Fiscalism

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Fiscalism is a term sometimes used to refer the economic theory that the government should rely on fiscal policy as the main instrument of macroeconomic policy. Fiscalism in this sense is contrasted with monetarism, [1] which is associated with reliance on monetary policy. Fiscalists reject monetarism in a non-convertible floating rate system as inefficient if not also ineffective. [2] [ self-published source? ] There are two types of fiscalism: (1) contained fiscalism, which does not allow the economy to grow or decline as much as possible; and elevated fiscalism, which does not allow the economy to decline but allows for the economy to grow unrestrained. [3]

Contents

Roots

Fiscalism relies heavily on Keynesian theories, which states that an active government intervention is necessary to ensure economic growth and economic stability. [4] For fiscalists, employment is of primary concern. Y (income) is the independent variable in PY = MV (where P = price level, M = amount of money, V = velocity/turnover of money), changes in which affect effective demand. So fiscalists hold that Y needs to be controlled through fiscal policy, which affects effective demand. Effective demand draws forth investment to meet profit opportunity, and effective demand is income-dependent, since consumption cannot be funded by drawing down savings, selling assets, or financed by borrowing (e.g. monetary debt) sustainably. If supply and demand are stabilized at optimal resource use, then unemployment is reduced. [2] [ self-published source? ]

Fiscalism and Modern Monetary Theory

The holy grail of macroeconomics is full employment along with price stability, which implies highly efficient use of resources while controlling price level. In the first place, Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) rejects the monetarist explanation virtually in toto, arguing that it is based on an incorrect view of actual operations of the Treasury, central bank, and commercial banking, and how they interact. Secondly, MMT explains how to succeed in the quest for the holy grail through employment of the sectoral balance approach developed by Wynne Godley and functional finance developed by Abba Lerner. The thrust of this approach is to maintain effective demand sufficient for purchase of production (supply) at full employment by offsetting non-government saving desire with the currency issuer's fiscal balance. This stabilizes aggregate demand and aggregate supply at full employment (adjusting aggregate demand with regard to changes in population and productivity) without risking inflation arising owing to excessive demand.[ citation needed ]

This does not apply to price level rising due to supply shock, such as an oil crisis provoked by a cartel exerting a monopoly, or shortage of real resources, e.g. due to natural disaster, war, or climate. This is a separate issue and must be addressed differently according to MMT. In a non-convertible floating rate monetary system, the currency issuer is not constrained operationally. The only constraint is real resources. If effective demand outruns the capacity of the economy to expand to meet it, then inflation will result. If effective demand falls short of the capacity of the economy to produce at full employment, then the economy will contract (e.g. cause a recession), an output gap open, and unemployment will rise.[ citation needed ]

This view is based on a Treasury-based monetary regime in which money is created through currency issuance mediated by government fiscal expenditure. Issuance of Treasury securities to offset deficits functions as a reserve drain, which functions as a monetary operation that enables the central bank to hit its target rate rather than being a fiscal operation involving financing. Similarly, taxes are seen not as a funding operation for government expenditure but as a means to withdraw non-government net financial assets created government expenditure in order to control effective demand and thereby reduce inflationary pressure as needed iaw[ check spelling ] the sectoral balance approach and functional finance.[ citation needed ]

This latest view is quite the opposite of the credit-based monetary presumptions of monetarists, which MMT regards as appropriate to a convertible fixed-rate regime like the gold standard but not to the current non-convertible floating rate system that began when then United States president Richard Nixon shut the gold window (as part of the Nixon shock) on 15 August 1971, and was later adopted by most nations, excepting those that pegged their currencies, ran currency boards, or gave up currency sovereignty as did members of the European Monetary Union in adopting the euro as a common currency.[ citation needed ]

MMT economists do not recommend the adoption of a Treasury-based monetary system. Rather, they are asserting that the present monetary system is already Treasury-based operationally, even when governments choose to impose political restraints that mimic obsolete practices and create the impression that these are operationally necessary. MMT also recommends an employer assurance program (ELR, JG)[ clarification needed ] to create a buffer stock of employed that the private sector can draw on as needed. This reduces idle resources and presents the possibility of achieving actual full employment (allowing 2% for transitional) along with price stability, which monetarism presumes inflationary. The ELR program also establishes a wage floor as price anchor for price stability. [2] [ self-published source? ]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

