We link governments' spending efficiency scores, to sovereign debt assessments made by financial markets', more specifically by three rating agencies (Standard & Poors, Moody's and Fitch). Public efficiency scores are computed via data envelopment analysis. Then, we rely notably on ordered...

This paper empirically links the efficiency and performance assessment of the general government, proxied by efficiency scores, to the trust in government. Government spending efficiency scores are first computed via data envelopment analysis (DEA). Then, relying on panel data and instrumental...

The large and widening gap between economic performance in Eastern European transition economies and those of the former Soviet Union has been dubbed “the Great Divide” by Berglof and Bolton (2002). This paper provides a rationale for the gap based upon the concept of financial repression....

On the occasion of related proposals by the European Commission and the Eurogroup, this paper proposes to entrust the ESM with the hosting of the ESRB in the medium term. The novel proposal aims at strengthening the macro-prudential expertise of the ESM and at enhancing the independence of the...

On the occasion of related proposals by the European Commission and the Eurogroup, this paper proposes to entrust the ESM with the hosting of the ESRB in the medium term. The novel proposal aims at strengthening the macro-prudential expertise of the ESM and at enhancing the independence of the...

Tiny changes in the American monetary policy can have dramatic effects on the rest of the world because of dollar's double role of national and international currency. This is the Triffin dilemma. The paper shows how it works through three examples: price of commodities, dollarization, and the...

We study the unfolding of the credit crisis until 2008, and the diversity of policy responses in Germany, Ireland, and the UK. We show that although the channels through which these three European states manifested financial distress were different, the crisis evoked similar reactions by...

The global financial crisis brought government guarantees to the forefront of the debate. Based on a review of frictions that hinder financial contracting, this paper concludes that the common justifications for government guarantees — i.e., principal-agent frictions or un-internalized...

After the 2008 Financial Meltdown the need to reconsider the separation between commercial banking and other financial risky activities - ring fencing - in order to mitigate systemic risks and to address the too big to fail problems was publicly recognized both in the United States and in...

We link governments’ spending efficiency scores, to sovereign debt assessments made by financial markets´, more specifically by three rating agencies (Standard & Poors, Moody´s and Fitch). Public efficiency scores are computed via data envelopment analysis. Then, we rely notably on ordered...