In this paper, we identify discretionary fiscal policies of the federal government and the ten provincial governments over the period 1962-1996. The characteristics of fiscal expansions and contractions are compared. Over this period, 'balanced' approaches to deficit changes were reserved for...

This paper investigates the presence of electoral and partisan cycles in the fiscal policy of Canadian provinces. We find strong evidence of electoral cycles in the form of large differences in the average change in the discretionary primary deficit between election and non-election years.