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U.S. Fiscal Policy and Asset Prices: The Role of Partisan Conflict

Author

Listed:
  • Rangan Gupta

    (University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa)

  • Chi Keung Marco Lau

    (Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)

  • Stephen M. Miller

    (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)

  • Mark E. Wohar

    (College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, USA and School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK)

Abstract

Fiscal policy shocks exert wide-reaching effects, including movements in asset markets. U.S. 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 U.S. 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 GDP and housing and equity returns. Rather, if important, partisan conflict affects the actual implementation of fiscal policy actions.

Suggested Citation

  • Rangan Gupta & Chi Keung Marco Lau & Stephen M. Miller & Mark E. Wohar, 2017. "U.S. Fiscal Policy and Asset Prices: The Role of Partisan Conflict," Working Papers 201742, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pre:wpaper:201742
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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. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Qin, Meng & Su, Chi-Wei & Tao, Ran & Umar, Muhammad, 2020. "Is factionalism a push for gold price?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    5. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quantile structural VAR; fiscal policy; stock prices; house prices; partisan conflict;
    All these keywords.

    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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