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Many rich countries' debt levels are uncomfortably close to 150-year highs, despite relative peace in much of the world. There is a no easy way out. For now, low world interest rates are restraining debt-service costs, but debt levels can be reduced only very gradually over long periods, whereas real (inflation-adjusted) interest rates can rise far more quickly, even for rich countries. More examples regarding indebted countries and whether or not they should reconsider their fiscal policies to relieve their debt are further discussed in the article.

This article talks about the recession going out in Spain and, more precisely, about the new challenges that the government is facing in order to reduce deficit and public debt, which by the way, has been downgraded by Moody's last week.

Japan's struggle to avert a nuclear disaster and prepare for a reconstruction of epic proportions is one more risk for a global economy already grappling with mounting risks. The threats to the fragile recovery were already rising before the devastating earthquake and tsunami brought the world's third-largest industrial economy to its knees. And they span the globe - from conflict and oil disruptions in the Middle East and rising inflation in China and other high-growth emerging economies to continuing debt woes in Europe and persistent weakness in U.S. housing and employment, whose recovery is essential to any sustained U.S. rebound. Adding to the wall of worry, governments have pulled the plug on massive stimulus programs, which played a crucial role in turning around economic fortunes in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown and ensuing recession. Are these symptoms of an upcoming recession?

Although the United States' problem of mounting fiscal deficits has become common knowledge in recent years, several prominent economists have advocated for additional spending so that the current economic recovery does not sputter. Others on the other hand claim that "In the real world, any increase in government spending is going to further worsen the debt/gross domestic product ratio, meaning debt service will become more and more costly, eventually reaching a point when it is unsustainable…The United States is fast reaching the point of unsustainability - hence there is no real choice but to greatly reduce government spending."

This article talks about the nowadays of the keynesian believes

This article discusses how, in some circumstances, fiscal policy has no knock-on effect onto private spending. This is the case when government debt is high (over 60 per cent of GDP) and when exchange rates are flexible.

Imposition of levies (taxes) by G20 governments to reduce government budget deficit: The G20 summit held in Canada over the weekend has confirmed the trend of fiscal consolidation which is happening in many of the major world economies in the wake of the financial crisis and recession. Leaders have agreed that debt as a proportion of gross domestic product needs to be stabilised or actually reduced by 2016 and it was noted that all the G20 countries had committed to halving their respective deficits within three years. Plans to introduce a global levy on banks have, as expected, been dropped although the summit confirmed that member countries would be free to introduce their own measures. The UK introduced a levy in the emergency Budget last week and some other European countries also have plans to do so...

The UK started reducing government expenditure, easing its fiscal policy to compensate for debt: There are a couple of notable points raised by the BRC in the Outlook: one is their view of economic growth and the other is the number of job losses caused by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne's public spending cuts. The BRC state that they believe the UK economy will continue to recover but at a slower pace than after the recessions of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. They put this "sluggish outlook" down to "the gradual normalisation of credit conditions, efforts to reduce private sector indebtedness and the impact of the Government's fiscal consolidation."

In a new study of federal fiscal policies between 1977 and 1992 entitled "Inequality and the Federal Budget Deficit," the nonpartisan group concludes that the tax cuts enacted in that period enriched the wealthy, increased the tax burden of the middle class, and grossly inflated the national debt. The study concludes that the tax cuts have resulted in lower overall federal tax burdens for only the very poorest and very richest of U.S. taxpayers. Most other families are paying a greater percentage of their family income to the government than they would be if the tax code had remained unchanged since 1977.

Keynesian economics is said to be a suitable solution for the current economic times because it solves problems that relate to labor and debt. -Michael

This article discusses the different views of the Republicans and Democrats on setting the 2012 fiscal budget. The US government almost shutdown because the parties could not come to an agreement on how to spend money. This is a big topic in the US right now, especially with the increasing debt.