This paper looks at the macroeconomic policy response to the Covid-19 crisis in the European Union (EU) and the prospects for long-term recovery under the Next Generation EU (NGEU) plan. It argues that, un­like what happened following the sovereign debt crisis of 2011-2012, the EU’s strong...

This chapter surveys the recent literature on the theory of macroeconomic policy. We study the effect of various incentive constraints on the policy making process, such as lack of credibility, political opportunism, political ideology, and divided government. The survey is organized in three...