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Debt Problems and Macroeconomic Policies

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  • Lawrence H. Summers

Abstract

This paper examines the recent dramatic increase in the ratio of US non-financial debt to GNP. It concludes that it is largely the result of federal budget deficits. There does not appear to have been a major change in traditional patterns of private sector borrowing in recent years. The excessive accumulation of Federal debt probably threatens financial stability more than recent increases in private debt.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence H. Summers, 1986. "Debt Problems and Macroeconomic Policies," NBER Working Papers 2061, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2061
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    Cited by:

    1. International Monetary Fund, 2010. "Fiscal Policy and the Current Account," IMF Working Papers 2010/121, International Monetary Fund.
    2. S M Ali Abbas & Jacques Bouhga-Hagbe & Antonio Fatás & Paolo Mauro & Ricardo C Velloso, 2011. "Fiscal Policy and the Current Account," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 59(4), pages 603-629, November.
    3. Dumitriu, Ramona & Stefanescu, Răzvan, 2020. "Iluzii financiare, Partea întâi [Financial Illusions, Part 1]," MPRA Paper 101201, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 17 Jun 2020.
    4. Lori L. Leachman & Michael Thorpe, 1998. "Intertemporal Solvency in the Small Open Economy of Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 74(226), pages 231-242, September.
    5. Benjamin M. Friedman, 1990. "Views on the Likelihood of Financial Crisis," NBER Working Papers 3407, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Demdoumi, Meriem, 2016. "La gestion structurelle des déficits jumeaux au Maroc et la recherche d’une stratégie d’équilibre [Structural management of twin deficits in Morocco and Finding an equilibrium strategy]," MPRA Paper 71533, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2016.
    7. Benjamin A. Friedman & E. Gerald Corrigan & Irvine H. Sprague & Norman Strunk & Joseph A. Grundfest, 1991. "The Risks of Financial Crises," NBER Chapters, in: The Risk of Economic Crisis, pages 19-83, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. El-Baz, Osama, 2014. "Empirical Investigation of the Twin Deficits Hypothesis: The Egyptian Case (1990-2012)," MPRA Paper 53428, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Bilman, Mustafa Erhan & Karaoğlan, Sadık, 2020. "Does the twin deficit hypothesis hold in the OECD countries under different real interest rate regimes?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 205-215.
    10. Olalekan Emmanuel Obademi & Olawale. O. Okubanjo, 2013. "External Debt and Nigeria’s Economic Growth Nexus, Matters Arising," International Journal of Financial Economics, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 1(2), pages 61-66.
    11. Yuan Chang, 2016. "Financial Soundness Indicator, Financial Cycle, Credit Cycle and Business Cycle£­Evidence from Taiwan," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(4), pages 166-182, April.
    12. Giancarlo Corsetti & Gernot J. Müller, 2006. "Twin deficits: squaring theory, evidence and common sense [‘Temporary and permanent government spending in an open economy: some evidence for the United Kingdom’]," Economic Policy, CEPR;CES;MSH, vol. 21(48), pages 598-638.
    13. Lori Leachman & Bill Francis, 2002. "Twin Deficits: Apparition or Reality?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(9), pages 1121-1132.
    14. Jer-Shiou Chiou & Pei-Shan Wu & Antony Chang & Bor-Yi Huang, 2007. "The asymmetric information and price manipulation in stock market," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(7), pages 883-891.
    15. Helena Glebocki Keefe & Ralf Hepp, 2024. "The effects of European fiscal discipline measures on current account balances," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 251-283, February.

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