Marc Robinson Blog

Health Care: What’s at Stake in the Presidential…

- October 27, 2020 | October 27, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

Of all of the issues facing Americans in next Tuesday’s presidential election, healthcare is one of the biggest. Healthcare is a huge financial burden on Americans. The bad news is that the burden is set…

Fiscal policy / Government Expenditure

The Future US Debt Crisis

- October 25, 2020 | October 27, 2020 - Marc Robinson 2 Comments

Faced with the pandemic, big deficits and increased debt are not only inevitable, but desirable – on a strictly temporary basis. This is something on which nearly all economists agree. But this does not mean…

couple sitting side by side near panel radiator

Government Expenditure / Welfare

Long-Term Care Spending Will Grow Greatly

- August 6, 2020 | July 27, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

Although it is not the main driver of rising health expenditure, population aging will be a significant source of pressure on government budgets in other areas. Age pensions will, in some countries, be part of…

Government Expenditure / Health Care / Uncategorized

Population Aging & Health Spending

- July 30, 2020 | July 27, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

There is a widespread notion that demographic aging will be the most important single factor driving health expenditure up over coming decades – or that, at a minimum, its impact on spending will be as…

Government Expenditure / Health Care

Bioscience Revolution To Drive Health Spending Up

- July 24, 2020 | July 20, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

In Bigger Government: The Future of Government Expenditure in Advanced Economies I show that government spending is set to increase greatly over the coming three decades in all advanced countries because of powerful external forces…

Fiscal policy / Government Expenditure

Post-Pandemic Fiscal Consolidation?

- July 21, 2020 | October 27, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget deficits of advanced economies are projected to reach 15 percent of GDP on average this year. Debt, already high, is set to increase by more than 20 percent…

Basic Income / Climate Change / Fiscal policy / Government Expenditure / Health Care / Infrastructure / Technology / Welfare

“Bigger Government” Podcast

- July 15, 2020 | July 15, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

To mark the publication today of Bigger Government: The Future of Government Expenditure in Advanced Economies, I am releasing a two episode podcast. The podcast is can be heard by clicking on this link, or…

Fiscal policy / Government Expenditure / Health Care / Infrastructure / Uncategorized

Is Austerity to Blame?

- June 2, 2020 | June 2, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

In many advanced countries, the parlous condition of public hospitals – due largely to inadequate funding – has been thrown into sharp relief by the coronavirus crisis. The United States, France and the United Kingdom…

Basic Income / Government Expenditure / Technology / Welfare

No, Increasing Poverty and Precarity Won’t Force Spending…

- April 29, 2020 | April 26, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

There are many who think that income support – welfare benefits such as unemployment benefits, income supplements and tax credits for the working poor, and child benefits – is a key area where governments will…

Government Expenditure / Health Care

Health Care: The Biggest Growth Area

- April 28, 2020 | April 29, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

By far the most important reason why government expenditure can be expected to increase greatly over coming decades is growing health expenditure. There are strong grounds to expect that government health expenditure will grow by…