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Non-Separable Preferences and Frisch Labor Supply: One Solution to a Fiscal Policy Puzzle

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  • Bilbiie, Florin

Abstract

This paper proposes a theoretical explanation of the empirical finding that private consumption increases in response to an increase in government spending. The explanation requires two ingredients. First, labor demand expands (e.g. prices are sticky). Second, general non-separable preferences over consumption and leisure should be such that Frisch labor supply elasticity is lower than the constant-consumption elasticity; this implies that constant-consumption labor supply shifts left. Existing empirical evidence on the relative magnitudes of the two elasticities supports this hypothesis. The parametric conditions under which the result occurs are consistent with restrictions of concavity and non-inferiority of consumption and leisure.

Suggested Citation

  • Bilbiie, Florin, 2009. "Non-Separable Preferences and Frisch Labor Supply: One Solution to a Fiscal Policy Puzzle," CEPR Discussion Papers 7484, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7484
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Luigi Marattin & Arsen Palestini, 2014. "Government spending under non-separability: a theoretical analysis," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 61(1), pages 39-60, April.
    2. Saeidinezhad, Elham, 2014. "The International Spillover of Fiscal and Technology Shocks before the Crisis: The case of the UK and Italy," MPRA Paper 98556, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Juessen, Falko & Linnemann, Ludger, 2012. "Markups and fiscal transmission in a panel of OECD countries," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 674-686.
    4. Michael Woodford, 2011. "Simple Analytics of the Government Expenditure Multiplier," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 1-35, January.
    5. Robert E. Hall, 2009. "By How Much Does GDP Rise If the Government Buys More Output?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 40(2 (Fall)), pages 183-249.
    6. Hashmat Khan & Abeer Reza, 2017. "House Prices and Government Spending Shocks," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(6), pages 1247-1271, September.
    7. Enders, Zeno & Müller, Gernot J. & Scholl, Almuth, 2011. "How do fiscal and technology shocks affect real exchange rates?: New evidence for the United States," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(1), pages 53-69, January.
    8. Tesfaselassie, Mewael F., 2011. "Trend growth and the dynamic effects of government spending," Kiel Working Papers 1678, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    9. L. Marattin & M. Marzo, 2010. "The Multiplier-Effects of Non-Wasteful Government Expenditure," Working Papers 704, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    10. Madalina-Gabriela ANGHEL & Constantin Anghelache & Tudor SAMSON & Radu STOICA, 2016. "Analysis of index prices of population consumption reveals a moderation through fiscal measures," Romanian Statistical Review Supplement, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 64(12), pages 148-156, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Non-separable preferences; Fiscal policy; Government spending; Private consumption; Sticky prices; Frisch elasticity of labor supply;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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