About This Episode
In the Q&A, Ramey considers when fiscal stimulus may be justified, why some COVID-era spending went too far, and which policy tools can produce the strongest short-run effects. The discussion underscores a basic constraint: stimulus must be judged not only by what government spends, but by the economic gain it produces relative to the debt it leaves behind. - Watch Part I: https://youtu.be/39zFM33y-QQ - Watch Part II: https://youtu.be/xj-KiOILQCQ Check out more from Valerie Ramey: - Read "Do Stimulus Packages Work?" by Valerie Ramey here: https://www.thefreedomfrequency.org/p/do-stimulus-packages-work - Watch "The Business of Love and the Cost of Parenting" with Valerie Ramey here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMdiYhsI7Mo&t=1s - Watch "Which Taxes and Spending Programs Should Be Reformed?" here: https://www.hoover.org/research/which-taxes-and-spending-programs-should-be-reformed Learn more about Valerie Ramey here: https://www.hoover.org/profiles/valerie-ramey Recorded on August 14, 2025. __________ 🔔 Subscribe for more discussions: @HooverInstitution 👍 Like and share this video! 🌐 Follow the Hoover Institution on social media: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooverInstStanford • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hoover-institution-at-stanford-university • Instagram: https://instagram.com/hooverinstitution • X: https://www.twitter.com/HooverInst The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. © 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.