Biographical note: BarroRobert: Robert J. Barro is Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and has written widely on macroeconomic and monetary economics. He is the author of Macroeconomics and the editor of Modern Business Cycle Theory.

Introduction: Time and Economic Policy -- Intertemporal Choices, Information, and Opportunity Sets: The Effectiveness of Monetary Policy -- Thinking Outside the Box: Giancarlo Marini, A Rigorous Eclectic Economist -- Fiscal Policy and Sovereign Debt Dynamics: (Re-)Assessing the Intertemporal...

The theory and practice of stabilization policy has taken many turns as it evolved over the past century, oscillating between high hopes and deep skepticism regarding the capacity - and desirability - of governments taking responsibility for macroeconomic stability. This paper reviews the...

Policy reforms aimed at boosting long-run growth often have side effects – positive or negative – on an economy’s vulnerability to shocks and their propagation. Macroeconomic shocks as severe and protracted as those since 2007 warrant a reconsideration of the role growth-promoting policies...