Public spending is a critical element in national development. The outcomes of public spending can be short-sighted and inefficient, however, unless a sound management system and related policies for public expenditures are in place. Fiscal rules, performance management, and institutional...

Contents: Preface -- 1. Introduction and overview / Dongchul Cho, Takatoshi Ito and Andrew Mason -- Part I Aging, industry maturation and Japanization -- 2. Japanization: is it spreading to the rest of the world? / Takatoshi Ito -- 3. GDP growth from the perspective of demographic change: will...

Japan's dramatic transformation from economic success to economic stagnation offers important policy lessons to advanced countries everywhere that are struggling with stagnation. The term 'Japanization' is often used by economists to describe long-term stagnation and deflation. Symptoms include...