MACROECONOMIC INSTABILITY AND GROWTH: Panel Data Analysis of Causal and Cyclical Patterns

Mahmood Arai and Mats Kinnwall ()
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Mats Kinnwall: Handelsbanken Markets, Stockholm, Postal: Handelsbanken Markets, 106 70 Stockholm, Sweden

No 1997:8, Research Papers in Economics from Stockholm University, Department of Economics

Abstract: Empirical foundations for the view that high central government deficits and inflation impair growth are examined using annual data for 115 countries over the period 1960-1995. Taking into account country heterogeneity and time-specific symmetric shocks, we estimate intra-country effects of past inflation and budget deficits on growth. WE find no evidence suggesting growth costs of macroeconomic instability. Rather our results indicate reversed causality: the rate of growth determines inflation and deficits. On the other hand, there is a negative correlation between contemporaneous intra-country inflation and growth for two subperiods: the 1970s/early 1980s, influenced by adverse supply shocks, and the early 1990s characterised by adverse demand shocks. We argue that these results are compatible with a standard, stochastic macro theoretical framework.

Keywords: Growth; Inflation; Budget Deficits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O11 O57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 14 pages
Date: 1998-04-17
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-pub
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hhs:sunrpe:1997_0008

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