This paper explores the implications of economic and political inequality for the comovement of government purchases with macroeconomic fluctuations. We set up and compute a heterogeneous-agent neoclassical growth model, where households value government purchases which are financed by income...

The aim of this paper is to study empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that discretionary fiscal policy is asymmetric over the business cycle in Uruguay. We estimate fiscal reaction functions covering annual data from 1970 through 2009, in which the dynamics of fiscal balance is due to...

Given the global financial crisis and, particularly, the European sovereign-debt crisis, European countries have the urgent need to promote output growth. However, due to the current financial constraints, it is difficult for the Governments to stimulate economic growth by directly increasing...

It is impressive what the Supreme Arbitration (Commercial) Court of the Russian Federation (the SAC of Russia) managed to achieve in order to adapt Russia’s law enforcement practices to a free-market environment against general uncertainty regarding the state financial policy. First of all,...

Inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) in France are affected by economic fluctuations, resulting in large variations from one year to the next. Inward FDI flows from emerging countries are still minor. However, a new geographical breakdown shows that French groups account for a significant...

En 2012, les 70 principaux groupes cotés affichent une situation financière globalement satisfaisante. Leur activité décélère et les profits diminuent mais ils stabilisent leur endettement et dégagent un niveau record de trésorerie.

Mexico is a highly centralized federation. The states and municipalities are highly dependent on federal transfers and so equally at risk to the country’s fiscal dependence on oil. Although Mexico has become more truly federal since multiparty competition has become vibrant and several states...

This Working Paper presents an overview of structural budget balance models and the adjustments most relevant for Australia. Three models (the OECD model, the IMF model and Treasury’s previously published model in the Australian Government’s 2009-10 Budget and McDonald et al (2010)) are...

Approximately 1-in-7 people and 1-in-4 children received benefits from the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in July 2011, both all-time highs. We analyze changes in SNAP take-up over the past two decades. From 1994 to 2001, coincident with welfare reform, take-up fell from 75%...

Contrary to consolidated economic theory principles, in Europe (but also in other world regions), austerity policy has been implemented instead of stimulus measures which have proven to be successful in crisis associated with credit crunch and insufficient demand. These policies cannot be only...