Government debt can be rolled over forever without primary surpluses in some stochastic economies, including some economies that are dynamically efficient. In an overlapping‐generations model with constant growth rate, g, of labor‐augmenting productivity, and with shocks to the durability of capital, we show that along a balanced growth path, the maximum sustainable ratio of bonds to capital is attained when the risk‐free interest rate, rf, equals g. Furthermore, this maximal ratio maximizes utility per capita along a balanced growth path and ensures that the economy is dynamically efficient.
MLA
Abel, Andrew B., and Stavros Panageas. “Running Primary Deficits Forever in a Dynamically Efficient Economy: Feasibility and Optimality.” Econometrica, vol. 93, .no 5, Econometric Society, 2025, pp. 1601-1633, https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA22749
Chicago
Abel, Andrew B., and Stavros Panageas. “Running Primary Deficits Forever in a Dynamically Efficient Economy: Feasibility and Optimality.” Econometrica, 93, .no 5, (Econometric Society: 2025), 1601-1633. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA22749
APA
Abel, A. B., & Panageas, S. (2025). Running Primary Deficits Forever in a Dynamically Efficient Economy: Feasibility and Optimality. Econometrica, 93(5), 1601-1633. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA22749
Supplement to "Running Primary Deficits Forever in a Dynamically Efficient Economy: Feasibility and Optimality"
Andrew B. Abel and Stavros Panageas
The replication package for this paper is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15242651. The Journal checked the data and codes included in the package for their ability to reproduce the results in the paper and approved online appendices.
Serena Ng stepped down as Coeditor of the Monograph Series on June 30, 2026. On July 1st, Peter Arcidiacono became the new Coeditor responsible for theoretical and applied econometrics.
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