IMF programs are thought to function as a seal of approval to international markets, though evidence suggests Fund programs do not attract capital inflows. Existing studies fail to address the effects of selection into IMF programs, which raises questions about the robustness of the findings....

If policy makers in developing countries pursue "bad" economic policies, policy conditionality may provide financial leverage which induces them not to choose these policies. When is such policy conditionality beneficial? We point out that whether conditionality has a beneficial short run impact...