On Central Bank Independence and Political Cycles

Using a large panel data set, I find that political budget cycles are significantly smaller in countries with de facto central bank independence (CBI). To explain this result and its consequences in the economy, I develop an extended New Keynesian model that incorporates a political economy model of career concerns. I find that CBI mitigates the incumbent's fiscal decisions. Intuitively, since increases in the interest rate have a negative effect on the reelection probability due to consumption postponement, this discourages expansionary fiscal policies.