In their famous book, Democracy in Deficit, James Buchanan and Richard Wagner define the notion of fiscal constitution: Whether they are incorporated formally in some legally binding and explicitly constitutional document or merely in a set of customary, traditional, and widely accepted...

This paper surveys the empirical research on fiscal institutions of the last three decades. The main results are: (i) Constitutional or statutory fiscal limitations have in most cases proved to be effective in cutting down public expenditure, revenue, and debt. (ii) Budgetary proce-dures matter...

The paper investigates the fiscal effects of Swiss cantonal debt brakes by taking explicitly into account the rules' coverage. An in-depth analysis provides unique evidence that suggests the following: First, fiscal rules at the cantonal level have a negative effect on public deficits, which is...

Die Studie analysiert die (verfassungs-)rechtlichen Möglichkeiten für den Bund unter der Schuldenbremse im Grundgesetz, Investitionen und in diesem Zusammenhang auch Infrastrukturinvestitionen durch Kreditaufnahmen jenseits der für den Bundeshaushalt festgelegten Grenze von strukturell 0,35 %...