In this paper, we study the aggregate and distributional implications of a smaller public sector in the euro area. By a smaller public sector, we mean a reduction in public debt and/or cuts in public spending, when such changes in fiscal policy are accommodated by adjustment in various taxes....

We study the aggregate and distributional implications of a smaller public sector in the euro area. By a smaller public sector, we mean a reduction in public debt over time and/or cuts in public spending, when such changes in fiscal policy are accommodated by adjustment in various taxes....

We study the differences between public production and public finance of public goods in a dynamic general equilibrium model. Under public production, public goods are produced by the government. Under public finance, the same amount of public goods is produced by cost-minimizing private...

In this paper we present stylized facts of the Greek economy that characterize the causes and the consequences of its ongoing crisis. Then, we offer an explanation that can account for those causes and consequences. This explanation is based on the view of Greek society as consisting of two...

The wage premium in the public sector, as measured by the ratio of the average wage rate in the public sector relative to the average wage rate in the private sector, varies considerably across developed economies. And, varies in some developed economies over large periods of time. Further, this...

This paper focuses on the performance of the Greek economy during the period 1979–2001. Following the work of Cole and Ohanian (1999) and Kehoe and Prescott (2002, 2007) this twenty year episode can be characterized as a great depression. We use this methodology and ask whether, given the...

In recent years the growth pattern of most Southern European countries has been disturbed, as those countries are suffering from economic crises that go beyond the usual business cycle. In this paper, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium model of market and political power interactions that...

In this paper we introduce weak property rights in the standard real business cycle (RBC) model in order to examine the role of institutions as a source of economic fluctuations in emerging markets. In particular, in Mexico, the movements in productivity in the data are associated with changes...

We study optimized monetary and fiscal feedback policy rules. The setup is a conventional New Keynesian DSGE model calibrated to match data from the euro area. Our aim is to welfare rank alternative tax-spending policy instruments used for shock stabilization and/or debt consolidation when, at...

Direct measurement of the social cost of rent seeking is impeded by non-observable and non-reported activities. We use a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model to compute the social cost of rent seeking in Europe. Our estimate is based on competition among interest groups for privileges...