Are Bond-Financed Deficits Inflationary? A Ricardian Analysis

35 Pages Posted: 4 Apr 2004 Last revised: 24 Dec 2022

See all articles by Bennett T. McCallum

Bennett T. McCallum

Carnegie Mellon University - David A. Tepper School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: June 1982

Abstract

This paper considers the possible theoretical validity of the following "monetarist hypothesis": that a constant, positive government budget deficit can be maintained permanently and without inflation if it is financed by the issue of bonds rather than money. The question is studied in a discrete-time, perfect-foresight version of the competitive equilibrium model of Sidrauski (1967), modified by the inclusion of government bonds as a third asset. It is shown that the monetarist hypothesis is invalid if the deficit is defined exclusive of interest payments, but is valid under the conventional definition. It is also shown that the stock of bonds can grow indefinitely at a rate in excess of the rate of output growth, provided that the difference is less than the rate of time preference. In addition to the main analysis, the paper includes comments on alternative deficit concepts, a brief consideration of data pertaining to the announced budget plans of the Reagan administration, and a new look at a much- studied issue: whether the operation of a Friedman-type constant money growth rule (with non-activist fiscal rules) would be dynamically feasible.

Suggested Citation

McCallum, Bennett T., Are Bond-Financed Deficits Inflationary? A Ricardian Analysis (June 1982). NBER Working Paper No. w0905, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=299783

Bennett T. McCallum (Contact Author)

Carnegie Mellon University - David A. Tepper School of Business ( email )

5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
United States
412-268-2347 (Phone)
412-268-7357 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
65
Abstract Views
2,346
Rank
617,745
PlumX Metrics