Keynesian economics are the various macroeconomic theories and models of how aggregate demand strongly influences economic output and inflation. In the Keynesian view, aggregate demand does not necessarily equal the productive capacity of the economy. It is influenced by a host of factors that sometimes behave erratically and impact production, employment, and inflation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macroeconomics</span> Study of an economy as a whole

Macroeconomics is a branch of economics that deals with the performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole. This includes national, regional, and global economies. Macroeconomists study topics such as output/GDP and national income, unemployment, price indices and inflation, consumption, saving, investment, energy, international trade, and international finance.

In economics, stagflation is a situation in which the inflation rate is high or increasing, the economic growth rate slows, and unemployment remains steadily high. Stagflation, once thought impossible, poses a dilemma for economic policy, as measures to reduce inflation may exacerbate unemployment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inflation</span> Devaluation of currency over a period of time

In economics, inflation is a general increase in the prices of goods and services in an economy. This is usually measured using a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduction in the purchasing power of money. The opposite of CPI inflation is deflation, a decrease in the general price level of goods and services. The common measure of inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general price index. As prices faced by households do not all increase at the same rate, the consumer price index (CPI) is often used for this purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monetarism</span> School of thought in monetary economics

Monetarism is a school of thought in monetary economics that emphasizes the role of policy-makers in controlling the amount of money in circulation. It gained prominence in the 1970s but was mostly abandoned as a direct guidance to monetary policy during the following decade because of the rise of inflation targeting through movements of the official interest rate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiscal policy</span> Use of government revenue collection and expenditure to influence a countrys economy

In economics and political science, fiscal policy is the use of government revenue collection and expenditure to influence a country's economy. The use of government revenue expenditures to influence macroeconomic variables developed in reaction to the Great Depression of the 1930s, when the previous laissez-faire approach to economic management became unworkable. Fiscal policy is based on the theories of the British economist John Maynard Keynes, whose Keynesian economics theorised that government changes in the levels of taxation and government spending influence aggregate demand and the level of economic activity. Fiscal and monetary policy are the key strategies used by a country's government and central bank to advance its economic objectives. The combination of these policies enables these authorities to target inflation and to increase employment. In modern economies, inflation is conventionally considered "healthy" in the range of 2%–3%. Additionally, it is designed to try to keep GDP growth at 2%–3% and the unemployment rate near the natural unemployment rate of 4%–5%. This implies that fiscal policy is used to stabilise the economy over the course of the business cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic policy</span> Actions that governments take in the economic field

The economy of governments covers the systems for setting levels of taxation, government budgets, the money supply and interest rates as well as the labour market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monetary policy</span> Policy of interest rates or money supply

Monetary policy is the policy adopted by the monetary authority of a nation to affect monetary and other financial conditions to accomplish broader objectives like high employment and price stability. Further purposes of a monetary policy may be to contribute to economic stability or to maintain predictable exchange rates with other currencies. Today most central banks in developed countries conduct their monetary policy within an inflation targeting framework, whereas the monetary policies of most developing countries' central banks target some kind of a fixed exchange rate system. A third monetary policy strategy, targeting the money supply, was widely followed during the 1980s, but has diminished in popularity since then, though it is still the official strategy in a number of emerging economies.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money creation</span> Process by which the money supply of an economic region is increased

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References

  1. Bronfenbrenner, Martín (1979). "Monetarist-Fiscalist Controversy". Macroeconomic Alternatives. AHM Publishing Corporation. pp. 137–. ISBN   978-0-88295-404-2. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024 via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 3 Hickey, Tom (22 August 2011). "Monetarism v. Fiscalism". Mike Norman Economics. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  3. "Fiscalism definition and meaning". InvestorDictionary.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  4. "Fiscalism – Who will pick up the gauntlet?". Dirty Economics. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2024.