In this chapter we: (i) Review the core DSGE workhorse models of financial frictions that existed ahead of the recent financial crisis. (ii) Summarize the recent empirical literature on the history of financial crises. (iii) Summarize the key modelling developments around credit intermediation...

We show how the prospect of disputes over firms' revenue reports promotes debt financing over equity. These findings are presented within a costly state verification model with a risk averse entrepreneur. The prospect of disputes encourages incentive contracts that limit penalties and avoid...

There is a considerable academic literature on the relationship between Central Bank independence and inflation but the issue of Central Bank accountability and its effect of inflation performance has received very little attention. This paper looks at the issue of accountability in a simple...

A literature has grown up around papers by Kydland and Prescott (1977) and Barro and Gordon (1983) which shows how governments have an incentive to inflate the economy (to generate extra output) then the private sector will anticipate this and the economy will stick at a high inflation...

In this paper we examine the implication of a simple class of fiscal rules for long-run economic growth and welfare. The golden rule of public finance (GRPF) that we examine is motivated by institutional arrangements in countries such as Germany and the UK. We find that rules which seek to limit...

This paper constructs a consistent series for the market value of UK Government debt over almost 300 years. We analyse how monetary and fiscal policy affect the path of the price level in the UK. Specifically, the paper examines the interactions between debts, deficits, the monetary base and the...