Economics Explored

Freeing Fiscal Policy from political tinkering with Dr Nicholas Gruen

Episode Summary

A conversation about the Financial Times article "Fiscal policy should be freed of political tinkering" with the author Dr Nicholas Gruen, CEO of Lateral Economics and Visiting Professor at King's College, London.

Episode Notes

In a March 2021 Financial Times article Dr Nicholas Gruen proposed an independent fiscal policy advisory body so that fiscal policy is freed from political tinkering. Economics Explored host Gene Tunny speaks with Dr Gruen about his proposal in this episode. 

Dr Gruen is CEO of Lateral Economics and a Visiting Professor at King's College, London.  He has advised Australian Government Ministers, including an Australian Treasurer, and is a renowned angel investor (e.g. in Kaggle which was acquired by Google). Dr Gruen blogs regularly at Club Troppo.

Links relevant to the conversation include:

Dr Gruen's FT article:

Fiscal policy should be freed of political tinkering

Dr Gruen's 2001 OECD Journal of Budgeting paper:

Greater Independence for Fiscal Institutions

Edmund Burke quote