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What Derailed the Economic Recovery? Three Possible Explanations

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David Wessel says there are three hypotheses about the slow recovery with growth of 1.9% in the first quarter of 2011, estimated growth of 1.4-1.5% for the second quarter. The first, is that this is transitory, with gas prices, Japan's tsunami disrupting supply chians, and Europe's poor handling of the financial crisis. This he scores as wishful thinking. The second, that the stimulus was too small, the need for a second stimulus, or the related hypothesis of the large uncertainty hanging over business, including the debt ceiling negotiations, deficit etc. This he scores as more convincing, but one is not sure different policies would have led to a different situation. The third hypothesis is that the underlying diagnosis of the economy itself was hopeful but flawed and wrong. Hope about the housing market- which has been proved wrong. The same for exports, or consumer spending. Wessel cites Ken Rogoff and Carmen Reinhardt's new book on the afterperiod of financial crises and asset bubbles, with data going back to many historical periods showing that the periods following crises are difficult having protracted periods of slow or marginal economic growth.

Reviews of "This Time is Different" by Rogoff and Reinhart

01/21/2008

Boom, bust cycles, with high indebtedness, asset bubbles, and unsustainable current account deficits are followed by long periods of slow or nonexistent growth say Rogoff and Reinhart in their new book. This raises questions about the now current hypothesis that economic recovery will take place in 2011-2013. As the book's title suggests there are long periods in history that show this and it is gaining in credibility as the column by David Wessel in the Wall Street Journal July 21,2011, suggests.

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