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American Economic Review Vol. 105 No. 5 2015

Demand Side Secular Stagnation

Lawrence H. Summers

JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Mailbox 8, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (e-mail: )

Abstract

The experience of first Japan and now Europe and the USA suggests that Hansen's concept of secular stagnation is highly relevant. Recovery has been anemic and follows a generation of financially unsustainable and often lackluster growth. Investment demand has declined while the supply of saving has increased, leaving the economy vulnerable to liquidity traps. Although some US indicators have improved, forward real rates have declined sharply, European prospects remain muddled, and the zero-bound will likely constrain again during the next recession. Infrastructure and private investment are the best ways to both minimize the risk of secular stagnation and raise demand.

DOI
10.1257/aer.p20151103
Volume
105
Issue
5
Pages
60-65
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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