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Sovereign Debt and Incentives to Default with Uninsurable Risks

Author

Listed:
  • Bloise, Gaetano

    (Yeshiva University and University of Rome III)

  • Polemarchakis, Herakles

    (Department of Economics, University of Warwick)

  • Vailakis, Yiannis

    (University of Glasgow)

Abstract

Sovereign debt is not sustainable even in the presence of uninsurable risks; which extends the result of Bulow and Rogoff (1989). But the argument is not as general. Indeed, examples show that positive borrowing may be enforced even though the sovereign’s natural debt limits, corresponding to the most pessimistic evaluation of future endowment, are finite. Unsustainable sovereign debt in incomplete asset markets requires a strong version of high implied interest rates: the value of the most optimistic evaluation of future endowment is finite.

Suggested Citation

  • Bloise, Gaetano & Polemarchakis, Herakles & Vailakis, Yiannis, 2016. "Sovereign Debt and Incentives to Default with Uninsurable Risks," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1107, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:wrk:warwec:1107
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    Cited by:

    1. Xuan Wang, 2019. "When Do Currency Unions Benefit From Default ?," 2019 Papers pwa938, Job Market Papers.
    2. Bloise, G. & Citanna, A., 2019. "Asset shortages, liquidity and speculative bubbles," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 952-990.
    3. Gaetano Bloise & Yiannis Vailakis, 2022. "On sovereign default with time-varying interest rates," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 44, pages 211-224, April.
    4. Bloise, Gaetano & Vailakis, Yiannis, 2024. "Sovereign debt crises and low interest rates," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    5. Bloise, Gaetano & Polemarchakis, Herakles & Vailakis, Yiannis, 2018. "Sustainable Debt," CRETA Online Discussion Paper Series 45, Centre for Research in Economic Theory and its Applications CRETA.
    6. Xuan Wang, 2021. "Bankruptcy Codes and Risk Sharing of Currency Unions," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 21-009/IV, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Auclert, Adrien & Rognlie, Matthew, 2016. "Unique equilibrium in the Eaton–Gersovitz model of sovereign debt," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 134-146.
    8. Billette de Villemeur, Etienne & Leroux, Justin, 2019. "Tradable climate liabilities: A thought experiment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    9. Aguiar, Mark & Amador, Manuel, 2019. "A contraction for sovereign debt models," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 842-875.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sovereign risk ; Ponzi games ; Reputational debt ; Incomplete markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

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