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Debt, Deficits and Destabilizing Monetary Policy in Open Economies

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  • van Wijnbergen, Sweder
  • Schabert, Andreas

Abstract

Blanchard (2005) suggested that active interest rate policy might induce unstable dynamics in highly-indebted economies. We examine this in a dynamic general equilibrium model where Calvo-type price rigidities provide a rationale for inflation stabilization. Unstable dynamics can occur when the CB is aggressively raising the interest rate in response to higher expected inflation. The constraint on stabilizing interest rate policy is tighter the higher the primary deficit and the more open the economy is. If the government cannot borrow from abroad in its own currency, stability requires interest rate policy to be accommodating (passive). Inflation stabilization is nevertheless feasible if the CB uses an instrument not associated with default risk, e.g. money supply.

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  • van Wijnbergen, Sweder & Schabert, Andreas, 2006. "Debt, Deficits and Destabilizing Monetary Policy in Open Economies," CEPR Discussion Papers 5590, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:5590
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    Cited by:

    1. Sweder Wijnbergen & Alexander France, 2012. "Assessing Debt Sustainability in a Stochastic Environment: 200 Years of Dutch Debt and Deficit Management," De Economist, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 219-236, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal-monetary policy interactions; Sovereign default risk; Foreign debt; Inflation targeting; Policy implementation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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