Fiscal Policy and Macroeconomic Stability; Automatic Stabilizers Work, Always and Everywhere

The paper revisits the link between fiscal policy and macroeconomic stability. Two salient features of our analysis are (1) a systematic test for the governmentâ[euro](TM)s ambivalent role as a shock absorber and a shock inducerâ[euro]"removing a downward bias present in existing estimates of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIDEAS Working Paper Series from RePEc
Main Authors Debrun, Xavier, Kapoor, Radhicka
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 01.01.2010
Subjects
Fiscal policy
Macroeconomics
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Summary:The paper revisits the link between fiscal policy and macroeconomic stability. Two salient features of our analysis are (1) a systematic test for the governmentâ[euro](TM)s ambivalent role as a shock absorber and a shock inducerâ[euro]"removing a downward bias present in existing estimates of the impact of automatic stabilizersâ[euro]"and (2) a broad sample of advanced and emerging market economies. Results provide strong support for the view that fiscal stabilization operates mainly through automatic stabilizers. Also, the destabilizing impact of policy changes not systematically related to the business cycle may not be as robust as suggested in the literature.