THE ECONOMIST SPECIAL REPORT: Governments going broke – In many of the world’s big economies, public finances are heading for a crisis. Henry Curr argues the consequences will be profound

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→Across the rich world, fiscal crises loom

→How much public debt is too much?

→Fixing the welfare state looks electorally impossible

→Economic growth is unlikely to prevent fiscal crisis

→Big, rich countries have rarely repaid debt with surpluses

→How do some countries avoid debt?

→The case against holding bonds