Journal Article

Sovereign debt: a modern Greek tragedy


Abstract: The authors of this article provide a general introduction to the concept of sovereign debt?including the seductive nature of borrowing and the strategies associated with default?before analyzing the current debt crises in Europe. They focus on Greece?s current woes but also discuss Portugal, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. The authors also discuss the environment in the United States, which has a high debt burden of its own, and present fiscal choices for policymakers and taxpayers.

Keywords: Greece; Debt;

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Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Part of Series: Review

Publication Date: 2012

Issue: Sep

Pages: 321-340