Alessandro Piergallini University of Rome Tor Vergata   University of Rome Tor Vergata University of Rome Tor Vergata Via Columbia 2 Rome, 00133 Italy   alessandro.piergallini@uniroma2.it             JEL Areas: E6 : Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General H6 : National Budget, Deficit, and Debt: General