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Optimal Fiscal Policy with Heterogeneous Agents and Aggregate Shocks

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  • Xavier Ragot

    (Sciencespo)

  • Francois Le Grand

    (EMLyon Business School)

Abstract

We show that allocations in incomplete insurance-market economies can be represented as the solution of the program of a constrained planner. This representation allows for solving Ramsey programs in incomplete-market economies with aggregate shocks. We apply this framework to derive optimal fiscal policy and public debt dynamics in an economy with capital after persistent technology shocks, when the planner can use distorting taxes on capital and labor and positive lump-sum transfers. Average capital taxation is a simple function of the tightness of credit constraints. In a quantitative exercise, it is shown that private savings increase too much after a technology shock, and are absorbed by an increase in public debt and a decrease in capital taxes. Simulations of these optimal solutions can be obtained by simple perturbation methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Xavier Ragot & Francois Le Grand, 2017. "Optimal Fiscal Policy with Heterogeneous Agents and Aggregate Shocks," 2017 Meeting Papers 969, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed017:969
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    Cited by:

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    3. xavier Ragot & Francois Le Grand, 2018. "Sovereign Default and Liquidity: The Case for a World Safe," 2018 Meeting Papers 889, Society for Economic Dynamics.
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    5. Yikai Wang & Hans Holter & Marcus Hagedorn, 2015. "The Optimum Quantity of Capital and Debt," 2015 Meeting Papers 1220, Society for Economic Dynamics.
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    7. Wei Cui & Vincent Sterk, 2018. "Quantitative Easing," Discussion Papers 1830, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    8. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/4lhe3u3c38ojohjlcbfaupcjr is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/3jhmd4ib388m99gnolvi8klga2 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. YiLi Chien & Yi Wen, 2022. "Optimal Ramsey Taxation in Heterogeneous Agent Economies with Quasi-Linear Preferences," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 46, pages 124-160, October.
    11. Brand, Claus & Obstbaum, Meri & Coenen, Günter & Sondermann, David & Lydon, Reamonn & Ajevskis, Viktors & Hammermann, Felix & Angino, Siria & Hernborg, Nils & Basso, Henrique & Hertweck, Matthias & Bi, 2021. "Employment and the conduct of monetary policy in the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 275, European Central Bank.
    12. YiLi Chien & Yi Wen, 2019. "Don't Tax Capital---Optimal Ramsey Taxation in Heterogeneous Agent Economies with Quasi-Linear Preferences," 2019 Meeting Papers 258, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    13. Boris Chafwehé & François Courtoy, 2021. "Optimal Taxes and Transfers with Household Heterogeneity," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2021009, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    14. Marius Clemens & Ulrich Eydam & Maik Heinemann, 2020. "Inequality over the Business Cycle – The Role of Distributive Shocks," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1852, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
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    16. Cui, Wei & Sterk, Vincent, 2021. "Quantitative easing with heterogeneous agents," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 68-90.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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