American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Fiscal Procyclicality in Commodity Exporting Countries: How Much Does It Pour and Why?
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
(pp. 309–45)
Abstract
A large literature has documented that fiscal policy is procyclical in emerging markets/developing countries and acyclical/countercyclical in advanced economies. This paper analyzes fiscal procyclicality in commodity-exporting countries. The paper makes two novel contributions. First, based on the "when it rains, it pours" phenomenon (that is, contractionary fiscal policy amplifies the business cycle), the paper shows that, on average, government spending magnifies the business cycle by 21 percent of the initial drop in output following a fall in commodity prices. Second, the paper estimates the welfare costs of fiscal procyclicality at 36 percent of the commodity business cycle.Citation
Arroyo Marioli, Francisco, and Carlos A. Vegh. 2026. "Fiscal Procyclicality in Commodity Exporting Countries: How Much Does It Pour and Why?" American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 18 (2): 309–45. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20230668Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- E32 Business Fluctuations; Cycles
- E62 Fiscal Policy
- F14 Empirical Studies of Trade
- H50 National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: General
- O19 International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations
- Q02 Commodity Markets