This paper develops and tests a model of the relation between the volatility of the exchange rate, default rates, the level of interest rates on loans, and the availability of credit, laying emphasis on frictions in the financial market, specifically foreclosure costs to collecting bad debts. On...

Does improving institutional quality lower borrowing costs or raise them? Better institutions the marginal productivity of capital, the demand for funds and the interest rate. They may also lending risks, raising the supply of funds and lowering the cost of capital. Using data from 100 this...