In this paper we analyse counter-cyclical fiscal policy within the context of a microfounded analysis of business-cycle stabilization. We show that tax and spending instruments can have a useful counter-cyclical role, even after allowing for the distortionary nature of the instruments and the...

The use of discretionary fiscal policy as a counter-cyclical tool has declined in popularity over the last 30 years. This paper examines the extent to which this decline is justified in terms of developments in macroeconomic theory over this period. Both a small calibrated model and a larger...

This paper explores the Labour government’s fiscal policy performance at the macroeconomic level. This analysis is in two halves. The first covers the period up until the Great Recession, which involved a single policy regime subject to two simple fiscal rules. After discussing the theoretical...

This paper begins by arguing that the 2007-8 credit crunch does not require a fundamental re-evaluation of monetary policy. The crunch occurred because regulation was too lax, and we need to develop new and more effective tools of regulatory control. To focus on current account imbalances or...