Abstract It analyzes the links and contradictions between pursuit of lowinflation and debtreduction. It also considers the political-structural problems in Canada that influence fiscal policy.
Abstract This paper examines the importance of debtreduction in Canada. It argues that debtreduction is essential to economic stability because it creates 'wiggle room' or the ability to respond to economic changes. Additionally, debt servicing erodes both productivity and social programs. Finally, the relative success of the current government's debtreduction and its future fiscal policy are assessed.
Abstract This paper examines methods whereby US homeowners' debt load can be reduced and ultimately eliminated while building wealth as homeowners. To this end, this paper provides an overview of the current financial situation facing many Americans, followed by an analysis of how some people have approached these dual goals. A summary of the research and salient findings are provided in the conclusion.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
The Path to Debt Elimination and Wealth Accumulation
Debt-Reduction and Wealth-Accumulation Strategies for the Whittingtons
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "On the one hand, the need for debt elimination strategies is more pronounced today than ever. Many American families that have worked diligently for years now find themselves little better off - or in many cases worse off - than they were a decade ago. In fact, in the United States, almost one-half of the wealth is in the hands of just 3.5 percent of the households, and the majority of the other households do not even approach the upper levels (Stanley & Danko, 1996). In this regard, Reich (2001) reports that, "The dirtiest little secret about the Roaring Nineties is that average working families gained almost no income, while their health care costs soared. From 1986 through 1997 (the latest year for which detailed IRS data are available), the average income of the richest 1 percent of Americans rose 89 percent, to $517,713" (p. 56). During this same period of time, though, the average income of the bottom 90 percent of Americans increase a meager 1.6 percent, to just $23,815 after all federal income taxes were paid (Reich, 2001). At the same time, healthcare costs increased even faster than inflation, a trend that especially affected middle-income Americans families; by the end of the 1990s, fully 44 million Americans lacked health insurance, almost 8 million more than those without health insurance a decade earlier (Reich, 2001). Furthermore, by the end of 1997, even those who were insured paid substantially more, through higher co-payments, deductibles, and premiums (Reich, 2001). Likewise, consumer debt because of credit card use is at an all-time high, and Brown (1999) suggests that, depending on their personal circumstances, consumers should first eliminate this source of debt as a debt-reduction strategy because of the exorbitant interest rates involved: "[Consumers] should carry out an aggressive debt-reduction strategy over the next three to five years in order to eliminate their outstanding debt. Otherwise the interest from their credit cards will erode the profits from any portfolio. Earning 10 percent to 12 percent on your investment portfolio and paying out 18 percent to 21 percent in consumer debt doesn't help you realize a profit on your portfolio, no matter how well you are invested" (Brown, 1999, p. 60)."
Tags:debt, elimination, wealth, accumulation, mortages, retirement, budgeting, homeowners, middle, income
Abstract This paper reviews the impact of debt relief on domestic social, political and economic situations. According to this paper, the external debt situation for a number of low-income countries has become extremely difficult in recent years, prompting the IMF and the World Bank to design a framework to provide special assistance to the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC).
Contents:
Introduction
Challenges and Future Policies
Diagnosis and Reflections on Poverty Reduction Policies
Poverty and Recession in Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa Deprived of Its Inheritance
The Urban Dynamics: Cities Suffer Most
Policy Design Post Evaluation
Conclusions
From the Paper "As for the implementation of the strategies, the principle of participation from different members of society opens up new prospects that will have an impact on the way national affairs are led. By favouring respect for the right to information and expression, participation fulfils one objective in that it deals with one of the key factors of poverty, namely exclusion and marginalisation. But the potential impact of this precept goes way beyond this aspect. Participation will only take on its full meaning if it really helps solve the problem of the lack of democracy in poor countries. It should give extra capabilities and power to intermediate bodies (the media, trade unions, associations, etc.) in drawing up, monitoring, controlling, assessing and redirecting the policies. Information is of course of utmost importance in this respect, and its formative nature must be underlined. It makes public choices explicit and increases transparency in the management of state affairs, whilst offering the different players in society the possibility of exerting pressure, or even taking sanctions in the case of failure. In short, making the state accountable for its actions before its citizens is at stake."
