This paper analyzes how fiscal and monetary policy typically respond during downturns in G7 countries. It evaluates whether discretionary fiscal responses to downturns are timely and temporary, and compares the response of fiscal policy to that of monetary policy. The results suggest that while...

Intro -- Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION -- II. BACKGROUND -- III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK -- IV. RESULTS AND SENSITIVITY TESTS -- V. EXTENSIONS -- VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS AND FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA -- References.

This paper investigates the relation between growth forecast errors and planned fiscal consolidation during the crisis. We find that, in advanced economies, stronger planned fiscal consolidation has been associated with lower growth than expected, with the relation being particularly strong,...