Fiscal policy – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

Without serious, structural fiscal reforms — which require bipartisanship and compromise — the US economy could go into free fall. Bungee jump image from www.shutterstock.com

September 18, 2012

Is the US set to jump off a fiscal cliff?

Brendon O'Connor, University of Sydney and Lindsay Gumley, University of Sydney

As we check our political calendars, many look to November 6 as the crucial date that will determine the future direction for US politics and the nation’s ailing economy. But in policy terms, it is January…

Does politics affect the integrity of economic forecasting? K

May 20, 2012

Independent body needed to preserve integrity of fiscal forecasts

Stephen Kirchner, University of Technology Sydney

The Melbourne Institute’s recent “Intergen +10” workshop was a retrospective on Australia’s pioneering Intergenerational Reports, an outgrowth of the fiscal responsibility legislation put in place by the…

Size does matter: rather than be concerned about achieving a surplus or a deficit, the government should be focusing on how to manage its debt. AAP

May 1, 2012

Don’t forget the debt: there’s more to fiscal prudence than a return to surplus

Kevin Davis, Australian Centre for Financial Studies

Treasurer Swan’s commitment to bring the government budget into surplus in 2012-13 may be a political imperative, but is not good economics. The focus for prudential fiscal management should instead be…

The ability of our politicians to achieve a surplus or balance the budget is spuriously taken as a measure of fiscal responsibility. AAP

April 10, 2012

Returning to surplus: the policy wall our politicians can’t see over

Graham White, University of Sydney

The Federal Government’s quest to return the budget to surplus raises many questions and not just about what immediate rationale there is on economic grounds for this strategy. It also raises deeper questions…

Unless the US can address structural problems, there no end in sight to this financial crisis. AAP

August 10, 2011

Keep an eye on the underlying economic threat, not market ups and downs

Stephen Kirchner, University of Technology Sydney

Global share markets were faltering even before the decision by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the US government’s debt. The slump in share markets over the past week reflects a weaker outlook for…

Australia has long since abandoned the goal of full employment. AAP

July 14, 2011

Forget surpluses – a government’s true task is to keep us employed

James Juniper, University of Newcastle

While “deficit fetishism” is unsurprising when championed by Liberal politicians or their counterparts in the centre-unity faction of the Labor Party, it is increasingly advocated by those positioned at…

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