Nachhaltige Finanz‐ und Investitionspolitik der Bundesländer*

Wolfgang Kitterer

Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, 2007, vol. 8, issue S1, 53-83

Abstract: Abstract: In Germany the sustainability of fiscal policy is determined to a substantial part by the federal states (Bundeslaender). Their portion of the public debt amounts to nearly 40 percent. Econometric tests show that the fiscal policy of the federal states taken collectively is not sustainable. The requirement for fiscal sustainability is fulfilled only by two western Laender, Hesse and North‐Rhine Westphalia, and one eastern Land (Saxony). Furthermore, it is shown that the constitutional “golden rule” stipulating that borrowing should not exceed investment expenditures does not ensure the solvency of the states. This holds for theoretical reasons but also because there is a lack of clarity and enforceability. Finally, it is argued that the commitment of subnational governments to sustainable public finances could be strengthened by invigorating state‐level tax and expenditure autonomy.

Date: 2007
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2516.2007.00243.x

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:perwir:v:8:y:2007:i:s1:p:53-83

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=1465-6493

Access Statistics for this article

Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik is currently edited by Lars P. Feld, J¸rgen von Hagen, Bernd Rudolph and Achim Wambach

More articles in Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik from Verein für Socialpolitik Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().