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Curated by Project Syndicate

A Comeback for Keynes?

27 commentaries

The failure of unconventional monetary policies to lift debt-ridden economies out of their post-2008 torpor has led many to call for big increases in public spending. But fiscal expansion could turn unconventional, too: rather than "tax and spend," or even “borrow and spend, some economists favor "print and spend."

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  1. The New Fiscal Reality
    pisaniferry77_Daniel Roland_AFP_Getty Images_ecb Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images

    The New Fiscal Reality

    Nov 1, 2016 Jean Pisani-Ferry maps out how governments should take advantage of record-low long-term borrowing costs.

  2. Out of Ammunition to Combat Recession?
    boskin47_Jim Watson_AFP_Getty Images_obama bill Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

    Out of Ammunition to Combat Recession?

    Oct 21, 2016 Michael J. Boskin warns that developed countries' public finances are putting a frail global economy at risk.

  3. Escaping the New Normal of Weak Growth
    slow growth Mark Metcalfe/Stringer

    Escaping the New Normal of Weak Growth

    Sep 30, 2016 Michael Spence says that it's time for politicians to use fiscal policy to relieve the burden on central bankers.

  4. Secular Stagnation or Self-Inflicted Malaise?
    sinn70_John Moore_Getty Images_Wall Street John Moore/Getty Images

    Secular Stagnation or Self-Inflicted Malaise?

    Sep 27, 2016 Hans-Werner Sinn thinks the advanced economies' only hope is a healthy dose of creative destruction.

  5. The Return of Fiscal Policy
    roubini101_Chung Sung-Jun_Getty Images_g7 leaders Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

    The Return of Fiscal Policy

    Sep 26, 2016 Nouriel Roubini welcomes advanced economies' incipient shift away from reliance on central banks to sustain growth.

  6. Helicopter Money Is in the Air
    skidelsky107_Chris Ryan_Getty Images_Money jar Chris Ryan/Getty Images

    Helicopter Money Is in the Air

    Sep 22, 2016 Robert Skidelsky explains why unconventional fiscal policy could well be the next game in town.

  1. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    A Big Defeat for Big Tech

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Tech companies know that if there is an open, democratic debate about data security, consumers’ concerns about digital safeguards will win out. And while the industry's lobbyists tried to ensure that no such debate could ever occur, one of their more cynical moves has now been exposed and thwarted.

    details how the industry tried to slip extraordinary protections against regulation into US trade agreements.
  2. zizek27_Giles ClarkeGetty Images_jimmycherizier Giles Clarke/Getty Images

    Haiti’s Proud Boys

    Slavoj Žižek

    If we measure a failed state by the cracks in the edifice of its power, reflected in brewing ideological civil wars, deadlocked assemblies, and increasingly insecure public spaces, we must recognize that the United States is not so unlike Haiti. Both have given rise to violent gangs with political ambitions.

    warns that rich Western democracies are not immune to politically motivated gang violence.
  3. hedegaard11_y Dursun AydemirAnadolu via Getty Images_parliament elections Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Unity Is Europe’s Greatest Asset

    Connie Hedegaard emphasizes the importance of stability amid persistent economic and geopolitical crises.
  4. qian34_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_immigration PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

    The Truth About US Immigration

    Nancy Qian warns that overheated campaign-season rhetoric is dangerously polarizing and ultimately self-defeating.
  5. mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.
  6. basu100_David Dee DelgadoGetty Images_newyork David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Legal Behavior

    Kaushik Basu highlights the potential benefits of emphasizing adherence to the spirit of laws, if not their letter.
  7. brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.
  8. owoo1_disabled iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Give Women with Disabilities a Chance

    Nkechi S. Owoo explains what is needed to protect and empower one of the world’s most vulnerable demographic groups.
  9. op_mkurz3_Spencer PlattGetty Images_rustbelt Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How Capitalism Became a Threat to Democracy

    Mordecai Kurz examines the economic policies and market dynamics that have ushered in America's Second Gilded Age.

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