This paper investigates the relationship between the magnitude of automatic stabilizers in the tax and transfer systems of 19 EU countries and the US, and discretionary fiscal stimulus packages passed by these countries during the recent economic crisis. In particular, we ask whether countries...

In this paper the author attempts an analysis of the current financial/economic crisis that is wider ranging and more fundamental than he has been able to find. He discusses alternatives to the financial bailouts and shows how the crisis could have been dealt with more efficiently and at little...

Germany's labor market responded only mildly to the Great Recession. Important factors for this development include the strong economic position due to recent labor market reforms, the crisis affecting mainly export-oriented companies, the extension of short-time work, time buffers due to...

Mit der Freigabe des Wechselkurses für den Peso hat Argentinien einen grundlegenden Kurswechsel in seiner Währungspolitik vollzogen. Die feste Bindung der Währung an den US-Dollar über ein "Currency Board" hatte das Land in eine tiefe Krise geführt. Zwar war es gelungen, die dramatischen...

Fünf Jahre nach der Asienkrise weisen Indonesien, Südkorea und Thailand wieder hohe Zuwachsraten für die gesamtwirtschaftliche Produktion aus. Sie haben eine Neuausrichtung ihrer Währungspolitik vorgenommen und die Reform des Bankensektors - wenngleich in unterschiedlichem Maße -...

The economic and financial crisis has hit Spain harder than practically any other country in Europe. Even if there are occasional reports that the Spanish economy is improving slightly, the unemployment rate remains at 25 per cent and is as high as 54 per cent among Spain's young people. The...