We assess fiscal performances in G7 and selected Latin American and Asian countries. We consider two questions: (i) Have public finances been sustainable? (ii) Do countries follow more restrictive fiscal policies when debt starts to rise? We find that: (i) the traditional unit root tests often...

The paper examines whether Japanese exporters changed their strategic pricing behavior as a result of the profit squeeze of the late 1980s. It shows that shocks such as the end-of-bubble, the prolonged yen depreciation, and the Asian crisis affected export prices. These effects, however, are too...

The goal of the paper is to analyze how financial and economic crises affect the relation between capital flows and their determinants. We develop a model of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) and foreign direct investment (FDI), and apply it to Turkey using an endogenous break analysis and...

The profit rate is a key element in the cyclical growth of economies because of its effect on investment and saving behaviour and, therefore, on capacity, productivity and competitiveness. The US industry profit rates have declined dramatically since the 1950s. This decline is analysed and the...