This paper applies to Switzerland an indicator of the sustainability of fiscal policies developed by BLANCHARD and others for the OECD. A fiscal policy is sustainable if it stabilizes the debt/GDP ratio over a certain period of time; thus, the primary surplus must cover the interest payments on...

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Using time-series tests, the paper provides evidence that fiscal spending can influence long-run growth. Data on six functional categories of public spending (education, health care, social welfare, transport, justice and national defense) over the period 1950 to 1994 are examined for...