Do we truly understand the sources of America's credit crisis? In a thorough telling of the history of foreign currency flows, these two economists persuasively assert that global imbalances, poorly managed, were the true source of the problem. If so, the solution is not merely guaranteeing bank...

Concern about global imbalances has been building since the 1990s and analysts from a variety of disciplines have called attention to aspects of the problem, ranging from the unsustainability of the U.S. current account position to the role of ‘under’ and ‘over’ saving rates in deficit...

The monetary policy that culminated in the current crisis and the failure of the Federal Reserve’s efforts to end the credit freeze in 2008 are critical components of the analysis needed as a backdrop for reform. This working paper argues that the link between excess liquidity, the buildup in...

Aging populations have altered saving and investment patterns in many developed and emerging market economies. The structural changes that have occurred have important implications for financial stability and for the conduct of monetary policy. As assets and borrowing shifted from banks to...

Concern about unsustainable payments imbalances in the global economy has prompted renewed interest in international monetary reform. This paper describes and evaluates six reform proposals that focus on strengthening the institutional framework for the current system. Some of these proposals...