Stringent fiscal rules and budgetary procedures might generate incentives for political decision-makers to cut predominantly productive public investment during periods of fiscal consolidation. While the influence of the European Stability and Growth Pact on public investment received a lot of...

The high public deficits expected in the coming years can largely be attributed to the budgetary effects of the financial market and economic crisis. Against the backdrop of a long term budget burden through increased debt and a demographically-related increase in expenditures, it is all the...

During the forecast period 2012-2016 growth will be weaker than in the recent past. On average real GDP is expected to increase by 1.6 percent per year. Thus, the Austrian economy will expand at a slower pace than on average during the years preceding the financial and economic crisis. The...

The Austrian economy will not regain significant momentum before 2014. During the forecast period from 2012 until 2016 real GDP will grow by 1.6 percent per year on average. Exports will expand by 5.5 percent per year. Imports, by contrast, will increase by only 5.1 percent. The average...

The relationship between government size and growth has received an enormous attention in the economics literature, and the recent financial crisis has forced this topic back on the agenda. A highly controversial debate in this respect is whether large governments are harmful for growth....

Several empirical studies derive that personal positions with respect to policy measures are dominated by ideology instead of narrow self-interest. In the present field study we carried out a telephone survey with 1,003 respondents all over Austria. Instead of measuring selfishness indirectly by...

Numerous studies show that reducing public expenditure is of particular importance to increase the likelihood that a budget consolidation will succeed. In international comparisons the high share of government spending in Austria, relative to its expenditure actually on productive issues, would...

In numerous countries the global financial and economic crisis has entailed a surge of government debt, which will call for enhanced consolidation efforts in the future. In the past consolidation strategies focusing primarily on spending cuts proved sustainable, whereas mostly revenue-based...