Fiscal Choices

Canada After the Pandemic

AvMichael M. Atkinson,Haizhen Mou

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PDF, Engelska, 2024

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Beskrivning

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that governments can quickly respond to a fiscal crisis without becoming mired in unproductive wrangling. But the pandemic has also revealed the limits of traditional policy instruments in stabilizing the economy, controlling inflation, and fostering economic growth. Fiscal Choices sheds light on the economic dimensions of COVID-19 and examines the state of Canada’s fiscal policy and fiscal health following the pandemic.

The book covers a cluster of key fiscal policy topics: the overall capacity of government, the growth of inequalities, the management of sovereign debt, and the troubled institutions of federalism and parliamentary government. The book draws upon candid, in-depth interviews with over 70 former and current politicians, public servants, and academic experts who aim to establish a sustainable future within an accountable political system.

The book argues that although those who are entrusted with the instruments of power are intelligent and well meaning, they are reluctant to take risks or abandon well-known, if poorly performing, formulas. It concludes with a set of predictions and prescriptions rooted in a realistic interpretation of Canada’s political economy. Ultimately, Fiscal Choices presents a sober assessment of federalism and parliamentary government as instruments of democratic accountability.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2024-03-01
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:288
Filformat:PDF
Kopieringsskydd:LCP
ISBN:9781487548162
Förlag:University of Toronto Press
Serie:Johnson-Shoyama Series on Public Policy

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Mer om författaren

Michael M. Atkinson is an emeritus professor at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan and an adjunct professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria.Haizhen Mou is a professor at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan.

Innehållsförteckning

List of IllustrationsList of TablesPreface Abbreviations1. The Pandemic and AfterResponding to the PandemicThe Post-pandemic Search for StabilityWhat Kind of Change Is Required?Keep in Mind2. Making Economic DecisionsAn Epistemic EliteDistinctive Roles and Critical RelationshipsThe Limitations of Elite Decision-MakingConclusion3. Governing after the PandemicCan Government Do Good?Stabilizing the Economy: Program Design and DeliveryGovernments’ Role in the Economy: Will Anything Change?The Growth Imperative Conclusion4. Coping with Income and Wealth InequalitiesWhy Is Inequality a Problem?The Complicated Relationship between Inequality and Economic GrowthTraditional Programs That Tackle InequalityAlternative Proposals on InequalityConclusion5. Dealing with the DebtDebt DimensionsThe Debt ThreatGuardrails, Anchors, and RulesDebt Options: Good, Bad, and UglyConclusion6. Holding the Federation TogetherEvaluating Fiscal Federalism InstitutionsThe Pandemic: Addressing a Fiscal EmergencyRisk Reduction Risk SharingConclusion7. Keeping Government AccountableOn Being AccountableParliament and the Budget ProcessBureaucrats, Budgets, and Program ReviewsAuditors and Budget OfficersConclusion8. Canada’s Fiscal FutureStubborn RealitiesPandemic EffectsPressing NeedsConclusionAppendix 1: Interview QuestionsAppendix 2: A Survey on Canadians’ Opinions on the Post-pandemic Economy and Fiscal PolicyReferencesIndex