Marc Robinson Blog

PFM

Accrual Budgeting: Think Carefully Before Jumping

- April 2, 2021 - Marc Robinson 2 Comments

[Warning: this is a technical blogpiece for public financial management specialists] Is moving to a accrual budgeting a good idea? This is a question I am asked from time to time. It is a controversial…

Government Expenditure

“Bigger Government” in FT’s Best Economics Books of…

- November 23, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

The Financial Times has listed "Bigger Government" as one of the best economics books of 2020. The FT's chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, writes that the book is "quantitative, meticulous and sobering". Read the review…

Fiscal policy / Government Expenditure

Bigger Government: Interview on ABC Radio National

- November 1, 2020 - Marc Robinson comment

My interview on Australian ABC Radio National's program "The Money" (Oct 29) on Bigger Government is now available on YouTube.

Government Expenditure

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

- 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 - 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…

Government Expenditure

Population Aging & Health Spending

- July 30, 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

Bioscience Revolution To Drive Health Spending Up

- July 24, 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 - 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…

Fiscal policy / Government Expenditure

“Bigger Government” Podcast

- 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…