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Debt policy under constraints between Philip II, the Cortes and Genoese bankers

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  • Álvarez Nogal, Carlos
  • Chamley, Christophe

Abstract

The large public debt was created in 16th century Castile. A new view of its fiscal system is presented. The main part of the debt was in perpetual redeemable annuities and its credibility was enhanced by decentralized funding through taxes administered by cities that represented the Realm in the Cortes. Accumulation of short-term debt would be refinanced by long-term debt. Short-term debt crises occurred when the service of the long-term debt reached the revenues of the taxes that funded the domestic long-term debt. They were resolved after protracted negotiations in the Cortes by tax increases and interest rate reductions

Suggested Citation

  • Álvarez Nogal, Carlos & Chamley, Christophe, 2011. "Debt policy under constraints between Philip II, the Cortes and Genoese bankers," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp11-06, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    • Handle: RePEc:cte:whrepe:wp11-06
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    Cited by:

    1. Mauricio Drelichman & Hans-Joachim Voth, 2015. "Risk sharing with the monarch: contingent debt and excusable defaults in the age of Philip II, 1556–1598," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 9(1), pages 49-75, January.
    2. Drelichman, Mauricio & Hans-Joachim, Voth, 2015. "Returns to Investing in Sovereign Debt: a Response to Alvarez Nogal and Chamley," Economics working papers mauricio_drelichman-2015-, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 02 Sep 2015.
    3. Álvarez Nogal, Carlos & Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Santiago Caballero, Carlos, 2015. "Agriculture in Europe's little divergence: the case of Spain," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp15-07, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    4. Drelichman, Mauricio & Voth, Hans-Joachim, 2015. "Duplication without Constraints: Alvarez Nogal and Chamley’s Analysis of Debt Policy under Philip II," Economics working papers mauricio_drelichman-2015-, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 02 Sep 2015.
    5. Vidal-Robert, Jordi, 2013. "War and Inquisition: Repression in Early Modern Spain," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 119, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Debt funding;

    JEL classification:

    • N23 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems

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