Despite the growing public debate on fiscal surprise during election periods in jurisdictions where the democratic dispensation is young, comprehensive empirical works to this effect in the case of Africa are hard to find. This study, therefore, sought to contribute to the debate on two counts....

This paper examines the impact of public debt on fiscal balance. This study uses the standard debt equation in a fiscal reaction and impulse response functions framework to assess the trajectory of public debt and its sustainability within the Sub-Sahara region from 1980-2017. From the...