This paper investigates the relevance of government purchasing behavior for innovation-based economic growth. We construct a parsimonious Schumpeterian growth model in which demand from the public sphere can effectively alter the economy's rate of technological change. We incorporate results of...

This paper provides new evidence for the empirical literature that investigates the presence of political cycles in fiscal policy and, more precisely, public investments in Brazil. The approach differs from most of the studies for applying the state-space modeling. The greatest benefit is to...

We provide a comprehensive survey of the recent literature on the link between productive government expenditure and economic growth. Starting with the seminal paper of Robert Barro (1990) we show that an understanding of the core results of the ensuing contributions can be gained from the study...

In this analysis, we discuss two measures that have been used by economists to measure changes in macroeconomic policies: the dynamic multiplier and the impulse response function. These multipliers are identical under specific conditions, e.g., by imposing certain restrictions on a VAR model....

This paper develops a quantitative theoretical model for the optimal provision of public capital. We show that the ratio of public to private capital in the U.S. economy since 1925 evolves in a manner that is broadly consistent with an optimal transition path derived from a simple growth model....

Through a comparative dynamic analysis, we argue that the reality of public debt issuance, which responds flexibly to business cycles in contrast to the EU’s institutionally prescribed fiscal discipline, may contribute to macroeconomic stabilization. Through a simple econometric analysis, we...

This paper incorporates the productivity role of government expenditure into the imperfectly competitive macroeconomic model and re-examines the important findings on the fiscal multiplier proposed by Dixon (1987), Mankiw (1988), and Startz (1989). Generally speaking, we find that the classical...

We show that federalism will lead to higher economic growth. We present a model of endogenous growth where government services, funded by income and capital taxes, are a component of production. In this model a decentralized government will choose tax policy to maximize economic growth, while a...

In this paper we present an endogenous growth model with public capital, public debt and where real wages are either flexible or rigid due to labor market imperfections. With flexible wages, a balanced budget scenario yields the highest balanced growth rate. Further, simulations suggest that...

This paper analyzes the effects of distortionary taxes on growth and welfare in an endogenous growth model with a public capital externality. The model is calibrated to the U.S. economy, and experiments are run under which the tax regime is shifted from the current mix of capital income, labor...