We test a simple model of exchange rate regime choice with data for 65 non-OECD countries covering the period 1980-94.We find that the variance of output at home and in potential target c ountries as well as the correlation between home and foreign real activity are powerful and robust...

The political budget cycle (PBC) literature argues that governments expand deficits in election years. However, what happens when an economic downturn is expected? Will the government allow the deficit to expand even further, or will it resort to spending cuts and tax increases? When voters...

This paper presents a coincident and a leading composite monthly indicator for the world business cycle - the Global Economic Barometers. Both target the world’s output growth rate cycle. The calculation of these indicators comprises two main stages. The first consists of a variable selection...

Im Sommer und zum Jahresende veröffentlicht das ifo Institut seine Konjunkturprognosen für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Im Frühjahr und im Herbst nimmt es an der Gemeinschaftsdiagnose der sechs führenden Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute teil. Der Beitrag beschreibt, welche...