Krugman: the beatings will continue until morale improves

When the recession officially ended, [government] spending was rising at an annual rate of around $60 billion; now it’s declining at an annual rate of $60 billion. That difference is around 1 percent of GDP, and maybe 1.5 percent once you take the multiplier into account. That makes the turn toward austerity a major factor in our growth slowdown.

Debt, Deleveraging and the Liquidity Trap