This paper studies the role of fiscal policy for stabilization in African countries. Two empirical regularities are documented for the group of African economies. First, fiscal policy generally has Keynesian effects. Second, fiscal policy instruments are often pro-cyclical (and practically never...

Recent developments in macroeconomics resurrect the view that welfare costs of inflation arise because the latter acts as a tax on money balances. Empirical contributions show that wage re-negotiations take place while expiring contracts are still in place. Bringing these seemingly unrelated...