What do we know about the effects of structural reforms? One main reason the answer may be “little†is inadequate measurement. In this paper we put forward improved measures of economic liberalization across countries over time. We show that structural reforms, carefully measured,...

We analyze 1334 estimates from 67 studies that examine the effect of financial development on economic growth. Taken together, the studies imply a positive and statistically significant effect, but the individual estimates vary widely. We find that both research design and heterogeneity in the...

We examine whether confidence indicators—and their underlying components—improve the forecasts of future economic activity. Using quarterly data from the Czech Republic in 1999–2011, we estimate a vector autoregression model of the Czech economy (consisting of several commonly used...

This paper examines time-varying policy neutral interest rate in real time for the Czech Republic in 2001:1-2006:09 estimating various specifications of simple Taylor-type monetary policy rules. For this reason, we apply a structural time-varying parameter model with endogenous regressors. The...

We examine how written and oral central bank communications affect the level and volatility of interest rates. We use detailed daily data on the Czech central bank’s communication in 2007–2012. We find that financial markets respond to central bank communication. Short-term interest rates...

The short-run increase in prices following an unexpected tightening of monetary policy represents a frequently reported puzzle. Yet the puzzle is surprisingly easy to explain away when all published models are quantitatively reviewed. We collect about 1,000 point estimates of impulse responses...