Modern Monetary Theory and Energy Conservation: An Institutionalist Approach to Fiscal Policy and Energy Conservation

Abstract

Abstract: This paper will set out to develop a policy proposal that is couched in the Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) framework of fiscal policy analysis. MMT teaches us that a sovereign government that issues a free-floating currency is not bound by the tenets of what can be termed “sound finance.” Sound finance suggests that all government spending is preceded by the taxing or borrowing of the currency being spent. According to MMT, since the currency is issued by the sovereign nation during the process of spending, then this spending must take place before any taxing or borrowing is done. A federal deficit is not something to be eliminated but is the normal situation, with inflation being the only real measure of spending exceeding economic capacity. Sovereign governments are currency issuers, and the money has value if the government is willing to accept it in payment to itself. This creates policy space for spending programs that are socially and ecologically beneficial. Similarly on the tax side, there is policy space to structure the tax system in a politically determined way. The tax system is one way in which the citizens of a nation engage economically with the government. The tax obligation serves as a value anchor for the fiat currency. The tax system can be designed to incentivize behavior in line with a more ecologically sustainable future. This paper will suggest that by taxing living space in a progressive manner, multiple social and economic goals can be accomplished as the economy is transitioning toward a more environmentally sustainable future.