To implement monetary policy in the 1920s, the Federal Reserve utilized administered interest rates and conducted open market operations in both government securities and private money market securities, sometimes in fairly considerable amounts. We show how the Fed was able to effectively use...

Many development economists prescribe trade as a poverty-reducing formula. But how is this elixir supposed to work? This article contributes to the lively debate on this topic with household evidence from Tanzania - a poor country even within sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region. About 81% of...

The events following Lehman's failure in 2008 and the current turmoil emanating from Europe highlight the structural vulnerabilities of short-term credit markets and the role of central banks as back-stop liquidity providers to financial markets. The Federal Reserve's response to financial...

As much as half of the US population would 'benefit' financially from filing for bankruptcy. These benefits are in the tens of thousands of dollars. Then, why don't they file? Amongst the financial decisions that individuals make, this ranks as one of the largest in magnitude. Using a...