There is a growing empirical literature studying whether fiscal rules reduce borrowing costs. Nevertheless, it remains an open question whether these rules are effective genuinely or just because they mirror fiscal preferences of politicians and voters. In our analysis of European bond spreads,...

There is a growing empirical literature studying whether fiscal rules reduce borrowing costs. Nevertheless, it remains an open question whether these rules are effective genuinely or just because they mirror fiscal preferences of politicians and voters. In our analysis of European bond spreads,...

There are at least two reasons why sustainability of public debt is an issue of increasing importance. First, public choice considerations show the danger of excessive use of deficit finance in a democracy. Second, the conditions of a European Monetary Union imply further incentives for deficit...