Economic Policy Issues for the Next Decade

✍ Scribed by Karl Aiginger, Gernot Hutschenreiter (auth.), Karl Aiginger, Gernot Hutschenreiter (eds.)

• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 291
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

There are several reasons why it has become important to rethink economic policy. Out of the European perspective it is the new currency, the enlargement towards Central and Eastern European countries, the sluggish growth and the end of productivity convergence towards the USA and the insufficient creation of employment. From the transatlantic perspective increasing differences in the economic policy and the potential rise of conflicts between Europe and the USA, for example, in trade, competition and health issues are important. The current volume touches most, but not all of these topics. It starts with the overview by Joseph Stiglitz on policy issues. Then macroeconomics policy is discussed, followed by the problem of an ageing society and European enlargement. Differences between Europe and the USA are large in taxation and in the role of public finance. The relative competitiveness of countries as well as of Europe will be decided by investments into new technologies and progression towards the Science Based Economy. In the final section the role of economists in shaping the economic agenda and giving policy advice is discussed.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-3
The Case for a New Policy Framework — Introduction....Pages 5-7
Economic Policy for the 21 st Century....Pages 9-22
Front Matter....Pages 23-23
The Future of Macroeconomic Policy in the European Union....Pages 25-56
Economic Policies — Old and New?....Pages 57-61
The Case for Straightening Out Macroeconomic Policy in the European Union....Pages 63-76
Front Matter....Pages 77-77
Towards a Positive Equilibrium for Ageing Societies....Pages 79-84
Population Ageing — A Problem Not a Crisis....Pages 85-96
Economic and Social Policy in an Ageing Europe: Employment and Pensions....Pages 97-98
The German Pension Reform — A Major Improvement on a PAYG System....Pages 99-100
Activation as an Option for an Ageing Society....Pages 101-103
Front Matter....Pages 105-105
Eastern Enlargement: Some Basics....Pages 107-122
Optimal Path into the EMU: Big Bang or Gradualism?....Pages 123-139
Institutional Aspects of EU Enlargement....Pages 141-144
Health not Wealth....Pages 145-153
What Can We Learn about Labour Market Adjustment in Candidate Countries from Literature?....Pages 155-186
Front Matter....Pages 187-187
International Tax Competition: A New Framework for Analysis....Pages 189-201
An Age of Diminished Taxation?....Pages 203-208
What Future for the EC Budget?....Pages 209-214
The Development of Tax Structures in the EU Member States....Pages 215-220
Front Matter....Pages 221-221
The Public Policy Challenge of the New Economy....Pages 223-235
Front Matter....Pages 221-221
Competitiveness in the Science-Based Economy — The Irish Experience....Pages 237-245
Institutions and Innovation in the European Union....Pages 247-258
What do We Know about the New Economy?....Pages 259-261
Front Matter....Pages 263-263
Empirical Economic Research and Economic Policy Advice: Some Remarks....Pages 265-288
Economic Policy Consulting: Some Personal Reflections....Pages 289-294
Political Economy in Economic Policy Advice....Pages 295-299
Back Matter....Pages 301-305

✦ Subjects

Economic Growth; Macroeconomics/Monetary Economics; Political Science, general