Date of Original Version
5-2008
Type
Article
Published In
Journal of Monetary Economics Volume 55, Issue 4, May 2008, Pages 710-727
Abstract or Table of Contents
We analyze optimal fiscal and monetary policy in an economy with distortionary labor income taxes, nominal rigidities, nominal debt of various maturities and short-selling constraints. Optimal policy prescribes the almost exclusive use of long term debt. Such debt mitigates the distortions associated with hedging fiscal shocks by allowing the government to allocate them efficiently across states and periods.