The paper demonstrates that policy makers may have a precautionary motive to undertake more labor-market reform--and hence attain lower equilibrium unemployment--inside a monetary union than outside. The reason is a desire to reduce the utility cost of variations in employment when asymmetric...

This paper explores some of the links between macroeconomic policy and industrial strategy. The perspective of the present paper is to emphasize the role of the output and investment activities of enterprises rather than the general focus on the labor market in the determination of economic...

For decades, information related to public finances was out of reach for most of the people. Gradually, public budgets and tenders are becoming openly available and global initiatives promote fiscal transparency and open product and price data. But, the poor quality of economic open data...

The worst global downturn since the Great Depression has caused ballooning budget deficits in most nations, as tax revenues collapse and governments bail out financial institutions and attempt countercyclical fiscal policy. With notable exceptions, most economists accept the desirability of...

In this study, we investigate the association between financial constraints, at both the macroeconomic and firm-specific level, and one potentially significant source of internal funds available to firms – cash savings generated through tax planning. In equilibrium a firm will undertake tax...

Policy refers to a broad guideline framed by the government for some desired changes in a state. Policy entrepreneurs are the persons who strive to introduce desired changes in the policies. Policy entrepreneurs work with various bodies and get the policy implemented. Policy entrepreneurship is...

When real wages in an economy no longer reflect productivity, normally devaluations of the currency restore international price-competitiveness via imported inflation that reduces real wages. This instrument is not available in a currency union. The job has to be done by reductions in nominal...

The nature of oil demand influences the oil extraction rate and hence has implications for both the timing of oil exhaustion and optimal climate policy. We analyse what role oil demand specification plays in strategic interactions b between an oil-importing country producing final goods and...

This paper studies the wasteful effect of bureaucracy on the economy by addressing the link between opportunistic behavior of government bureaucrats and the public sector wage bill. In particular, public officials are modeled as individuals competing for a larger share of those public funds. A...

Indicators of government activity must be carefully designed to be relevant, credible and accountable. Frustration with reform pressures suggests that measures of policy activity are not providing accurate information. In fact, indicators of product or labour market regulation fail to measure...