Persson and Tabellini (2003) show that presidential regimes and majoritarian election systems have important effects on fiscal policy, government effectiveness and productivity. Here, their dataset is extended in a number of ways: the number of countries included is increased from 85 to up to...

Austerity is a concept that is often used in the public debate. It refers to fiscal policy measures that reduce government spending and raise taxes for the purposes of closing a government budget deficit. This paper analyzes the concept in the context of the current European economic crisis and...

Persson and Tabellini (2003) show that presidential regimes and majoritarian election systems have important effects on fiscal policy, government effectiveness and productivity. Here, their dataset is extended in a number of ways: the number of countries included is increased from 85 to up to...

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...

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...

The financial crisis and economic recession, and policymakers' responses to these events, have raised sovereign risk concerns in a number of advanced economies. This has increased the cost and reduced the stability of funding for banks. It has also meant that decisions about the maturity of...

Issues related to the use of the WTO instruments and mechanisms by CIS member states including the EAEU members remain one of the least studied problems regarding a comprehensive analysis not in Russia alone but also in other countries of the post-Soviet space. Activity in the WTO needs to be...

Taking a normative approach this paper identifies and develops basic principles for the good governance of central banks, namely independence, democratic accountability and transparency. In doing so the paper focuses on the arrangements surrounding the primary task of a central bank, i.e. the...

In mid-April, the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization published an annual analytical review – The Global Trade in 2013 and Forecasts for 2014. After a two-year recession, moderate growth in trade is expected in 2014 and 2015 – on development of the international trade. Also, the...

We discuss the new Basel bank capital framework and the central bank's general approach to its practical implementation in the home-host context of Australia and New Zealand. Bank capital plays an important role in absorbing large financial losses, especially under severe downturn conditions....