John, 1992. "Applying General Equilibrium," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521266550, Enero-Abr.
    21. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/1769 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Lars Mathiesen, 1985. "Computational Experience in Solving Equilibrium Models by a Sequence of Linear Complementarity Problems," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 33(6), pages 1225-1250, December.
    23. Kehoe,Timothy J. & Srinivasan,T. N. & Whalley,John (ed.), 2005. "Frontiers in Applied General Equilibrium Modeling," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521825252, Enero-Abr.
    24. J. Bradford DeLong & Lawrence H. Summers, 2012. "Fiscal Policy in a Depressed Economy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 43(1 (Spring), pages 233-297.
    25. Jérôme Creel & Bruno Ducoudré & Catherine Mathieu & Henri Sterdyniak, 2005. "Doit-on oublier la politique budgétaire ?. Une analyse critique de la nouvelle théorie anti-keynésienne des finances publiques," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 92(1), pages 43-97.
    26. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/1769 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bajo-Rubio, Oscar & Gómez-Plana, Antonio G., 2025. "Austerity and asymmetries in the fiscal policies of the eurozone," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1592, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Sergey Zhavoronkov & Konstantin Yanovskiy & Kirill Rodionov, 2015. "Political Factors of the Cuts and Surges in Government Spending: The Effects on Old Market Democracies and Post-Communist Countries," Working Papers 146, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, revised 2015.
    3. Moheddine Younsi & Marwa Bechtini, 2024. "Financing Health Systems in Developing Countries: the Role of Government Spending and Taxation," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 13182-13210, September.
    4. P. Campoy-Muñoz & M. A. Cardenete & F. J. De Miguel-Vélez & J. Pérez-Mayo, 2022. "How does fiscal austerity impact on poverty and inequality? The Spanish case," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 715-737, October.
    5. Oscar Bajo-Rubio & Antonio G. Gómez-Plana, 2025. "Austerity and asymmetries in the fiscal policies of the Eurozone: the case of Southern Europe," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 1-24, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Oscar Bajo‐Rubio & Antonio G. Gómez‐Plana, 2022. "A multi‐country analysis of austerity policies in the European Union," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 4-35, January.
    2. Javier Ferri & Antonio G. Gómez-Plana & Joan A. Martín-Montaner, 2006. "Illegal immigration booms and welfare in the host country," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 22(4), pages 353-370, December.
    3. Andrea Boitani & Salvatore Perdichizzi & Chiara Punzo, 2022. "Nonlinearities and expenditure multipliers in the Eurozone [Tales of fiscal adjustment]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(2), pages 552-575.
    4. Bajo-Rubio, Oscar & Gomez-Plana, Antonio G., 2005. "Simulating the effects of the European Single Market: A CGE analysis for Spain," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 689-709, September.
    5. Antonio Gómez Gómez-Plana & Pedro Pascual Arzoz, 2011. "Fraude fiscal e IVA en España: incidencia en un modelo de equilibrio general," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 199(4), pages 9-52, December.
    6. Antonio G. Gómez-Plana & Oscar Bajo-Rubio, "undated". "Algunos efectos del mercado único europeo sobre la economía espanola: Un análisis a través de un modelo de equilibrio general aplicado," Studies on the Spanish Economy 213, FEDEA.
    7. Alesina, Alberto & Favero, Carlo & Giavazzi, Francesco, 2015. "The output effect of fiscal consolidation plans," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(S1), pages 19-42.
    8. Paweł Borys & Piotr Ciżkowicz & Andrzej Rzońca, 2014. "Panel Data Evidence on the Effects of Fiscal Policy Shocks in the EU New Member States," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 35, pages 189-224, June.
    9. Nicola Acocella, "undated". "The theoretical roots of EMU institutions and policies during the crisis," Working Papers 126/14, Sapienza University of Rome, Metodi e Modelli per l'Economia, il Territorio e la Finanza MEMOTEF.
    10. Simona Lorena Comi & Elena Cottini & Claudio Lucifora, 2020. "The effect of retirement on social relationships: new evidence from SHARE," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza def088, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    11. Gómez-Plana, Antonio G. & Latorre, María C., 2014. "When multinationals leave: A CGE analysis of the impact of divestments," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 8, pages 1-41.
    12. Martin, Will & Mattoo, Aaditya, 2011. "Unfinished Business? The WTO's Doha Agenda," Conference papers 332070, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    13. M. Alejandro Cardenete & M. Carmen Lima & Ferran Sancho, 2013. "Are There Key Sectors? An Appraisal Using Applied General Equilibrium," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 43(2,3), pages 111-129, Winter.
    14. Hüseyin ŞEN & Ayşe KAYA, 2017. "Mali Konsolidasyon Büyüme ve İstihdam için Bir Çıpa mı, Mali Tuzak mı? Teorik ve Ampirik Literatür Temelli Bir Analiz," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 25(34).
    15. Hommes, Cars & Lustenhouwer, Joep & Mavromatis, Kostas, 2018. "Fiscal consolidations and heterogeneous expectations," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 173-205.
    16. Reinhart, Carmen M. & Reinhart, Vincent & Rogoff, Kenneth, 2015. "Dealing with debt," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(S1), pages 43-55.
    17. Philipp Heimberger, 2024. "Fiscal consolidation and its growth effects in euro area countries: Past, present and future outlook," wiiw Working Papers 253, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    18. Attinasi, Maria Grazia & Klemm, Alexander, 2016. "The growth impact of discretionary fiscal policy measures," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 265-279.
    19. Christoph A. Schaltegger & Martin Weder, 2014. "Fiscal adjustment and the costs of public debt service: evidence from OECD countries," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(22), pages 2593-2610, August.
    20. Philip Arestis & Ayşe Kaya & Hüseyin Şen, 2018. "Does fiscal consolidation promote economic growth and employment? Evidence from the PIIGGS countries," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 15(3), pages 289-312, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Computable general equilibrium; Government deficit; Taxes; Spending;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aee:wpaper:1302. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Luis Miguel del Corral Cuervo (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aeefiea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.