Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/57276 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 3777
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
This paper analyses the reaction of fiscal policy to the cycle in OECD countries. The results suggest that while overall government balances were counter-cyclical in the past and more so in economic downturns than in upswings, discretionary fiscal policy was neutral on average. However, discretionary fiscal policy appears to react to the cycle in a non-linear fashion: fiscal policy in countries with high public debt and high government deficits tends to be pro-cyclical, while countries that have low public debt and that have surpluses are more likely to conduct a counter-cyclical fiscal policy. The paper also finds that asset prices have a significant impact on government balances.
Subjects: 
fiscal policy
pro-cyclicality
counter-cyclicality
OECD countries
JEL: 
E32
E62
H21
H30
H60
C33
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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