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How Does Uncertainty about Future Fiscal Policy Affect Current Macroeconomic Variables?
Author(s) -
Rankin Neil
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.725
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1467-9442
pISSN - 0347-0520
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9442.00115
Subject(s) - economics , randomness , monopoly , rational expectations , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , wage , fiscal policy , aggregate demand , government spending , affect (linguistics) , monetary economics , government (linguistics) , aggregate (composite) , current account , microeconomics , macroeconomics , econometrics , monetary policy , labour economics , welfare , market economy , statistics , philosophy , mathematics , artificial intelligence , computer science , exchange rate , materials science , composite material , linguistics
A dynamic stochastic general equilibrium macromodel is constructed, based on infinitely lived, dynamically optimising households with labour market monopoly power. Randomness in future government spending causes randomness in the future output and price levels, both when the money wage is flexible and when it is set one period in advance. We show that, through three different mechanisms, rational anticipation of this depresses current aggregate demand. If the wage is preset, it thereby also depresses current output. Such fiscal uncertainty is suggested as one possible explanation for the faltering of the economic recovery in Europe in 1995 and 1996.