We argue that the European currency union (ECU) reduced the de facto monetary policy autonomy of EU countries abstaining from introducing the euro. The large share of imports from euro zone countries renders a close alignment of monetary policy to the interest rate set by the European Central...

Die CFA-Zone galt vierzig Jahre lang als Selbstbedienungsladen der afrikanischen und französischen Elite im frankophonen Afrika. Mit der Abwertung des Franc CFA am 11.1.1994 brach der Mythos der Stabilität dieser von Frankreich garantierten Währung zusammen, und mit ihm auch das Weltbild der...

Die CFA-Zone galt vierzig Jahre lang als Selbstbedienungsladen der afrikanischen und französischen Elite im frankophonen Afrika. Mit der Abwertung des Franc CFA am 11.1.1994 brach der Mythos der Stabilität dieser von Frankreich garantierten Währung zusammen, und mit ihm auch das Weltbild der...

In this paper, we discuss how environmental damage and emission reduction policies affect the conduct of monetary policy in a two-sector (clean and dirty) dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. In particular, we examine the optimal response of the interest rate to changes in sectoral...

Many central banks have become more transparent during the last decade, in particular about macroeconomic prospects. This paper shows that such economic transparency could give central banks greater flexibility to respond to macroeconomic shocks. In particular, it allows central banks to...

Beyond its original mission to 'furnish an elastic currency' as lender of last resort and manager of the payments system, the Federal Reserve has always been responsible (along with the Treasury) for regulating and supervising member banks. After World War II, Congress directed the Fed to pursue...

Many central banks have become more transparent during the last decade, in particular about macroeconomic prospects. This paper shows that such economic transparency could give central banks greater flexibility to respond to macroeconomic shocks. In particular, it allows central banks to...

The economic literature acknowledges that to avoid the resource curse, resource- rich countries should restrict fiscal expansion and save a significant part of resource revenues outside the domestic economy. However, in these countries governments tend to ineffectively spend a considerable part...

This study examines the challenges and issues facing policymakers in highly dollarized economies. Focusing on Cambodia, which achieved almost complete dollarization during 1991-95, the authors review recent developments in the literature on dollarization and examine the costs and benefits of...