This book provides a comprehensive analysis of national fiscal policies in the European Union and in the European Monetary Union. Adopting a critical perspective, the book offers a deep insight into the consequences of the current strategy of national fiscal policies on economic activity

Introduction -- Sustainable Public Debt: Theory and Empirical Evidence -- Debt and Growth: A Basic Endogenous Growth Model -- Productive Government Spending, Public Debt and Growth -- Government Debt and Human Capital Formation -- Debt and Growth: Empirical Evidence -- Conclusion.

Starting point of this book is the observation that an increase in public debt must be accompanied by a rise in the primary surplus of the government to guarantee sustainability of public debt. The book first elaborates on that principle from a theoretical point of view and then tests whether...

This book provides a fully revised and up-to-date analysis of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). With four entirely new chapters on responses to the financial crisis and the debate on reform options, Tomann assesses the EMU in comparison with other currency regimes through the adoption of a...