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Local Effects of a Military Spending Shock: Evidence from Shipbuilding in the 1930s

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  • Christopher Biolsi

    (Western Kentucky University)

Abstract
Using novel county-level data on shipbuilding contracts awarded during the Great Depression by the federal government, I estimate a local government spending multiplier. Manufacturing output, value added, employment, and average earnings all rise significantly in counties receiving naval spending. Contracts worth 12 percent of lagged output generate an extra 1.9 percentage points of manufacturing output growth over the following two years. The effects grow over time, and spillovers are estimated to be positive. Household survey data suggests that consumption rises at the household level. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Biolsi, 2019. "Local Effects of a Military Spending Shock: Evidence from Shipbuilding in the 1930s," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 32, pages 227-248, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:issued:18-119
    DOI: 10.1016/j.red.2018.10.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Timothy G. Conley & Bill Dupor & Mahdi Ebsim & Jingchao Li & Peter B. McCrory, 2020. "A Local-Spillover Decomposition of the Causal Effect of U.S. Defense Spending Shocks," Working Papers 2020-014, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    2. Räsänen, Johannes & Mäkelä, Erik, 2021. "The effect of government spending on local economies during an economic downturn," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multiplier; Government spending; Great Depression;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes

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