scholarly journals Financial Power and Democratic Legitimacy: How To Think Realistically About Public Debt

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janosch Prinz ◽  
Enzo Rossi

To what extent are questions of sovereign debt a matter for political rather than scientific or moral adjudication? We answer that question by defending three claims. We argue that (i) moral and technocratic takes on sovereign debt tend to be ideological in a pejorative sense of the term, and that therefore (ii) sovereign debt should be politicised all the way down. We then show that this sort of politicisation need not boil down to the crude Realpolitik of debtor-creditor power relations—a conclusion that would leave no room for normative theory, among other problems. Rather, we argue that (iii) in a democratic context, a realist approach to politics centred on what Bernard Williams calls ‘The Basic Legitimation Demand’ affords a deliberative approach to the normative evaluation of public debt policy options.

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Ari ◽  
Muammer Koc

This study investigates the causal relationship between public investment and sovereign debt (i.e., external and domestic public debt) with respect to the limits of public-debt sustainability for four countries with the highest GDP (i.e., the United States, China, Japan, Germany) during the period of 2000–2015. In summary, this study establishes quantitative evidence based on empirical findings to support the claim that sovereign debt is harmful to the financing of public infrastructure if it breaches certain thresholds, as proposed in this study, and according to the literature. By this approach, the findings enable us to make recommendations about the need for mobilizing domestic resources and innovating new financial models to promote sustainable development within the limits of sustainable public debt. In short, this paper concludes that performing a project for sustainable development by implementing unsustainable financing models will always end up with unsustainable economic outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
M. E. Kosov

Public debt is an integral part of public finances of various countries, the process of its management, including formation, maintenance and repayment has a powerful impact on the macroeconomic system of the state. The subject of the study is the public debt of the Russian Federation. The article performs a correlation and regression analysis of factors that have a direct impact on the state of the Russia’s public debt under the conditions of the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus infection, as well as the consequences of these restrictions. The paper proposes an econometric model that describes a system of indirect macroeconomic factors that are not directly related to the state’s debt policy, but show the strongest influence on the formation of public debt in modern realities and increase the efficiency of its management, as well as reflect the quality of public financial management in general. The author concludes that the demographic burden and the indicator reflecting the ratio of the budget deficit to the total budget revenue have the greatest impact on the effectiveness of public debt management.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Vodolazska ◽  
◽  
Hanna Herman ◽  

Public debt management and servicing is one of the top priorities for the country’s financial policy, and an important condition for the stability of its financial system. Due to the need of solving the problem of the state debt of Ukraine growth and the cost of servicing it, it is urgent to increase the efficiency of methods for managing it. Ineffective management of Ukraine’s government borrowings, which is mainly used to cover the budget deficit, leads to a decrease in the state’s economic security level and an increase in the burden on the budgetary sphere and an aggravation of the debt situation. The maintenance and management of public debt is inextricably linked with the pursuit of a balanced debt policy and minimization of the risks inherent in public debt. The economic and social development of the country, its stability during the period of economic crises and the post-crisis speed of recovery of the national economic system depend on the efficiency and effectiveness of this management. After experiencing a deep economic crisis in 2014–2015, economic growth began to recover in 2016, and the total public debt in relation to GDP also tends to decrease. This was caused by various factors: the deficit of the state budget and balance of payments, heavy dependence on energy imports, ineffective use of attracted loans and the lack of proper debt management. This article analyzes the existing features of the formation of an effective public debt management system in the context of improving the efficiency of Ukrainian debt policy. The proposed measures of an effective management strategy will contribute to the rational use of borrowings and create the necessary conditions for optimizing the debt burden. The main goals of state debt management in Ukraine were analyzed, as well as the world practice of analyzing public expenditure and financial accountability was considered. The existing problems in the state debt management of Ukraine are identified, practical recommendations are provided for future development of the most effective scenario for solving Ukrainian debt problems. The forecast of public debt was calculated on the basis of a linear regression equation model, and the macroeconomic factors that have the biggest impact on the growth rate of public debt were determined.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
S. Ali Abbas ◽  
Alex Pienkowski ◽  
Kenneth Rogoff

Not since the aftermath of the Second World War has the topic of sovereign debt taken such importance in public policy debate. Reeling from the effects of the Global Financial Crisis, public debt-to-GDP ratios in advanced economies are at levels not seen in over half a century....


Author(s):  
Friedrich Schneider

The chapter first considers the role of politics on the size of the shadow economy and how it is affected by political institutions. Second, it investigates the role of the informal sector on direct investment and public debt markets in the “official” economy. The informal sector has significant adverse effects on credit ratings, lending costs, and investment decisions. This has policy implications, especially in the context of the ongoing sovereign debt crisis, since it suggests that, if politics succeed in reducing the informal sector of financially challenged countries, this is likely to reduce credit risk concerns, cutting down lending costs, and stimulating investment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 434-443
Author(s):  
Florin Oprea ◽  
Irina Bilan ◽  
Ovidiu Stoica
Keyword(s):  
The Past ◽  

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