i, 82 p. : ill.Honors project-Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2009Includes bibiographical references (p. 47-50).

Typescript (photocopy).

The way a country manages its currency can affect its volume of trade, capital flows and income. A country, especially one with high degree of trade openness, needs to find the most suitable exchange rate arrangement to reduce the volatility of its currency value and output. This thesis examines...

The rapid increase in international capital flows is one of the most significant developments in the global economy in recent decades. International portfolio diversification brings potential benefits to investors by offering investors the opportunity to insulate their portfolios from domestic...

This paper focuses on the dynamics of international financial integration for a set of 13 industrial countries including Australia over the period 1990 to 2003 by analysing data on the level and composition of foreign assets and liabilities. The objective of the study is to provide insights into...

Net private capital flows (Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Portfolio Investment and private credit flows) to emerging market economies declined significantly after the 1997 Financial Crisis. In 2002, the world's net private capital flows to emerging markets declined to the lowest level in the...

Extensive real estate studies have demonstrated the linkages between direct property and capital assets particularly REITs by emphasising on the common movements in prices. However, the study of volatility spillover between these assets is relatively limited. This study aims to investigate the...

The idea of a flat tax, a tax levied at a single rate, has become an increasingly discussed and implemented fiscal strategy across Europe and the rest of the world. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania adopted flat tax systems in 1994 and 1995, making them the first modern countries to adopt flat...

Developing country fiscal policy outcomes documented in data point to stark differences compared with developed ones. Most prominent difference is the excessive volatility of government consumption and transfer payments and their positive correlation relative to output. This seemingly...

Since the abolition of its Apartheid regime in 1994, South Africa has launched a massive program of education, which has been financed through resources representing on average 21% of the national budget or 7% of GDP. Today, the GDP share of public spending on education is 1.3 times the average...