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US Fiscal Policy and Asset Prices: The Role of Partisan Conflict

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  • Rangan Gupta
  • Chi Keung Marco Lau
  • Stephen M. Miller
  • Mark E. Wohar

Abstract

Fiscal policy shocks exert wide‐reaching effects, including movements in asset markets. US politics have been characterized historically by a high degree of partisan conflict. The combination of increasing polarization and divided government leads not only to significant Congressional gridlock, but also to spells of high fiscal policy uncertainty. This paper adds to the literature on the relationships between fiscal policy and asset prices in the US economy conditional on the degree of partisan conflict. We analyze whether a higher degree of partisan conflict (legislative gridlock) reduces the efficacy of the effect and response of fiscal policy on and to asset price movements, respectively. We find that partisan conflict does not significantly affect the relationships between the fiscal surplus to gross domestic product (GDP) and housing and equity returns. Rather, if important, partisan conflict affects the actual implementation of fiscal policy actions.

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  • Rangan Gupta & Chi Keung Marco Lau & Stephen M. Miller & Mark E. Wohar, 2019. "US Fiscal Policy and Asset Prices: The Role of Partisan Conflict," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 19(4), pages 851-862, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:irvfin:v:19:y:2019:i:4:p:851-862
    DOI: 10.1111/irfi.12188
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    Cited by:

    1. André, Christophe & Caraiani, Petre & Gupta, Rangan, 2023. "Fiscal policy and stock markets at the effective lower bound," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    2. Xin Sheng & Rangan Gupta, 2021. "A Note on State-Level Nonlinear Effects of Government Spending Shocks in the US: The Role of Partisan Conflict," Working Papers 202187, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    3. Qin, Meng & Su, Chi-Wei & Tao, Ran & Umar, Muhammad, 2020. "Is factionalism a push for gold price?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    4. Christou, Christina & Gupta, Rangan & Nyakabawo, Wendy, 2019. "Time-varying impact of uncertainty shocks on the US housing market," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 15-20.
    5. William B. Hankins & Anna‐Leigh Stone & Chak Hung Jack Cheng & Ching‐Wai (Jeremy) Chiu, 2020. "Corporate decision making in the presence of political uncertainty: The case of corporate cash holdings," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 55(2), pages 307-337, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • H30 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - General
    • R30 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - General

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