We propose a method, based on the currency union model of Gali and Monacelli (2008), to determine whether a region belongs to an existing optimal currency area. The method involves assessing the predictability of regional inflation rates at medium term horizons. We apply the methods to the...

In a large sample of countries across different geographic regions and over a long period of time, we find limited country- and variable-specific effects of central bank transparency on forecast accuracy and their dispersion among a large set of professional forecasts of financial and...