Trade Unions and the Burden of the Public Debt

This paper looks at intergenerational welfare effects of increased public debt when union power in pay bargaining generates structural unemployment. Debt policy works through capital accumulation as well as the price of a fixed asset that is owned by the old generation. Under a reasonable condition, the debt burden on future generations from postponement of the labor tax is larger than in the case of no union power. Under this condition, increased union power also reduces the consumption of future generations.public debt, trade unions, intergenerational welfare

Borrow and Adjust: Fiscal Policy and Sectoral Adjustment in an Open Economy

Should the government run fiscal deficits in response to an adverse external shock that warrants transfer of resources from production of non-traded to traded goods? This paper considers normative fiscal policy implications of sectoral adjustment costs in a two-sector model with overlapping generations. Fiscal deficits benefit present generations by depleting foreign assets and slowing down the adjustment process. We show that despite no nominal rigidities, temporary fiscal deficits increase social welfare if adjustment costs prevent immediate sectoral reallocation of inputs. If there are no adjustment costs, the case for fiscal deficits vanishes.fiscal policy, sectoral adjustment, intergenerational welfare

Trade Unions and the Burden of the Public Debt

This paper looks at intergenerational welfare effects of increased public debt when union power in pay bargaining generates structural unemployment. Debt policy works through capital accumulation as well as the price of a fixed asset that is owned by the old generation. Under a reasonable condition, the debt burden on future generations from postponement of the labor tax is larger than in the case of no union power. Under this condition, increased union power also reduces the consumption of future generations

An Independent Review of Monetary Policy and Institutions in Norway

The Centre for Monetary Economics (CME) at the Norwegian School of Management BI has for the third time invited a committee of economists for Norges Bank Watch, with the objective to evaluate the monetary-policy regime in Norway and Norges Bank’s conduct of monetary policy. The new committee for Norges Bank Watch 2002 consists of Professor Lars E.O. Svensson (chair), Princeton University, Chief Economist Kjetil Houg, Alfred Berg, Doctorate Student Haakon O.Aa. Solheim, Norwegian School of Management BI, and Professor Erling Steigum, Norwegian School of Management BI. The aim of Norges Bank Watch is to contribute to the general discussion on monetary policy and institutions among the political system, the academic community and other interested parties. Two years ago, Norges Bank Watch 2000 suggested that the Bank’s actual interpretation of its stable exchange-rate mandate should be formalized as a flexible inflation-targeting regime. In March 2001, the government introduced a formal inflation target regime. As was the case in last year’s report, we do not have the ambitions to suggest another major change of the system, but we hope to highlight important aspects of the present regime and we recommend a number of possible improvements of the regime.

Borrow and Adjust: Fiscal Policy and Sectoral Adjustment in an Open Economy

Should the government run fiscal deficits in response to an adverse external shock that warrants transfer of resources from production of non-traded to traded goods? This paper considers normative fiscal policy implications of sectoral adjustment costs in a two-sector model with overlapping generations. Fiscal deficits benefit present generations by depleting foreign assets and slowing down the adjustment process. We show that despite no nominal rigidities, temporary fiscal deficits increase social welfare if adjustment costs prevent immediate sectoral reallocation of inputs. If there are no adjustment costs, the case for fiscal deficits vanishes

Generational accounting in Norway: is the nation overconsuming its petroleum wealth?

An examination of the generational imbalance in current Norwegian fiscal policy, showing that despite the government's net wealth, future Norwegians could be facing lifetime net tax burdens twice as large as those confronting today's children.Fiscal policy ; Norway