Daily Archives: January 3, 2013

Functional Finance and the Debt Ratio—Part V

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Scott Fullwiler | 48 comments

This five part series will explore at length (warning!) and in detail (another warning—wonk alert!) the MMT perspective on the debt ratio and fiscal sustainability. While the approach suggests a macroeconomic policy mix and strategies for both fiscal and monetary policies that most neoclassical economists currently believe are unsustainable, ultimately the MMT preference for a significant role for fiscal policy in macroeconomic stabilization is shown to be consistent with traditional neoclassical views on fiscal sustainability.

This fifth and final (!) part applies functional finance to CBO’s projections of the government’s long-term budget outlook and then offers concluding remarks for the entire series. Continue reading →

48 Comments

Posted in Scott Fullwiler

Tagged debt ratio, functional finance, MMT, Modern Monetary Theory

Catch Randy Wray Discussing His Modern Money Theory Book on FDLSalon

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Devin Smith | 4 comments

Firedoglake is hosting a book salon with Randy Wray discussing his new book Modern Money Theory: A Primer on Macroeconomics for Sovereign Monetary Systems. NEP’s William K. Black will be the host for the salon.

When: Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. pacific /5:00 eastern

Where: fdlbooksalon.com

4 Comments

Posted in L. Randall Wray

Tagged book salon, FDL, Firedoglake, modern money theory

The Washington Post’s tries again to create a moral panic sufficient to push the Grand Betrayal

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Devin Smith | 18 comments

By William K. Black

The Washington Post’s mission has been to create a “moral panic” sufficient to cause the Obama administration to overcome the objections of Senate Democrats and adopt the “Grand Bargain” (sic). The deal would actually constitute the Grand Betrayal. The betrayal of Democratic Party principles and promises would inflict a recession through massive austerity via large cuts to the safety net and social programs and modest/moderate increases in revenues. Continue reading →

18 Comments

Posted in William K. Black

Tagged grand betrayal, health care costs, medicaid, medicare, moral panic, Robert Samuelson, Washington Post

The President’s Leverage: He Can Go Platinum

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Devin Smith | 40 comments

By Joe Firestone

Well, that’s over. The President had a chance to go “over the cliff,” bargain hard with the Republicans, get more of what he said he wanted at the price of perhaps some more days of crisis with extreme pressure building on the Republican caucus, and he blinked. I don’t much care that he blinked on tax rates for the top 2% and on inheritance taxes, because tax rate increases for purposes of deficit reduction simply aren’t needed for getting deficit spending needed to create jobs, as the rest of this post will show. Here’s what I care about: Continue reading →