How Governments Are Trying to Spend Their Way Out of the Coronavirus Shock

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For years, a small band of economists has promoted Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)—a view of the economy which says governments don’t have to worry about running large deficits. With nations now set to borrow trillions of dollars dealing with the effects of Covid-19, host Stephanie Flanders asks one prominent MMT adherent, Stephanie Kelton, whether we are all Modern Monetary Theorists now.

Flanders also checks in with Bloomberg Chief Economist Tom Orlik to get a sense of the scale and rationale for the massive response by central banks and governments, and talks with Senior Global Trade and Globalization Reporter Shawn Donnan about how the focus of his reporting has changed since the pandemic began.