Fiscal Policy for the Coming Recession

Growing government surpluses, a ballooning trade deficit, and the resulting growth in private sector debt have placed the United States’ economy in a precarious position. Papadimitriou and Wray agree with President Bush that fiscal stimulus is necessary to reinvigorate the economy; in the current economic environment, monetary policy will not work. However, a tax cut that would adequately stave off a downturn needs to be substantially larger than that proposed by the president. Therefore, in addition to the president’s proposal to cut marginal income tax rates, the authors include among their recommends a payroll tax reduction and an expansion of the EITC.