Wagner's law and augmented Wagner's law in EU-27. A time-series analysis on stationarity, cointegration and causality

Magazzino, Cosimo (2010): Wagner's law and augmented Wagner's law in EU-27. A time-series analysis on stationarity, cointegration and causality. Published in: C.R.E.I. Working Papers No. 05 (October 2010)

Abstract

The relationship between public expenditure and aggregate income has long been debated in economic literature. According to Wagner, expenditure is an endogenous factor or an outcome. On the other hand, Keynes considered public expenditure as an exogenous factor to be used as a policy instrument to in-fluence growth. “Augmented” version of Wagner’s Law, where public deficit appears as further explanatory variable, is also investigated. The aim of this paper is to assess empirical evidence of these hypotheses in EU-27, for the period 1970-2009. After a brief introduction, a survey of the economic literature on this issue is offered, before evaluating some specifications of “Wagner’s Law” due to several researchers. Few notes on the empirical evidence’ comparisons conclude the paper.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Wagner’s law; public expenditure; EU-27; correlation; unit root tests; cointegration analysis; causality
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C3 - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models ; Multiple Variables > C32 - Time-Series Models ; Dynamic Quantile Regressions ; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models ; Diffusion Processes ; State Space Models; H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H50 - General; H - Public Economics > H6 - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt > H60 - General; N - Economic History > N4 - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation > N44 - Europe: 1913-; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C3 - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models ; Multiple Variables > C33 - Panel Data Models ; Spatio-temporal Models; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E6 - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook > E60 - General

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