Macroeconomics for development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Some new considerations on countercyclicality

Abstract

The Macroeconomics for development blue print for Latin America and the Caribbean is articulated around two issues: an active strategy of productive development and a counter cyclical policy stance. Macroeconomic counter cyclicality refers to the management of the level of aggregate demand to dampen the fluctuations and volatility of real and nominal variables around their long-term trends. This paper argues that cycle and trend are interdependent and that, as a result, counter cyclical policies (i.e., aggregate demand policies) are not neutral to the long-run behaviour of economies.