Modelling the Determinants of Government Expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa

The paper examines the factors determining aggregate public expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa, using a modelling framework which draws on insights from the theory of the private consumer. Of particular interest is the extent to which countries of different kinds are limited in their ability to adjust borrowing and fiscal revenue. Whilst all countries appear to face substantial borrowing and revenue constraints, significant differences emerge between low- and high-debt countries.