Skip to main content
Log in

Sovereign debt: Reputation, seizure and reputation

  • Published:
Journal of Economics and Finance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The interaction between a creditor and a sovereign debtor is described as a ‘one-shot’ game with discrete actions—total or no debt-repudiation and seizure of asset holding abroad. Possible Nash equilibria where each player chooses an action as to maximize his expected payoff given his beliefs about the other player’s action and the implications of those actions on the players’ trustworthy reputation are identified. However, if reputation losses rise convexly with the players’ relative hostility, partial repudiation and seizure can be the preferred strategies. The preferred repudiation and seizure rates are analyzed under asymmetric and symmetric information about the state of the world. (JEL classification F34)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bulow, J. and Rogoff, K. (1989), “Sovereign Debt: Is to Forgive Forget?”American Economic Review, vol. 79(1), pp. 43–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, J.K. (1992), ‘The Revolving Door? External Debt and Capital Flight: A Philippine Case Study,’World Development, vol. 20(3), pp. 335–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, D. (1993), ‘Low Investment and Large LDC Debt in the 1980’s’,American Economic Review, vol. 83, pp. 437–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dooley, M.P. and Svensson, L.E.O. (1994), ‘Policy Inconsistency and External Debt Service’,Journal of International Money Finance, 13(3), pp. 364–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dooley, M.P. and Helpman, E. (1992), ‘Tax Credits for Debt Reduction’,Journal of International Economics, vol. 32, pp. 165–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eaton, J. and Gersovitz, M. (1981), ‘Debt with Potential Repudiation: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis’,Review of Economic Studies, vol. 48, pp. 289–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, H.I. and Van Huyck, J.B. (1988), ‘Sovereign Debt as a Contingent Claim: Excusable Default, Repudiation, and Reputation’,American Economic Review, vol. 78, pp. 1088–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, H.I. and Van Huyck, J.B. (1993), ‘Nominal Sovereign Debt, Risk Shifting, and Reputation’,Journal of Economics and Business, 45(3–4), pp. 341–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kletzer, K.M. (1984), ‘Asymmetries of Information and the LDC Borrowing with Sovereign Risk’,Economic Journal, vol. 94, pp. 287–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krugman, P.R. (1988), ‘Financing vs. Forgiving a Debt Overhang’,Journal of Development Economics, vol. 29, pp. 253–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krugman, P.R. (1989), ‘Market-Based Debt-Reduction Scheme’, in Frenkel, J.A., Dooley, M.P. and Wickham, P. (eds.),Analytical Issues in Debt, International Monetary Fund, Washington DC, pp. 258–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S.H. (1993), ‘Are the Credit ratings Assigned by Bankers based on the Willingness of LDC Borrowers to Repay?Journal of Development Economics, vol. 40(2), pp. 349–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Levy, A. Sovereign debt: Reputation, seizure and reputation. J Econ Finance 21, 69–79 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02929024

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02929024

Keywords

Navigation