Tags: bank, debt, domestic, economics, gdp, gnp, imf, implications, relief, world
Abstract This paper examines the dimension of Kenya's national debt. It describes the enormity of the debt in human terms, as the author writes that the cost of paying just the interest alone on the debt is far larger than what the government spends on healthcare. The paper investigates the true motives of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Poverty Reduction Strategy
Purpose of the Poverty Reduction Strategy
Political Consequences
Political pressure by IMF
Internal violence
Conclusion
In Text Citations
From the Paper "Africa spends four times more on interest on her loans than on healthcare.
"The issue of Third World debt is one that cannot be ignored or wished away. In just 10 years, it escalated from a little over $400 billion in 1980 to a staggering $1.3 trillion in 1990. Kenya's eternal debt is more than $7 billion". Nairobi (The Nation, October 13, 1998) ""
Abstract This paper discusses how the core concern and primary factor related to the price of gasoline is the understanding of inflation adjustment and in compensating for inflation in determining the true cost of gasoline. While the general population prefers to recall or at least read about the relatively low cost of gasoline in the 1960s when the average cost of fuel was .30 cents a gallon, in inflation adjusted terms this would be equivalent to roughly $1.70 today (Gasoline). The paper explains that the price of gasoline, and certainly of gasoline related spikes in the average cost of goods, is a major contributor to inflation and yet, factoring for the effects of inflation across the economy, tends to reduce the real cost of fuel.
Abstract This paper will attempt to cast some clarity on the debate of zero inflation. This paper begins with an analysis of the consequences of lowinflation on the conduct of monetary policy. This paper will answer the pressing question of whether or not workers and firms exhibit nominal inertia near to zero. This paper determines that a little inflation, perhaps 1 to 3 percent is a far more efficient policy choice than zero inflation. Such a moderate inflation target would allow real wages to decline where necessary without firms having to impose wage cuts or fire workers.
Abstract The paper looks at the debt crisis in Argentina that helped plunge the nation into a financial crisis in 2001. The paper argues that much of the blame should be directed towards the Argentine governments' policies of the 1980s and early years of this decade. The paper also contends that the IMF (International Monetary Fund) should be criticized but stresses that both parties share the blame.
From the Paper "The debt crisis which wracked many developing countries in the early 1980s (and thereafter) came about because of overly-extravagant domestic policies and exorbitant government spending - at least according to a United States Department of State dispatch from 1994. In any case, the developing nations - which obviously did not have huge tax bases or swollen coffers like their confreres in the developed west - were confronted with huge budget deficits and with overvalued exchange rates. According to the US State Department, the developing world (or at least many of its constituent nations) relied on short-term, variable rate loans to get them through the fiscal crises of the period - but those policies made them susceptible to the depredations brought about rising interest rates."
Abstract This paper addresses the significance of debt with reference to three African countries namely, Angola, Benin and Liberia. It suggests possible ways in which these countries can solve their debt problems, including restructuring of debts.
Tags:debt, debt crisis, sub saharan africa, default, world bank, debt repayment, economic reform, dictatorships, socialist, civil war
Abstract This paper explains that inflation is a sign of disequilibria in the economy, which is demonstrated on the included graph by the widening inflationary gap between the total demand and supply lines. The author points out (1) that soaring prices often are generated by the demands of employees for salary increases in particular areas of activity where productivity is not on an ascending slope and (2) that high inflation rates are often associated with important monetary supply increases. The paper summarizes that all measures used to correct inflation involve reducing economic activity in order to influence the general level of prices without affecting the economic activity. Phillips Curve included.
From the Paper "Blocking prices is a direct method of fighting against inflation and consists in various measures designed to forbid price increases for particular goods and services, during a determined time period. Such a measure is a direct and quick action, compared to other measures, but long-term efficiency is low. The most important problem is that the economy has to "come out" of the price-blocking phase; consequently, important price rises make their appearance. The risk is higher if the period during which the measure is applied is longer than necessary. Freezing prices never caused the diminishing of inflation but impeded its development in an uncontrolled way."
