Skip to main content
Log in

Assessing fiscal sustainability subject to policy changes: a Markov switching cointegration approach

  • Published:
Empirical Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We propose a Markov switching cointegration approach to assess long run fiscal sustainability. This method allows us to simultaneously: (1) test for cointegration in the presence of significant fiscal policy changes; (2) assess the type of fiscal regime that a country experienced at a given period and (3) analyse the timing of the transition between the estimated regime types. Given its flexibility, our approach enable us to uncover a richer and more complex dynamics in the analysis of fiscal sustainability, which standard linear cointegration methods fail to capture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmed S, Rogers JH (1995) Government budget deficits and trade deficits: are present value constraints satisfied in long-term data? J Monet Econ 36: 351–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexandre F, Bacao P, Gabriel VJ (2007) Volatility in asset prices and long-run wealth effect estimates. Econ Model 24: 1048–1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews DWK, Monahan JC (1992) An improved heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent covariance matrix estimator. Econometrica 60: 953–966

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baharumshah AZ, Lau E (2007) Regime changes and the sustainability of fiscal imbalance in East Asian countries. Econ Model 24: 878–894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohn H (2007) Are stationarity and cointegration restrictions really necessary for the intertemporal budget constraint? J Monet Econ 54: 1837–1847

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi I, Saikkonen P (2009) Testing for nonlinear cointegration. Econ Theory (forthcoming)

  • Corradi V, Swanson NR, White H (2000) Testing for stationarity-ergodicity and for comovements between nonlinear discrete time Markov processes. J Econ 96: 39–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies A (2006) Testing for international equity market integration using regime switching cointegration techniques. Rev Financ Econ 15: 305–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabriel VJ, Psaradakis Z, Sola M (2002) A simple method of testing for cointegration subject to multiple regime change. Econ Lett 76: 213–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory AW, Hansen BE (1996a) Residual-based tests for cointegration in models with regime shifts. J Econ 70: 99–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregory AW, Hansen BE (1996b) Tests for cointegration in models with regime and trend shifts. Oxford Bull Econ Stat 58: 555–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakkio CS, Rush M (1991) Cointegration and government borrowing constraints: evidence for the United States. J Bus Econ Stat 9: 429–445

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall SG, Psaradakis Z, Sola M (1997) Cointegration and changes in regime: the Japanese consumption function. J Appl Econ 12: 151–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton JD, Flavin MA (1986) On the limitations of government borrowing. A framework for testing. Am Econ Rev 76: 808–819

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen BE (1992) Tests for parameter instability in regressions with I(1) processes. J Bus Econ Stat 10: 321–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen PR (2003) Structural breaks in the cointegrated vector autoregressive model. J Econ 114: 261–295

    Google Scholar 

  • Haug AA (1991) Cointegration and government borrowing constraints: evidence for the United States. J Bus Econ Stat 9: 97–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haug AA (1995) Has federal budget deficit policy changed in recent year? Econ Inq 33: 104–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansen S (1988) Statistical analysis of cointegration vectors. J Econ Dyn Control 12: 231–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalyoncu H (2005) Fiscal policy sustainability: test of intertemporal borrowing constraints. Appl Econ Lett 12: 957–962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim CJ, Nelson CR (1999) State-space models with regime switching. MIT Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Krolzig HM (1999) Statistical analysis of cointegrated VAR processes with Markovian shifts. Humboldt University Working Paper 373

  • MacKinnon JG (1991) Critical values for cointegration tests. In: Engle RF, Granger CWJ (eds) Long-run economic relationships. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 267–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin GM (2000) US deficit sustainability: a new approach based on multiple endogenous breaks. J Appl Econ 15: 83–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payne JE (1997) International evidence on the sustainability of budget deficits. Appl Econ Lett 4: 775–779

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payne JE, Mohammadi H, Cak M (2008) Turkish budget deficit sustainability and the revenue-expenditure nexus. Appl Econ 40: 823–830

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Psaradakis Z, Sola M, Spagnolo F (2004) On Markov error-correction models, with and application to stock prices and dividends. J Appl Econ 19: 69–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quintos CE (1995) Sustainability of the deficit process with structural shifts. J Bus Econ Stat 13: 409–417

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stock JH, Watson MW (1993) A simple estimator of cointegrating vectors in higher order integrated systems. Econometrica 61: 783–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox D (1989) The sustainability of government deficit: implications of the present-value borrowing constraint. J Money Credit Banking 21: 291–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vasco J. Gabriel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gabriel, V.J., Sangduan, P. Assessing fiscal sustainability subject to policy changes: a Markov switching cointegration approach. Empir Econ 41, 371–385 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-010-0369-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-010-0369-4

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation