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Revisiting The Optimal Stationary Public Investment Policy In Endogenous Growth Economies

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  • MARRERO, GUSTAVO A.
Abstract
One part of the literature on endogenous growth concerns models where public infrastructure affects the private production process. An unsolved puzzle in this literature concerns observed public investment-to-output ratios for developed economies, which tend to fall short of theoretical model-based optimal ratios. We reexamine the optimal choice of public investment in a more general framework. This setting allows for long-lasting capital stocks, a lower depreciation rate for public capital than for private capital, an elasticity of intertemporal substitution that differs from unity, and the need to finance a nontrivial share of public services in output. Given other fundamentals in the economy, we show that the optimal public investment-to-output ratio is smaller for low-growth economies, for economies populated by consumers with low preferences for substituting consumption intertemporally, and when public capital is durable. For a calibrated economy, we show that a combination of these factors solves the public investment puzzle.

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  • Marrero, Gustavo A., 2008. "Revisiting The Optimal Stationary Public Investment Policy In Endogenous Growth Economies," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(2), pages 172-194, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:macdyn:v:12:y:2008:i:02:p:172-194_06
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gustavo Marrero, 2010. "Tax-mix, public spending composition and growth," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 99(1), pages 29-51, February.
    3. Funashima, Yoshito, 2015. "Governmentally amplified output volatility," MPRA Paper 65330, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Funashima, Yoshito, 2016. "Governmentally amplified output volatility," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 462(C), pages 469-478.
    5. Marrero, Gustavo A. & Novales, Alfonso, 2011. "Growth, income taxes and consumption aspirations," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(3), pages 221-224.
    6. Marrero, Gustavo A. & Novales, Alfonso, 2007. "Income taxes, public investment and welfare in a growing economy," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 31(10), pages 3348-3369, October.
    7. Cavalcanti, Carlos B. & Marrero, Gustavo A. & Le, Tuan Minh, 2014. "Measuring the impact of debt-financed public investment," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6766, The World Bank.
    8. Zhang, Lifeng & Ru, Yucong & Li, Jingkui, 2016. "Optimal tax structure and public expenditure composition in a simple model of endogenous growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 352-360.
    9. Ismihan, Mustafa & Ozkan, F. Gulcin, 2011. "A Note On Public Investment, Public Debt, And Macroeconomic Performance," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(2), pages 265-278, April.
    10. Shigeo Morita & Takuya Obara, 2021. "Public investment criteria under optimal nonlinear income taxation without commitment," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(4), pages 732-745, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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