Tags: blocking-prices, unemployment, hyper-inflation, money-supply, government
The paper examines the economies of Australia and the United States and compares the economic growth, inflation rates and unemployment rates of the two countries
Abstract The writer of this paper seeks to compare and contrast the economic growth, unemployment and/or inflation of two or more countries to each other. With this in mind, the paper's author compares and contrasts Australia and the United States in relation to economic growth, inflation and unemployment rates. The paper's writer first presents an overview of the two economies before comparing and contrasting them. The paper is accompanied by a number of graphs.
Outline:
Introduction
Overview Of Australia's Economy
Overview Of U.S. Economy
Unemployment Rates & Inflation Rates Compared And Contrasted
Summary
Bibliography
From the Paper "Because employment rates do impact inflationary rates during times of change and in times specifically when unemployment rates rise it is necessary specifically during these times to inform the public through clear policy and expectations as to what is expected thereby cushioning the shock of the impacts of unemployment on inflation rates. There has however, been research reviewed in this study that shows that use of an inflation target is most useful to understand when lower of prices can result in a benefit to levels of employment."
Abstract This paper offers a detailed analysis of inflation targeting. The author provides an explanation of how inflation targeting is achieved, its characteristics as well as the benefits that come along with it.
From the Paper "Whenever policy makers have an incentive to lower inflation by a predefine standard, that particular economy is said to be engaged in inflation targeting. In such an economy, the ideal is to conduct monetary policy that bears the incentive to bring inflation to a specified target. It should be pointed out that the monetary authority chooses a desired inflation targeted range, not a specific inflation targeted value. Monetary policy conducted in an inflation targeted economy must be transparent so that the public within the economy has easy access to all pertaining information to make adjustments if necessary. Additionally, monetary policy should maintain price stability by slightly affecting the monetary supply."
Tags: asset, inflation, price, market, stock, business, economy, world
Abstract A paper concerning the Nantionall Debt and its impact on the U. S. economy. As a nation of shoppers, most Americans are heavily in debt. How does all this debt affect the economy?
Abstract The paper presents a review of the issue of the national debt: causes, effects, and possible solutions. It looks at the history of the national debt, how it measures the net effect of fiscal policies and reviews effects and what the increase in the national debt means.
From the Paper "This research examines the issue of the national debt in the United States together with what if anything should be done about the national debt. When one speaks of the national debt one is referring to the monetary obligations of the United States Treasury. Such obligations are created by the United States Treasury through the issuance of monetary obligation instruments... "
Abstract This paper examines the effect of Japanese debt on economic growth. The author considers the possibility that the Japanese debt could cripple the entire world economy. Economic growth is discussed not only from the standpoint of Japan, but also from the standpoint of other members of the world economy. The author presents background information on the economic rise, and potential fall, of Japan. The paper also consists of prominent models and theories that are presented and explained, to illustrate the economic effects of the debt of the Japanese government. Paper includes charts and tables.
Outline:
Abstract
Theory
Data
Conclusions
From the Paper "In order to put the significance of the consideration of Japanese economics into perspective, consider for a moment the fact that Japan is the second world economic superpower, behind the United States (Witter, 1997). Keeping that in mind, there are several key economic indicators that show a true storm brewing within the Japanese economy due to the debt of the Japanese government; for example, current figures show that the debt of the Japanese government outweighs their GPD (Gross Domestic Product) by an obscenely high 170%, the Japanese National Bank is insolvent, and there is a glut of outstanding JGBs (Japanese Government Bonds (Posen, 2000). While all of these statistics are staggering, there are some very informative models and theories that illustrate this problem in greater depth; the best of these models and theories will now be presented and discussed in an effort to add another dimension to this research and provide a complete understanding of not only the topic, but also its significance to everyone in the developed world and beyond."
