This article points out that the expansion of aggregate demand in the US during the nineties was structured in a highly unusual way. There was a progressive tightening of the fiscal stance, so growth had to be powered by a uniquely rapid growth of private expenditure in excess of disposable...

The strategic prospects for the US (or any) economy can be evaluated by reference to the financial balances of its main sectors, which are related to one another by a consistent accounting system. The 1992-2000 expansion, accompanied by a rising budget surplus, was greeted by a storm of...