Fiscal Policy in India (An overview 1991-2011)
Abstract
This essay examines the trajectory of India’s fiscal policy with a focus on historical trends, fiscal discipline frameworks, and fiscal responses to the global financial crisis and subsequent return to a fiscal consolidation path. The initial years of India’s planned development strategy were characterized by a conservative fiscal policy whereby deficits were kept under control. The tax system was geared to transfer resources from the private sector to fund the large public sector driven industrialization process and also cover social welfare schemes.
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This essay examines the trajectory of India’s fiscal policy with particular focus on historical trends, the development of fiscal discipline frameworks, the recent experience of fiscal response to the global financial crisis and subsequent return to a fiscal consolidation path. The initial years of India’s planned development strategy were characterized by a conservative fiscal policy whereby deficits were kept under control. The tax system was geared to transfer resources from the private sector to fund the large public sector driven industrialization process and also cover social welfare schemes. Indirect taxes were a larger source of revenue than direct taxes. However, growth was anemic and the system was prone to inefficiencies. In the 1980s some attempts were made to reform particular sectors and make some changes in the tax system. But the public debt increased, as did the fiscal deficit. Triggered by higher oil prices and political uncertainties, the balance of payments crisis of 1991 led to economic liberalization. The reform of the tax system commenced with direct taxes increasing their share in
Comparison to indirect taxes. The fiscal deficit was brought under control. When the deficit and debt situation again threatened to go out of control in the early 2000s, fiscal discipline legalizations were instituted at the central level and in
The United States deficit, surplus, and debt will always have an impact on taxpayers. In the state of high deficit the government seeks ways to cut and save money for debt payment. The government does this by pulling funding from programs that have little government impact. Increasing taxes also supplies the government with extra income. In addition to the reduction or elimination of certain tax credits, the government analyzes school funding for cost effectiveness. Each step the government takes has a trickling effect on taxpayer’s dollar.
Fiscal policies, if used efficiently, can be extremely effective and helpful to the economy. However, many pros and cons are tied to this method. Firstly, fiscal policies can be effective because they can focus spending to precise purposes.1 Therefore, the money that the government spends can be used on the things that would benefit the economy the most. Additionally, the government can reduce negative externalities with the use of taxes.1 An example of this would be taxing things that have a negative impact on the environment, such as companies producing an immense amount of pollution.1 Additionally, the government can also tax companies that are using too much of a limited resource.1 By doing this, the government not only can use the money gained from taxing to help the economy, but they would be reducing externalities such as these in order to help the country. Lastly, the effects of a fiscal period are much more immediate and quicker in comparison to a monetary policy,1 This means that the recessionary
During the 1980’s and 1990’s, state and local governments saw a long period of fiscal stability in which revenues and expenditures stayed steady and predictable. With the dawn of a new century, Fisher (2003, p. 9), questioned if state and local government analysts and leaders would see a continuation of fiscal stability or a return to the previous dramatic instability of earlier decades. The circumstances that could affect stability, or changes in revenue and spending, are economic growth, demographics, public facilities and infrastructure.
Deficit spending generates the creation of wealth transfers from future taxpayers to future government shareholders. In the near future our children and future generations will have a portion of their personal earned incomes moved through higher tax rates compared to those who carry Treasury notes. Government debt causes our children to loose more rights and freedom. Deficit spending is very underhanded because it causes people o believe they are gaining something for nothing. In actuality, their personal wealth is reduced and gives the illusion that their money was covered by taxation. Information involving the overall cost is not even stated in the tax bill itself. Politicians tend to support deficit spending because it rewards special-interest groups and enlarges the state’s control of its private sector (Gwartney et al. 110). Without proper laws and restraints, legislators will drive up budget deficits and spend funds excessively (Gwartney et al. 110). When the government’s allocation of money exceeds its total revenue, a budget deficit occurs.
Expansionary fiscal policy results in a reduction of taxes and increased government spending and therefore increasing the demand level in an economy. The institution of expansionary fiscal policy raises disposable income through reduction of taxes in the economy and this improves the rate of consumption. Therefore, tax reduction is an appropriate expansionary fiscal policy that can be deployed to help an economy that could be undergoing a recession (DeLong & Summers, 2012). Consequently, tax reduction could be a vital government tool for increasing the Gross Domestic Product. Low taxes encourage individuals to work hard and thus boosting the county’s GDP.
3. The deficit was finally brought under control in the late 1990s, through increased taxes, reduced expenditures - especially on defense - and a strong economy.
December 2007, a recession happened again in the United States; this lasted until June 2009. In between the years of 1948 to 2011, there have been 10 recessions total.(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) The government used a policy called the Fiscal policy which was a starting point of the recovery after the most current recession in 2007. The fiscal policy includes government spending, taxation, and other factors that influence the economy. President Obama was trying to increase aggregate demand by using the Fiscal policy. Aggregate demand is a relationship between the price level and the output of goods as well as services.
Automatic stabilisers are changes in tax revenue and government spending that occur automatically in response to changes in the level of real GDP. Government use taxes (personal and corporate) and spending on public welfare to help to monitor fluctuations in economic conditions. A good example of an automatic stabilizer is unemployment benefits. When the economy slows down and people are put out of work, these benefits work to stabilize things without government intervention to the economy. A budget surplus slow down an expanding economy and a budget deficit mitigate a downturn in the economy (less revenue and increase government spending).
Shah, A. (1998). Fiscal federalism and macroeconomic governance: For better or for worse? (Vol. 2005). World Bank Publications.
The author’s analysis shows that changes in taxes have important consequences for the economy. This is important given the debate at that time on the efficacy of fiscal policy and on the possible consequences of the fiscal consolidation that is bound to subsequently take place. “The evidence they contributed in this article is supportive for (i) relatively large and immediate output effects following changes in tax rates (ii) tax multipliers that are larger than most estimates of government spending
The people of the United States are by the fiscal policies. Team C will address the how and why the U. S. budget deficits, budget surpluses, and debt affect different individuals and institutions. There is a wide array of individuals affected by fiscal policy, which include tax payers, future Social Security and Medicaid users. The unemployed individuals and University of Phoenix students will be affected by fiscal policy. The U.S. financial reputation, an exporter, and importer, and affects of the GDP will also be covered about the affects of the U.S. fiscal policy.
For as long as Americans can remember there has always been a federal deficit. In fact, the only time in American history when there was no federal debt was under president Andrew Jackson, and it only lasted a single year(Wall Street Journal). The federal government never managed to pay off the debt again, although some administrations, like Coolidge’s and Clinton’s, have managed to run brief surpluses(Wall Street Journal). Yet today there seems to be no limit on the debt and deficit spending, and a key question has been pressed into the forefront of politics and fiscal policy, “is
Fiscal policy is a system used for the economy that helps the fluctuation of financial goals by the alterations of government expenditures or taxes. There are two different fiscal policies used debating on the growth or decline of the economy. First is expansionary fiscal policy that is used to help boost the economy when it is in a decline like the recession our nation just witnessed along with prior years. Which in this case the government can decrease interest rates, and use tax incentives to help boost the financial system and private spending. Second is contractionary fiscal policy that is put into effect when the economy is at an incline and possible inflation is taking place. In which instead of decreasing interest rates they could raise
The deficit affects a University of Phoenix student because funding for financial aid could be compromised leading to more private loans. Loans become
Perspectives among economists on the usefulness of fiscal policy as a device for macroeconomic management have moved back and forth over the years. Belief in the active use of the tools of fiscal policy may have reached a relative peak sometime during the 1960s or early 1970s, and practice followed theory. In the United States,