Government Debt - Problems

Problems

Sovereign debt problems have been a major public policy issue since World War II, including the treatment of debt related to that war, the developing country "debt crisis" in the 1980s, and the shocks of the 1998 Russian financial crisis and Argentina's default in 2001.

Not all developing countries have been affected to the same extent. For example Yugoslavia had low government debt (perhaps because it was unable to borrow on world markets) until its breakup and the coming of democracy, when the new national governments started to borrow money from the IMF. Croatia has a government debt of $47 billion today while the whole of Yugoslavia (six times as many people as Croatia) in 1980 had debt of $14 billion.

Read more about this topic:  Government Debt

Famous quotes containing the word problems:

    The man who is forever disturbed about the condition of humanity either has no problems of his own or has refused to face them.
    Henry Miller (1891–1980)

    All problems are finally scientific problems.
    George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)

    ...I have wanted to believe people could make their dreams come true ... that problems could be solved. However, this is a national illness. As Americans, we believe all problems can be solved, that all questions have answers.
    Kristin Hunter (b. 1931)