Environ Plann C Gov Policy-2015-Agnello-765-79.pdf (648.79 kB)
Download fileIs fiscal fatigue a threat to consolidation programmes?
journal contribution
posted on 2017-05-17, 09:11 authored by Luca Agnello, Vitor CastroVitor Castro, Ricardo M. SousaBuilding on a narrative approach to identify episodes of fiscal consolidation, data for a group of seventeen industrial countries over the period 1978–2009, and continuous-time duration models, we find evidence suggesting that the likelihood of a fiscal consolidation ending increases over time, but only for programmes that last fewer than six years. Additionally, fiscal consolidations tend to last longer in non-European than in European countries. Our results emphasize that chronic fiscal imbalances might lead to a vicious austerity cycle, while discipline in the behaviour of fiscal authorities is a means of achieving credible and shorter adjustment measures. Therefore, fiscal fatigue is likely to compromise the implementation and successfulness of fiscal consolidation programmes.
Funding
Castro and Sousa acknowledge that this work has been financed by Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors - COMPETE and by National Funds through the FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the remit of the project “FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037268 (PEst-C/EGE/UI3182/2013)”.
History
School
- Business and Economics
Department
- Economics