Debt, Deficits and Destabilizing Monetary Policy in Open Economies

37 Pages Posted: 28 Jun 2006

See all articles by Andreas Schabert

Andreas Schabert

University of Cologne - Department of Economics; University of Dortmund; University of Amsterdam - Faculty of Economics and Business

Sweder van Wijnbergen

Universiteit van Amsterdam; Tinbergen Institute; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: March 2006

Abstract

Blanchard (2005) suggested that active interest rate policy might induce unstable dynamics in highly-indebted economies. We examine this in a dynamic general equilibrium model where Calvo-type price rigidities provide a rationale for inflation stabilization. Unstable dynamics can occur when the CB is aggressively raising the interest rate in response to higher expected inflation. The constraint on stabilizing interest rate policy is tighter the higher the primary deficit and the more open the economy is. If the government cannot borrow from abroad in its own currency, stability requires interest rate policy to be accommodating (passive). Inflation stabilization is nevertheless feasible if the CB uses an instrument not associated with default risk, e.g. money supply.

Keywords: Fiscal-monetary policy interactions, sovereign default risk, foreign debt, inflation targeting, policy implementation

JEL Classification: E52, E63, F41

Suggested Citation

Schabert, Andreas and van Wijnbergen, Sweder, Debt, Deficits and Destabilizing Monetary Policy in Open Economies (March 2006). CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5590, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=912731

Andreas Schabert (Contact Author)

University of Cologne - Department of Economics ( email )

Cologne, 50923
Germany

University of Dortmund ( email )

Vogelpothsweg 87
Dortmund, 44227
Germany
+49 231 755 3288 (Phone)

University of Amsterdam - Faculty of Economics and Business ( email )

Roetersstraat 11
Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands

Sweder Van Wijnbergen

Universiteit van Amsterdam ( email )

Roetersstraat 11
Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands
+31 20 525 4011 / 4203 (Phone)
+31-35-624 91 82 (Fax)

Tinbergen Institute

Burg. Oudlaan 50
Rotterdam, 3062 PA
Netherlands

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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