44 of the 50 leading economists surveyed by Economic Society and The Conversation back running up more debt to support the economy. Only three do not.
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Articles on Government debt
Displaying 21 - 40 of 59 articles
Modern Monetary Theory is suddenly popular because it implies governments can spend as much as they need to. But that spending comes with risks.
With government debt soaring following moves to combat the coronavirus pandemic, now is the ideal moment to change how states borrow money.
The South African government should be spending more, not less, to boost economic growth and create jobs.
We now need a revolution in our national thinking about debt and deficits.
The new chancellor’s plans won’t look half as prudent if the economy tanks.
The only way out of South Africa’s crisis - financially wobbly utility Eskom, worsening public finances and poor economic growth - is a societal agreement that recognises the need for sacrifices.
The US hit the debt ceiling in March and is expected to run out of ways to get around the new $22 trillion limit by September. An economist explains why the ceiling is a dysfunctional relic.
History suggests we can run sizable budget deficits while shrinking the budget debt burden. Mid last century our leaders weren’t afraid to say so.
The British government is trying to unblock £400m donated in 1927 by an anonymous donor who wanted it to help pay off the national war debt.
If the stars align, consumers will benefit from increased economic activity in the short term. And if they don’t, then the economic recovery will have consumers saving more in uncertain times.
National governments do not, and should not, behave like a private household.
The odds are the Fed will raise rates once and the RBA will cut once before the end of the year.
Australia needs to change its national accounting system to be more like the private sector.
Ratings agency S&P seems unconvinced of the Australian government’s ability to reduce the budget deficit.
Budget repair seems even less plausible after this election and this is the main risk to Australia’s AAA credit rating.
Rousseff is about to go on trial for allegedly borrowing $11 billion to fund social programs and conceal a budget deficit. Why is that a crime?
Yet another budget making claims of a gradual decline in government debt. But the credit rating agencies want us to keep these promises - or else.
They’re the lines you sometimes hear before or after budgets from governments and commentators of all persuasions. The problem is they go against reality.
This week the IMF warns of secular stagnation while Moody’s ponders a credit downgrade for Australia if GST and negative gearing are not tackled.
Top contributors
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Professor of Economics, UNSW Sydney
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Professor of Economics and National Senior Teaching Fellow, Griffith University
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Professor of Finance, University of Liverpool
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Part-Time Professor of Economics, The New School
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Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
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Professiorial Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University
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Lecturer, Department of Economics, Federation University Australia
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Senior Fellow, Federation University Australia
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Dean of Business School, University of Southern Queensland
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Professor of Economics, The University of Western Australia
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Lecturer, Public Sector Finance, University of Canberra
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Professor of Economics, University of Canberra
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Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Institutional Economics, RMIT University
