Based on Austria's fiscal stance in 1995, we compute the generational accounts for currently living as well as future generations. The results reveal the existence of an enormous intergenerational imbalance in favor of currently living generations. Total public sector liabilities may be more...

Debt-to-GDP ratios have grown to unprecedented levels in many industrialized economies. This requires disciplined consolidation efforts which are, however, supposed to come now at the wrong time with the economic recovery being fragile. The countries forming the G20 need to make sure the...

Die Schuldenstände sind in vielen Industrieländern auf Rekordhöhen angestiegen. Dies erfordert disziplinierte Konsolidierungsanstrengungen, die im derzeitigen wirtschaftlichen Umfeld allerdings zu einem vermeintlich ungünstigen Zeitpunkt kommen. Die G20-Länder sind aufgefordert, die...

This study examines reforms of public expenditure in industrialised countries over the past two decades. We distinguish ambitious and timid reformers and analyse in detail reform experiences in eight case studies of ambitious reform episodes. We find that ambitious reform countries reduce...

The financial crisis of 2008/2009 has left European economies with a sizeable public debt stock bringing back the question what factors help to reduce these fiscal imbalances. Using data for the period 1985-2009 this paper identifies factors determining major public debt reductions. On average,...

The European Union (EU) accepted ten new member states (NMS) in 2004. These countries, mostly former socialist countries, have had to adjust their economic policies to the EU's standards. Perhaps most difficult has proven to be fiscal policy whereby NMS must comply with the Stability and Growth...

In this paper, we track fiscal authority behaviour in the ten new EU member states (NSM) in the period which immediately preceded their EU accession. We first present basic stylized facts about public budgets of those countries. The paper then analyses reasons which led to periods of fiscal...

Die neue Bundesregierung wird zur Finanzierung neuer Ausgabenschwerpunkte nur bedingt auf eine Kreditfinanzierung ausweichen können, da nach aktuellem Stand ab 2023 wieder die Schuldenbremse greifen wird. Auch die Möglichkeit, die Mehrausgaben durch Steuererhöhungen zu decken, kann als...

Besonders seit dem starken Anstieg der Staatsschuldenquoten nach dem Ausbruch der jüngsten weltweiten Finanzkrise und der Großen Rezession spielt das Thema sowohl in der öffentlichen als auch in der wissenschaftlichen Debatte eine prominente Rolle. Die Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften...