In this Study Group, we will look at how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the US and other major economies, what kind of macroeconomic policy measures were implemented and why, how effective those policies have been, and how the economy and policy are likely to evolve in the next year or two. How bad was the economic hit from COVID and how strong has the recovery been? What kind of monetary and fiscal policy measures have been implemented and how have these policies differed from ones adopted in the past? How concerned should we be about too much government debt piling up and central bank balance sheets getting too bloated? Are the seeds being sown of a return to the high inflation of the past? These are some of the questions we will probe.
Background reading:
Paul Sheard, 2020: “The economics of COVID-19,” Briefings for Britain:https://briefingsforbritain.co.uk/the-economics-of-covid-19/
Paul Sheard, 2020: “Covid-19 response: Don’t lose sleep over mounting government debt,” BloombergQuint:https://www.bloombergquint.com/coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-response-dont-lose-sleep-over-mounting-government-debt
Paul Sheard, 2021: “Don’t worry about inflation,” Briefings for Britain:https://briefingsforbritain.co.uk/dont-worry-about-inflation/
Speakers and Presenters
Paul Sheard