Fiscal policy and fiscal reconstruction in Japan

This paper investigates the macroeconomic effect of fiscal policy and the fiscal reconstruction movement in Japan. I first summarize Japanese fiscal policy in the recent years and discuss sustainability of government deficits. Then, I investigate the macroeconomic effect of Japanese fiscal policy and evaluate the plausibility of the Keynesian and non-Keynesian effects. I also analyze political constraints in the fiscal reconstruction attempts and the possibility of crowding-in effect of fiscal reform. Finally, I discuss some measures for the successful fiscal reconstruction reform in the near future. JEL Code H30 · H60     

Fiscal policy in the face of long-term expenditure uncertainties

A number of uncertainties about long-term expenditure commitments in industrial countries are examined: (i) the assumptions underlying the projections, (ii) the potential to further reduce non-age-related expenditures, (iii) the implicitly assumed absence of “shocks,” and (iv) the potential for raising revenue. This paper concludes that (i) there is scope, but within narrow limits, to reduce non-age-related expenditures; (ii) fiscal policy frameworks tend to understate risks; and (iii) prevailing tax rates leave little room for increasing taxation in the countries facing the strongest aging pressures. In sum, governments will have to adopt a much more ambitious fiscal policy stance to cope with aging populations. JEL Code H5 · H6     

对中国财政分权度的研究

以财政分权理论述评为基础,文章构建了支出法财政分权度衡量指标,计算并分析了中国总体和分省财政分权度.研究发现:中国总体财政分权度已接近或达到最优水平;东、西、中部财政分权度依次递减;财政分权地区差异较大,西部地区财政分权不均衡现象尤为严重;各地区财政分权度缓慢收敛.文章较客观完整地反映了我国财政分权状况,指明了我国未来财政分权化改革的方向在于局部分权程度的调整而非整体分权程度的扩大.     

Dynamic fiscal policies and unemployment in a simple endogenous growth model

This paper analyzes the growth and employment effects of dynamic fiscal policies in an overlapping generations model with endogenous growth and imperfect labour markets. With balanced-budget policies, the modelled closed economy grows at a constant rate which is higher, the lower are the labour tax rate and the unemployment rate. Constant-flow budget policies are not feasible, while government Ponzi games are feasible only if economic agents have implausibly high savings rates. Furthermore, while constant-stock fiscal policies are sustainable, an increase in the debt-to-capital ratio is accompanied by higher taxes, a rise in unemployment and lower economic growth. JEL Classification E24 · J51 · H63 · O41     

Federal fiscal transfers in monetary unions: A NOEM approach

In the debate over EMU, a widely accepted view is that a federal fiscal mechanism is needed for the participating states to cope with asymmetric shocks. In this paper, we explore the properties of federal fiscal transfer schemes with regard to their capability to stabilize national consumption, production and employment. We consider direct transfers among private sectors and indirect transfers among national fiscal authorities. We show that federal fiscal arrangements can provide perfect insurance. Our analysis builds on the New Open Economy Macroeconomics framework which allows us to portray the transmission of shocks and the properties of transfers in detail. JEL Code E42 · E63 · F33 · F42     

Fiscal-monetary policy interactions in the presence of unionized labor markets

This paper develops a framework for studying the interactions between labor unions, fiscal policy, monetary policy and monopolistically competitive firms. The framework is used to investigate the effects of labor taxes, the replacement ratio, labor market institutions and monetary policymaking institutions on economic peformance in the presence of strategic interactions between labor unions and the central bank. Given fiscal variables, higher levels of either centralization of wage bargaining, or of central bank conservativeness are associated with lower unemployment and inflation. However the forward shifting of changes in either labor taxes or in unemployment benefits to labors costs is larger the higher are those institutional variables. The paper also considers the effects of those institutions on the choice of labor taxes and of unemployment benefits by governments concerned with the costs of inflation and unemployment, as well as with redistribution to particular constituencies. A main result is that, normally, higher levels of centralization and conservativeness induce government to set higher labor taxes. JEL Classification: E5 · E6 · H2 · J3 · J5 · L1     

财政压力、企业要素投入扭曲与经济绩效

本文利用中国取消农业税改革作为准自然实验,探讨区县级政府财政压力对政府决策和微观企业资源配置的影响,进而分析由此带来的宏观经济绩效影响效应。研究发现:地方政府行为受到财政压力的影响,农业税改革带来的财政压力使企业资本要素投入的边际收益和边际成本的缺口上升5.72%,企业资本要素投入不足情况加剧,而对劳动要素投入的影响并不显著;进一步的机制分析表明,财政压力对企业资本要素投入的扭曲效应更多源于税收征管提高、环境规制放松、交易费用增加和企业规模分布变异,这一干扰效应最终导致经济总量生产率平均下降约19.32%。     

政府间收入分成与财政收入预算偏离

降低收入决算和预算之间的偏离程度是现代预算制度的基本要求,长期以来,中国政府的收入预算偏离一直处于高位运行状态。本文研究了政府间财政收入分成对收入预算偏离的影响。理论上,财政收入分成的上升会对下级政府产生减小财政压力和加大财政扩张两种截然相反的影响,前者会减少政府的收入预算偏离,而后者则会扩大收入预算偏离。运用市县层面加总的预决算数据,实证分析较为稳健地支持了财政压力机制:财政收入分成降低1个百分点,收入预算偏离会增加0.3个百分点。进一步分析表明,收入分成对预算偏离的影响相比市县级,在省本级层面不显著,并且其对预算偏离的影响会随着经济发展水平的上升而降低。本文研究的现实意义是,政府间收入划分的改革方案要兼顾长期稳定性与财力支持性,这对于降低收入预算偏离、推进现代预算制度建设和国家治理现代化具有重要作用。     

财政合理分权与县乡财政解困

本文从财政分权的理论视角探讨当前的县乡财政困难问题,在阐明财政合理分权的若干基本原则的基础上指出,当前我国县乡财政困难的根源在于财政分权不合理的制度安排,而县乡财政解困的根本途径也必然是寻求各级政府间的财政合理分权.     

正确把握大思路配套推进分税制--兼与"纵向分两段,横向分两块"的主张商榷

本文在总结并充分肯定了1994年分税制改革的大方向和基本制度成果的基础上,提出了省以下财政体制并没有真正进入分税制轨道的基本判断,进而提出了"跳出财政看财政"的全局性思维观念,对症下药,结合国情寻求在渐进改革中以"扁平化"为导向,逐步落实省以下的分税制.