Title
An Optimal Government Spending Reversal Rule in a Small Open Economy
Abstract
This paper presents a reexamination of debt stabilization policy in a small open economy borrowing from abroad. Spending reversals are incorporated as a policy option available to policy-makers for stabilizing public debt. Results show that a spending reversal rule can be welfare-improving and that there exists an optimal degree of spending reversal. An optimal spending reversal rule can lower both the tax rate volatility and interest rate volatility compared with the case without the reversal rule. Results also suggest that, as friction in foreign borrowing becomes greater (because of a higher country-specific interest rate premium), the welfare benefit of the reversal rule will be increasingly important.
Keywords
sovereign debt, debt stabilization, welfare, spending reversals, Spain, small open economy
JEL Classification
F41
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RIEB, Kobe University
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Kenya TAKAKU
Graduate School of Economics, Nagoya University