Resolution of South Africa's fiscal crisis depends on faster economic growth which must be led by private investment. Fiscal consolidation is necessary but without growth debt will not stabilise.
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Massive borrowing to fund NZ's economic recovery due to COVID-19 cannot be written off without the risk of worsening the crisis it was designed to meet.
While necessary during the crisis, government borrowing isn't costless. Longer term, it might depress living standards.
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.
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?
Top contributors
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Professor of Economics, UNSW
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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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Professor, Monash University
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Professor of Economics, University of Sydney
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Lecturer, Department of Economics, Federation University Australia
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Sir John Bunting Chair of Public Administration, Australian National University
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Professor of Institutional Economics, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University
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John Daley is a Friend of The Conversation.
Senior Fellow, Grattan Institute
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Senior Lecturer, Department of Banking and Finance, Monash University
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Professor of Economics, The University of Queensland
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Professor, Griffith Business School, Griffith University
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Xiaokai Yang Professor of Business and Economics, Monash University
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Lecturer, Public Sector Finance, University of Canberra
