Discussion paper

DP8986 Exchange rate regimes and fiscal multipliers

Does the fiscal multiplier depend on the exchange rate regime and, if so, how strongly? To address this question, we first estimate a panel vector autoregression (VAR) model on time-series data for OECD countries. We identify the effects of unanticipated government spending shocks in countries with fixed and floating exchange rates, while controlling for anticipated changes in government spending. In a second step, we interpret the evidence through the lens of a New Keynesian small open economy model. Three results stand out. First, while government spending multipliers are larger under fixed exchange rate regimes, the difference relative to floating exchange
rates is smaller than what traditional Mundell-Fleming analysis suggests. Second, there is
little evidence for the specific transmission channel which is at the heart of the Mundell-Fleming
model. Third, the New Keynesian model provides a satisfactory account of the evidence.

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Citation

Müller, G, B Born and F Juessen (2012), ‘DP8986 Exchange rate regimes and fiscal multipliers‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 8986. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp8986