This paper investigates the dynamic effects of monetary and fiscal policy in a monetary union, which is characterized by asymmetric interest rate transmission. This asymmetry gives rise to intertemporal reversals in the relative effectiveness of policy on member country outputs. The direction and the number of these reversals depend on whether policies are unanticipated or anticipated. We also ...

This paper presents a brief overview of the extant fiscal situation in South Asian countries. In particular, I emphasize low tax/GDP ratios and inelastic expenditure/GDP ratios which then lead to structurally entrenched fiscal deficits. The paper also reports on the sustainability of fiscal and current account deficits in the South Asian countries. Finally, the paper reports on some important i...

That free trade allows an economy to achieve the highest possible welfare in an ideal world is one of the few undisputed propositions in the economics profession. Yet, in reality, there is virtually no country that practices free trade. There are roughly three types of (not mutually-exclusive) reasons that explain why trade barriers are so prevalent. First, there are theories that show restrict...

Following massive government interventions during the great recession of 20072009, governments’ indebtedness has skyrocketed around the globe. These dramatic financing needs raise uncertainty about the future stance of fiscal policies and their effects on the growth prospects of the economy. In this paper, we reconsider the link between short-run stabilization and uncertainty about long-term fi...

Fiscal consolidations are currently in the agenda of fiscal authorities in many countries. Using Bayesian model averaging to overcome the problem of model uncertainty, we find that growth-enhancing policies and cuts in public wages are the most appropriate ingredients for successfully reducing debt levels and budget deficits. JEL Codes: H30, H62.

Maintaining price stability requires not only commitment to an appropriate monetary policy rule, but an appropriate fiscal policy rule as well. Ricardian equivalence does not imply that fiscal policy is irrelevant, except in the case of a certain class of policies (“Ricardian” policies). The role of fiscal developments in inflation determination under a non-Ricardian regime is illustrated throu...

This note presents a stylized model of monetary and fiscal policies in which policy regime evolves randomly according to a Markov chain. This simple model is designed to illustrate that well-defined and unique equilibria can exist even in such an environment. It also shows that under certain assumptions about policy behavior, tax disturbances can generate wealth effects in line with the fiscal ...

Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent official opinions of the World Bank. Abstract This paper uses a new database on foreign aid to examine the relationships among foreign aid, economic policies, and growth of per capita GDP. In panel growth regressions for 56 developing countries and six four-year periods (1970-93) the policies that have a large effect on g...