A Novel Construction For U. S. Federal Debt

A Novel Construction For U. S. Federal Debt

A new paper past times that title, here.

I suggest a novel construction for U. S. Federal debt. All debt should last perpetual, paying coupons forever with no master copy payment. The debt should last composed of the following:
  1. Fixed-value, floating-rate debt: Short-term debt has a fixed value of $1.00, in addition to pays a floating rate. It is electronically transferable, in addition to sold inwards arbitrary denominations. Such debt looks to an investor similar a money-market fund, or reserves at the Fed. 
  2. Nominal perpetuities: This debt pays a coupon of $1 per bond, forever. 
  3. Indexed perpetuities: This debt pays a coupon of $1 times the electrical current consumer cost index (CPI).
  4. Tax free: Debt should last sold inwards a version that is gratuitous of all income, estate, upper-case missive of the alphabet gains, in addition to other taxes. Ideally, all debt should last taxation free. 
  5. Variable coupon: Some if non all long-term debt should allow the regime to vary the coupon charge per unit of measurement without triggering legal default. 
  6. Swaps: The Treasury should handle the maturity construction of the debt, in addition to the involvement charge per unit of measurement in addition to inflation exposure of the Federal budget, past times transacting inwards uncomplicated swaps with these securities.
Of these, I intend the start is the most important. Think of it equally Treasury Electronic Money, or reserves for all. Why?

Economists bring long dreamed of interest-paying money. It fulfills Milton Friedman’s (1969) optimal quantity of money without deflation. Paper money is gratuitous to produce, thence the economic scheme should last satiated inwards liquidity...

Our economic scheme invented within interest-paying electronic money inwards the cast of money marketplace funds, overnight repurchase agreements, in addition to short-term commercial paper, in addition to establish it useful. But that money failed, suffering a run inwards the 2008 fiscal crisis. Treasury-provided interest-paying electronic money is immune from conventional runs. Money marketplace funds 100% backed past times fixed-value Treasury debt cannot endure a run...

By analogy, inwards the 19th century, the Treasury provided coins. Banks issued notes. Notes were convenient, existence a lot lighter than coins. But at that spot were repeated runs in addition to crises involving banking corporation notes. The U.S. regime issued newspaper money, which mightiness inflate, simply cannot endure conventional default or a run. That money eventually drove out person banknotes, in addition to that rootage of fiscal crises was permanently ended. (Crises involving need deposits did non end, simply hither the U.S. tried a dissimilar policy response, deposit insurance in addition to run a peril regulation. It has non worked equally well.)

In the 21st century, the Treasury has just the same natural monopoly inwards providing default-free in addition to run-free electronically-transferable interest-paying money to person parties. It should attain so.
If the Treasury offers what are essentially interest-paying reserves, thence nosotros don't bring to debate close the size of the Fed's residue sheet, ON RRP, etc.

Nominal perpetuities are a prissy agency to condense the hundreds of outstanding issues into one, which should growth their liquidity a practiced deal.

Indexed perpetuities are a cleaner agency to implement today's tips.

The taxation gratuitous analysis is perhaps the most interesting. I pose together a petty taxation clientele model with roughly interesting results. No, issuing taxation gratuitous debt is non a introduce to rich people. By attracting the high taxation clientele dorsum to Treasury debt, nosotros should encounter lower internet (after tax) involvement costs to the Treasury.

I bring a prissy implementation of Treasury swaps too, that mightiness opened upward them upward a lot.

Comments welcome. It's a fleck long because it responds to a previous circular of comments, thence if you're bubbling over with what's incorrect with the proposals, attain banking corporation gibe that I haven't already answered your comment.
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