What you’ll learn7 learning objectivesChoose one objective for a focused lesson, or study the complete topic.3.6.1Fiscal policy• Fiscal policy uses government revenue and expenditure• Revenue sources include direct taxes, indirect taxes, state-owned enterprise sales, and sale of government assets• Expenditure includes current spending, capital spending, and transfer paymentsSyllabus objective3.6.2Fiscal policy goals• Goals include low stable inflation, low unemployment, long-term growth conditions, reduced business cycle fluctuations, equity in income distribution, and external balanceSyllabus objective3.6.3Expansionary and contractionary fiscal policy• Expansionary fiscal policy can close deflationary or recessionary gaps• Contractionary fiscal policy can close inflationary gaps• Diagram: AD/AS showing expansionary and contractionary fiscal policy in Keynesian and monetarist/new classical modelsSyllabus objective3.6.4(HL)—Keynesian multiplier• The Keynesian multiplier equals 1 / (1 - MPC) or 1 / (MPS + MPT + MPM)• MPC is marginal propensity to consume; MPS to save; MPT to tax; MPM to import• Calculation [HL]: Keynesian multiplier• Calculation [HL]: effect on GDP from a change in investment, government spending, or exportsSyllabus objective3.6.5Effectiveness of fiscal policy• Constraints include political pressure, time lags, and sustainable debt• Strengths include targeting specific sectors and effective government spending in deep recessions• Evaluation considers effects on growth, unemployment, and price stabilitySyllabus objective3.6.6(HL)—Automatic stabilizers• Automatic stabilizers include progressive taxes and unemployment benefits• They help moderate business cycle fluctuations without new discretionary policySyllabus objective3.6.7(HL)—Crowding out• Crowding out is a constraint on fiscal policy• Diagram: crowding-out effectSyllabus objective