Implementation Of Inflation Targeting And Budget Deficit Performance In Emerging Countries: A Treatment Effect Evaluation

Abstract

In this paper, we tried to examine whether the implementation of inflation targeting (IT) monetary policy and its discipline character allows reducing the budget deficit in emerging countries. To do this, we used the propensity score matching methodology to evaluate the treatment effect of IT on fiscal discipline, in terms of budget deficit performance, in emerging countries has adopted this monetary policy framework. Our empirical analysis, conducted on a sample of 41 economies (20 IT and 21 non-IT economies) for the period from 1990 to 2010, shows that on average IT adoption has had a considerable and significant effect in reducing the budget deficit. Our results are confirmed by the robustness tests and corroborate the literature of disciplining effects of IT regime on the fiscal discipline.