We revisit the debt overhang question. We first use non-parametric techniques to isolate a panel of countries on the downward sloping section of a debt Laffer curve. In particular, overhang countries are ones where a threshold level of debt is reached in sample, beyond which (initial) debt ends...

A life-cycle growth model is used to investigate the quantitative impact of gradually converting the financing of social security from pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) to full funding. The magnitudes of the losses and gains that particular age cohorts will experience under alternative speeds of conversion...