Washington, not markets, calls the shots
Rather than providing incentives for fiscal consolidation, Treasuries would benefit if the US fell off its fiscal cliff, says Ralph Atkins
ARCHIVED
US downturn
Resources
More on FT.com
US consumer sentiment at five-year high
The Reuters/University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index rose to 84.9 in October – the highest level since July 2007 – from 82.6 in September
US trade deficit near two-year low
Exports rise on broad-based sales to foreign buyers, with products from soybeans to fuel and commercial aircraft all posting gains
Modest improvement in US jobs market
Barack Obama navigates last economic pitfall before Tuesday’s vote and will face re-election with an unemployment rate below 8%
Glimmer of hope for economy
Non-farm payrolls figures show the economy is very gradually improving
Related content and features
Comment and analysis
Obama has four years to fix the economy
The US needs massive overhauls of key sectors, almost all of which have intertwined public and private sector components, writes Jeffrey Sachs
US plays chicken on edge of fiscal cliff
To show that they will not swerve, politicians on both sides are flirting with the idea of going over the cliff – temporarily, says Robin Harding
America is not the next Greece
The political debate on debt and the Fed creates more confusion than clarity, writes Richard Bernstein
CEOs speak up as US heads for fiscal cliff
Industry leaders urge action on the budget’s structural problems, Ed Crooks writes. Their success or failure will decide the outlook for business
A slow convalescence under Obama
The US economy has not performed badly during Barack Obama’s presidency, but the recovery could have been stronger, writes Martin Wolf
Building recovery
Nascent US housing revival is no cause for complacency. There is still a need for more effective measures – the broader US recovery depends on it
Explain the disease to help US citizens
Fiscal consolidation should come only once the private sector has repaired its finances and returned to maximising profits, writes Richard Koo
More stories
