balance sheet recession theory

E386492

Balance sheet recession theory is an economic concept, developed notably by Richard Koo, that explains prolonged stagnation after asset bubbles burst as a result of private-sector deleveraging and debt minimization despite near-zero interest rates.

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Label Occurrences
balance sheet recession theory canonical 1

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf economic theory ⓘ
macroeconomic concept ⓘ
appliedTo Japan’s lost decade ⓘ
global financial crisis of 2008–2009 ⓘ
post-2008 stagnation in advanced economies ⓘ
argues GDP can be maintained only if government fills the spending gap ⓘ
central bank cannot force solvent but overleveraged firms to borrow ⓘ
credit demand collapses despite ample liquidity ⓘ
private sector becomes net saver even at zero interest rates ⓘ
associatedWith Japan’s post-1990 economic stagnation ⓘ
assumes fall in asset prices relative to liabilities ⓘ
widespread private-sector balance sheet impairment ⓘ
contrastsWith standard neoclassical view of interest-rate-driven investment ⓘ
traditional Keynesian demand-shortfall explanations without balance sheet focus ⓘ
coreMechanism balance sheet repair by firms and households ⓘ
private-sector debt minimization ⓘ
critiquedFor limited microeconomic foundations in original formulations ⓘ
reliance on large and persistent fiscal deficits ⓘ
developedBy Richard Koo ⓘ
diagnosticCriterion monetary base expansion without corresponding credit growth ⓘ
private sector simultaneously paying down debt and increasing savings ⓘ
emphasizes importance of balance sheet health over new investment ⓘ
priority of debt repayment over profit maximization ⓘ
shift from profit maximization to debt minimization in the private sector ⓘ
explains recessions characterized by private-sector deleveraging ⓘ
weak aggregate demand despite very low interest rates ⓘ
field macroeconomics ⓘ
focusesOn prolonged economic stagnation after asset bubbles burst ⓘ
influencedBy Irving Fisher’s debt-deflation theory ⓘ
keyCondition near-zero nominal interest rates ⓘ
post-asset-bubble collapse environment ⓘ
notableWork The Holy Grail of Macroeconomics: Lessons from Japan’s Great Recession ⓘ
originatedIn analysis of Japan’s real estate and stock market bubble collapse ⓘ
policyImplication government should borrow and spend to offset private deleveraging ⓘ
need for active fiscal policy ⓘ
premature fiscal consolidation prolongs stagnation ⓘ
temporary expansion of public debt is justified ⓘ
predicts liquidity trap conditions ⓘ
monetary policy becomes ineffective in stimulating borrowing ⓘ
persistent output gap without fiscal intervention ⓘ
relatedConcept debt deflation ⓘ
liquidity trap ⓘ
paradox of thrift ⓘ
private-sector deleveraging ⓘ
secular stagnation ⓘ
timePeriodFormulated 1990s ⓘ
usedBy policy analysts evaluating post-crisis fiscal strategies ⓘ

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Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Lost Decades of Japan → usedAsCaseStudyFor → balance sheet recession theory ⓘ