Aggregate demand is important, both in the short and the long run, but a basic distinction must be made between dual and mature economies. Mature economies may su¤er from a structural aggregate problem ("secu- lar stagnation"): full-employment growth may be impossible in the absence of...

Do business cycle fluctuations leave a role and a welfare case for an active stabilization policy by means of fiscal policy instruments? We address this issue in a two-sector open economy model with price-taking firms and imperfect competition in the labour market. Fiscal policies are shown to...