Conventional wisdom has held that a fixed exchange rate regime induces more fiscal discipline, but Tornell and Velasco (1995, 1998) argue the opposite. Using a dynamic model with fragmented fiscal policymaking, this paper evaluates the two arguments in a single framework and shows that (1)...

Financial crises affect income distribution via different channels. We argue that financial transfers is an important channel, which has been overlooked by the literature. By analyzing data from the Mexican (1994-1995) and Argentine (2001-2002) crises, we investigate two types of financial...

Financial crises affect income distribution via different channels. This paper argues that there is an important channel overlooked by the literature, namely the financial channel. We study how this channel operates by analyzing data from several Latin American countries, including Argentina,...

By developing a class of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models with nominal rigidities and assuming a two-country currency union with sovereign risk, we show that there is not necessarily a trade-off between the prevention of default risk and stabilizing inflation. Under optimal monetary...

The objective of this paper is to analyze the concept and determinants of "sovereign risk" and the role of the credit risk rating agencies which serve internationally as the main reference instruments employed by economic agents to assess this risk. The paper also tries to identify macroeconomic...

The global economic recovery is on course but remains weak. Many analysts and policymakers - including those from emerging markets - have recently called for international cooperation in the setting of macroeconomic policies. A global growth target has been adopted by the G20 to aid such...

Amid global financial turbulent, the economy of Indonesia posted an annual average growth of above 6 per cent between 2008 and 2012, except in 2009. This was arguably among the most stable growth performance among the regional economies of East and Southeast Asia. The strength of domestic demand...

This paper expounds the concept of Dutch Disease as it applies currently to Australia, noting the various gains and losses resulting from the Australian mining boom. "Dutch Disease" refers to the adverse effects through real exchange rate appreciation that such a boom can have on various export...

In this paper, we examine capital account openness and exchange rate flexibility in 11 Asian economies. Asia has made slow progress in de jure capital account openness, but has made much more progress in de facto capital account openness. While there has been a gradual increase in exchange rate...

In his Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations Adam Smith (1776) considered the phenomenon of division of labor so enormously significant for the creation of a nation’s wealth that he devoted the first three chapters of his book to an investigation of this process. This is...