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The performativity of potential output: Pro-cyclicality and path dependency in coordinating European fiscal policies

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp Heimberger

    (Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies)

  • Jakob Kapeller

    (Johannes Kepler University)

Abstract
This paper analyzes the performative impact of the European Commission’s model for estimating ‘potential output’, which is used as a yardstick for measuring the ‘structural budget balance’ of EU countries and, hence, is crucial for coordinating European fiscal policies. In pre-crisis years, potential output estimates amplified the build-up of private debt, housing bubbles and macroeconomic imbalances. After the financial crisis, they were revised downwards, which increased fiscal consolidation pressures. By focusing on the euro area’s economies during 1999-2014, we identify two performative aspects of the potential output model. First, the political implications of the model led to a pro-cyclical feedback loop, reinforcing general economic developments. Second, the model has contributed to national lock-ins on path dependent debt trajectories, fueling ‘structural polarization’ between core and periphery.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Heimberger & Jakob Kapeller, 2016. "The performativity of potential output: Pro-cyclicality and path dependency in coordinating European fiscal policies," Working Papers Series 50, Institute for New Economic Thinking.
    • Handle: RePEc:thk:wpaper:50
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2878005
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    performativity; potential output; path dependency; Eurozone crisis; fiscal policy; austerity.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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