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Fiscal deficits, debt, and monetary policy in a liquidity trap

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  • Michael B. Devereux
Abstract
The macroeconomic response to the economic crisis has revived old debates about the usefulness of monetary and fiscal policy in fighting recessions. Without the ability to further lower interest rates, policy authorities in many countries have turned to expansionary fiscal policies. Recent literature argues that government spending may be very effective in such environments. But a critical element of the stimulus packages in all countries was the use of deficit financing and tax reductions. This paper explores the role of government debt and deficits in an economy constrained by the zero bound on nominal interest rates. Given that the liquidity trap is generated by a large increase in the desire to save on the part of the private sector, the wealth effects of government deficits can provide a critical macroeconomic response to this. Government spending financed by deficits may be far more expansionary than that financed by tax increases in such an environment. In a liquidity trap, tax cuts may be much more effective than during normal times. Finally, monetary policies aimed at directly increasing monetary aggregates may be effective, even if interest rates are unchanged.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael B. Devereux, 2010. "Fiscal deficits, debt, and monetary policy in a liquidity trap," Globalization Institute Working Papers 44, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:feddgw:44
    Note: Published as: Devereux, Michael B. (2011), "Fiscal Deficits, Debt, and Monetary Policy in a Liquidity Trap," in Monetary Policy under Financial Turbulence, ed. Luis Felipe Céspedes, Roberto Change and Diego Saravia (Santiage, Chile: Central Bank of Chile), 369-410.
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Donal Smith, 2015. "Collateral Constraints and the Interest Rate," Discussion Papers 15/22, Department of Economics, University of York.
    2. Kostas Mavromatis, 2020. "Finite Horizons and the Monetary/Fiscal Policy Mix," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 16(4), pages 327-378, September.
    3. Cook, David & Devereux, Michael B, 2016. "Exchange rate flexibility under the zero lower bound," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 52-69.
    4. David Cook & Michael B. Devereux, 2013. "Sharing the Burden: Monetary and Fiscal Responses to a World Liquidity Trap," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 190-228, July.
    5. Kollmann, Robert, 2022. "A tractable overlapping generations structure for quantitative DSGE models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    6. Michael B. Devereux, 2018. "International Fiscal Spillovers: A Review Essay," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 34, pages 29-50.
    7. Kazeem Abimbola Sanusi & Zandri Dickason-Koekemoer, 2023. "Fiscal and Monetary Policies Interactions in Nigeria and South Africa: Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Approach," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(5), pages 21-31, September.
    8. Bacchetta, Philippe & Benhima, Kenza & Kalantzis, Yannick, 2020. "Money and capital in a persistent liquidity trap," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 70-87.
    9. Ganelli, Giovanni & Rankin, Neil, 2020. "Fiscal deficits as a source of boom and bust under a common currency," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    10. Annicchiarico, Barbara & Giammarioli, Nicola & Piergallini, Alessandro, 2012. "Budgetary policies in a DSGE model with finite horizons," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 111-130.
    11. Harrison, Andre & Reed, Robert R., 2023. "International capital flows, liquidity risk, and monetary policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. Albonico, Alice & Ascari, Guido & Gobbi, Alessandro, 2021. "The public debt multiplier," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    13. Cook, David & Devereux, Michael B., 2011. "Optimal fiscal policy in a world liquidity trap," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(4), pages 443-462, May.
    14. Alice Albonico & Guido Ascari & Alessandro Gobbi, 2018. "The debt multiplier," Working Papers 396, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised 20 Dec 2018.
    15. Michael B. Devereux & James Yetman, 2014. "Capital Controls, Global Liquidity Traps, and the International Policy Trilemma," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 116(1), pages 158-189, January.
    16. Mark A. Wynne, 2012. "Five Years of Research on Globalization and Monetary Policy: What Have We Learned?," Annual Report, Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, pages 2-17.
    17. Joep Lustenhouwer & Kostas Mavromatis, 2021. "The Effects of Fiscal Policy when Planning Horizons are Finite," Working Papers 717, DNB.
    18. Taisuke Nakata, 2011. "Optimal Government Spending at the Zero Bound: Nonlinear and Non-Ricardian Analysis," 2011 Meeting Papers 831, Society for Economic Dynamics.

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    JEL classification:

    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment
    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit
    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook

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