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Unconventional Fiscal Policy at the Zero Bound

Working Paper 698 | Published August 8, 2012

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Authors

Juan Pablo Nicolini Senior Research Economist and Universidad Torcuato Di Tella
Pedro Teles Banco de Portugal, Catolica Lisbon SBE, and CEPR
Unconventional Fiscal Policy at the Zero Bound

Abstract

When the zero lower bound on nominal interest rates binds, monetary policy cannot provide appropriate stimulus. We show that, in the standard New Keynesian model, tax policy can deliver such stimulus at no cost and in a time-consistent manner. There is no need to use inefficient policies such as wasteful public spending or future commitments to low interest rates.




Published in: _American Economic Review_ (Vol. 103, No. 4, June 2013), https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.103.4.1172.