Category Livio Di Matteo
Resolving the U.S. Fiscal Crisis
The current debate in the United States over their budget deficit and debt does not appear to be generating solutions that will solve their problem anytime soon. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of President Obama’s budget proposals, the deficit under the President’s proposals would at first fall, but after 2015 would begin to […]
Canada’s Kobyashi Maru Test
In the Star Trek universe, one of the curriculum requirements for Starfleet Officer cadets is the infamous Kobyashi Maru test – the test of ultimate character and command ability.
Someone is Getting Health Spending Under Control
The sustainability of provincial government health spending is a big issue and drug spending in particular has garnered a fair amount of attention. Whereas in 1975, drug spending only made up about 2 percent of public sector health spending in Canada, today it makes up nearly 10 percent and indeed has been one of the […]
America’s Dangerous Debt
The budget turmoil in the United States is certainly attracting a lot of attention and of a kind it is unaccustomed to given its global power status. The International Monetary Fund has just urged the United States to outline credible measures to reduce its budget deficit as well as a plan to reduce its massive […]
Ranking Prime Ministers: Are Tory Times Really Tough Times?
There is an old adage in Canadian political lore that “Tory times are tough times” and that Liberal governments have generally seen more prosperous times. Given that every Prime Minister since Confederation has been either a Liberal or a Conservative, it should be a relatively simple matter to find indicators rank the economic performance of […]
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative: The April 1st Edition
Economics Departments across the country and around the world are engaged in a competitive struggle with other programs and disciplines for the hearts and minds of young students as they make choices regarding what program of study to enter out of high school. Once in university, the struggle is not over as Economics Departments are […]
Ontario’s Public Finances: A Fiscal Primer
With Ontario set to deliver its own budget on Tuesday March 29th, it is useful to provide a perspective on the province's finances given that it is Canada’s most populous province and largest provincial economy. Ontario faces some tough fiscal decision making over the next few years given a set of deteriorating public finances and […]
GDP & Population Shares, Natural Resources & Prosperity: A National Comparison
Looking at only one province’s share of GDP and population over time is probably not enough given the immeasurable majesty of the Canadian federation. It is time to expand the analysis to take all the other provinces into account to gain insight on the evolution of the Canadian economy.
What’s Your Best Guess for the Federal Deficit in the Upcoming Budget?
Well, Tuesday March 22nd is Federal Budget Day. If you are a movie buff, Oscar night is your big fiesta. If you are a CFL fan, it’s the Grey Cup. If you are an economist (with a public finance background) then Budget Day is when you clear your day, make some popcorn and gather family […]
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative 
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