The role of sectoral balance sheets, and their linkages, is used oftentimes to explain the euro area crisis and the sluggish recovery. Richard Koo's holy grail narrative of balance sheet recessions experiences a post-academic renaissance. A recent Vox piece by Jorda, Schularick, and Taylor adds to the empirical analysis in this field. (Let me forgive them to cite the infamous 90 percent public debt-to-GDP threshold.)
Their research shows that in advanced economies, balance sheets of the household and financial sectors empirically play a pivotal role in explaining the outbreak of crises and the speed of recovery. Strong government balance sheets, i.e. low public debt and a healthy structural balance (also coined "fiscal space"), help to mitigate a shock.
These are all useful empirical insights, but what are the mechanics which need to be understood...
