Macroeconomic performance in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) will be impaired if macroeconomic shocks are largely asymmetric, fiscal policy flexibility is limited, goods markets adjust sluggishly, labour mobility is low and automatic stabilization from federal taxes and government spending...

This paper outlines some issues regarding the interaction of independent fiscal authorities and one central bank in the European monetary union.It points out the possibilities for coordination failures,ranging everywhere from potentially excessive deficits and free-riding problems to...

This paper explores under what conditions a European Monetary Union (EMU) is an optimum currency area. The scope for an EMU increases with convergence of structural and fiscal policies, small money holdings, a conservative European Central Bank, and dependent national central banks. How national...

We show that, with benevolent policymakers and fiscal leadership, monetary unification reduces inflation, taxes and public spending. These disciplining effects of a monetary union, which rise with the number of fiscal players in the union, are likely to raise welfare. Joining an optimally...

We examine international fiscal coordination in a world where markets are integrated but national governments are sovereign. Consequences of the liberalization of the capital market on national fiscal policies and possible remedies to resulting ine¢ciencies are analyzed. A simple model, with N...

It is nowadays widely believed that public schooling may contribute favourably to long-term economic growth. The income tax rates that are needed to finance government spending typically show an erratic time pattern. Such tax randomness could increase the intensity of the business cycle. Thus,...