The paper analyses theoretically what role fiscal councils could play and surveys empirically the activities of existing councils. Case studies of the Swedish Fiscal Policy Council and the UK Office for Budget Responsibility are done. It is concluded that fiscal councils should be advisory,...

The paper compares the boom-and-bust cycles in Japan and Europe with respect to the reasons for excessive booms, the characteristics of the crises, and the (potential) effects of the crisis therapies. As in Japan the consequence of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies is the hysteresis of...

The paper analyses how independent fiscal watchdogs (fiscal policy councils) can strengthen the incentives for fiscal discipline. By increasing fiscal transparency they can raise the awareness of the long-run costs of current deficits and increase the reputational costs for governments of...

This book analyzes the various problems of growth, trade and public policy from the perspective of applied economics, based on research in areas such as public policies, trade and regulation, and development economics. Part 1 investigates the broad problems of growth and regional economy,...

This book examines the politics of taxation in Ireland between the seventeenth and twenty-first centuries. Combining political, economic, and policy history, it contributes to a growing interdisciplinary literature on public finance, while also providing context for the ongoing debate on...

“A fine collection of essays exploring, and in many cases extending, Jim Buchanan’s many contributions and insights to economic, political, and social theory.” - Bruce Caldwell, Professor of Economics, Duke University, USA "The overwhelming impression the reader gets from this very fine...

This book is the thirteenth volume in the International Papers in Political Economy (IPPE) series which explores the latest developments in political economy. A collection of eight papers, the book concentrates on the deregulation of domestic financial markets and discusses financial...

This book discusses Japan’s long-term economic recession and provides remedies for that recession that are useful for other Asian economies. The book addresses why Japan’s economy has stagnated since the bursting of its economic bubble in the 1990s. Its empirical analysis challenges the...

This book investigates the changing nature of economic policies following the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2009. Well-respected, international scholars come together to discuss the level of economic growth following the crisis, concerns over inequality in industrialised countries, and labour...

Greece's economy symbolizes in many ways the Eurozone's economic problems and divergent interests as it amasses most of the economic disadvantages characterizing the Eurozone's economy itself. This book presents the economic and political challenges to Greece and the EU member states