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Progressive Taxation, Nominal Wage Rigidity, and Business Cycle Destabilization

Author

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  • Miroslav Gabrovski

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa)

  • Jang-Ting Guo

    (University of California, Riverside)

Abstract

In the context of a prototypical New Keynesian model, this paper examines the theoretical interrelations between two tractable formulations of progressive taxation on labor income versus (i) the equilibrium degree of nominal wage rigidity as well as (ii) the resulting volatilities of hours worked and output in response to a monetary shock. In sharp contrast to the traditional stabilization view, we analytically show that linearly progressive taxation always operates like an automatic destabilizer which leads to higher cyclical fluctuations within the macroeconomy. We also obtain the same business cycle destabilization result under continuously progressive taxation if the initial degree of tax progressivity is sufficiently low.

Suggested Citation

  • Miroslav Gabrovski & Jang-Ting Guo, 2019. "Progressive Taxation, Nominal Wage Rigidity, and Business Cycle Destabilization," Working Papers 201902, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hai:wpaper:201902
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. King, Robert G. & Plosser, Charles I. & Rebelo, Sergio T., 1988. "Production, growth and business cycles : II. New directions," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 309-341.
    2. Fabrizio Mattesini & Lorenza Rossi, 2012. "Monetary Policy and Automatic Stabilizers: The Role of Progressive Taxation," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(5), pages 825-862, August.
    3. King, Robert G. & Plosser, Charles I. & Rebelo, Sergio T., 1988. "Production, growth and business cycles : I. The basic neoclassical model," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 195-232.
    4. Dromel, Nicolas L. & Pintus, Patrick A., 2007. "Linearly progressive income taxes and stabilization," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 25-29, March.
    5. R. A. Musgrave & Tun Thin, 1948. "Income Tax Progression, 1929-48," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(6), pages 498-498.
    6. Kleven, Henrik Jacobsen & Kreiner, Claus Thustrup, 2003. "The role of taxes as automatic destabilizers in New Keynesian economics," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(5-6), pages 1123-1136, May.
    7. Agell, Jonas & Dillen, Mats, 1994. "Macroeconomic externalities : Are Pigouvian taxes the answer?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 111-126, January.
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    1. Miroslav Gabrovski & Jang‐Ting Guo, 2022. "Progressive taxation as an automatic stabilizer under nominal wage rigidity and preference shocks," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 18(3), pages 232-246, September.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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