...The Globalization of International Financial Markets: What Can History Teach Us?* Michael D. Bordo Rutgers University and NBER Paper prepared for the conference “International Financial Markets: The Challenge of Globalization.” March 31, 2000. Texas A and M University, College Station Texas. * For valuable research assistance, I thank Antu Murshid. 1. Introduction Globalization has become the buzz word of the new millennium. It is viewed as the cause of many of the world’s problems as well as a panacea. The debate over globalization is manifest both in public demonstrations against the WTO in Seattle in the Fall of 1999 and the IMF and World Bank earlier. It also has led to a spate of scholarly and not so scholarly books on the subject.1 Until three years ago the consensus view among economists on the issue of the international integration of financial markets was very positive. The benefits of open capital markets stressed include: optimal international resource allocation; intertemporal optimization; international portfolio diversification and discipline on policy makers.2. However, the recent spate of crises in Latin America and Asia has led some to argue that the costs of complete liberalization of financial markets for emerging countries may outweigh the benefits.3 The paper focuses on the globalization of financial markets from the historical perspective of the past 120 years. In Section 2, I summarize the empirical evidence on the international integration of financial...
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...Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania Abstract: This paper focuses on the lending arrangements of the IMF in EU countries during crisis period. First, we reviewed the literature regarding IMF-supported programs in times of crisis. On the other hand, we provided a description of the IMF arrangements in EU countries in 2008-2013. We found that these programs differ in type, duration, amount and conditionality, but not significantly in their key objectives (achieving sustainable public finances and ensuring financial sector stability). Key words: IMF lending arrangements, EU countries, crisis 1. IMF – supported programs in times of crisis – a literature review Some authors examine the role of the IMF as crisis manager and crisis lender (Boughton, 2000; Chandavarkar, 2002), the role played by the IMF as a creditor and as a monitor of economic reforms (Marchesi and Sabani, 2007) or the efficacy of IMF's finance in preventing financial crises (Brandes and Schule, 2008). Many articles have been written on the role of the IMF in financing and designing economic reform programs for developing countries and in dealing with crisis periods, thus: - the IMF's role in dealing with the Asian crisis in Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea in 1997-1998 (Jonas, 1999; Ito, 2007); - the IMF-supported program in Indonesia during the crisis period (Boediono, 2002; Grenville, 2004); - the IMF's influence on economic policies in Russia in the 1990s (Jordan, 2001; ...
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...IMF Intervention and Relevance Abstract In todays modernised global financial markets technological advancements have transformed the way investors, financial institutions, governments and central banks operate. This has brought about a crisis of confidence in the ability of any one body to provide high quality surveillance, supervision and crisis management. Countries are unwilling to borrow from the IMF due to the intrusive economic reform policy conditionalities. Cocktail mixes of tax increases, spending cuts and privatisation of public sector assets have proven difficult for local governments to serve. The funds inability to keep pace with an expanding global economy suggest redefining itself with a more modest role that is fitting for such an international monetary system may be the best approach, As opposed to expanding the funds activities. Table of contents 1. Introduction page 1 2. Objectives page 1 3. Rationale page 1 4. Literature review page 2 4.1 The Mandate page 2 4.2 Consequences of IMF Programme Implementation page 2 4.3 IMF Relevance page 6 5. Conclusion page 9 6. Reference 1. Introduction This...
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...Christopher Oladipo Global Finance Term Paper Topic: The Italian Financial Crisis: Causes, Actions and Reactions DECEMBER 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Causes I. Immediate causes II. Remote causes 3. Actions I. Governmental actions II. Regulatory actions III. European response 4. Reactions I. Local market reactions II. European market reactions III. Effects on US and world markets. 5. Conclusion 6. Bibliography 1. INTRODUCTION The Italian crisis that rocked the Euro zone at the beginning of this quarter was sudden, yet, not really sudden. There have been signs, but the leaders were unperturbed, so it was business as usual until the eventual breakout, like an epidemic, now threatening to consume not only Italy, but the Euro zone and by extension, the European Union.[1] The Greek economic debacle was one of the clearest signs that all was not well within the zone, but, of course, the general consensus was that Greek was too small to ignite any serious panic within the zone. If at all anything was going to happen, the general belief was that it will not affect the core of the European economy, and as such, to my understanding, not worth any preparation or broad based actions by the European Central Bank (ECB). But today, all of that has suddenly changed with the Italians taking their turn at the economic turntable. It is not clearly understood that even the mighty do sometimes fall. Italy is...
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...Research Paper No. 2006/54 Central Banks as Agents of Economic Development Gerald Epstein* May 2006 Abstract In the last two decades, there has been a global sea change in the theory and practice of central banking. The currently dominant ‘best practice’ approach to central banking consists of the following: (1) central bank independence (2) a focus on inflation fighting (including adopting formal ‘inflation targeting’) and (3) the use of indirect methods of monetary policy (that is, short-term interest rates as opposed to direct methods such as credit ceilings). This paper argues that this neo-liberal approach to central banking is highly idiosyncratic in that, as a package, it is dramatically different from the historically dominant theory and practice of central banking, not only in the developing world, but, notably, in the now developed countries themselves. Throughout the early and recent history of central banking in the US, England, Europe, and elsewhere, financing governments, managing exchange rates, and supporting economic sectors by using ‘direct methods’ of intervention have been among the most important tasks of central banking and, indeed, in many cases, were among the reasons for their existence. The neo-liberal central bank policy package, then, is drastically out of step with the history and dominant practice of central banking throughout most of its history. Keywords: financing, institutions, central banks, history, development JEL classification: E5, N2, O2 ...
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...2012 xxxx Global Financing and the Exchange Rate Mechanisms During the height of World War Two representatives from 44 countries met in New Hampshire to design a new monetary system to replace the collapsed Gold Standard system. The agreement reached established two multinational institutions the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The IMF job would be to maintain order in the international monetary system, the World Bank job would be to promote general economic development. The agreement called for a system of fixed exchange rates that would be enforced by the IMF. The IMF was the main custodian; it would try to avoid a repetition of the past through a combination of discipline and flexibility. Discipline the need to maintain a fixed exchange rate, slow down competitive devaluation, and bring stability to the world trade environment. The IMF enforces a fixed exchange rate and imposes monetary discipline on countries, thereby curtailing price inflation. The IMF stood ready to lend foreign currencies to members to get them over short periods of payment deficits. A pool of gold and currencies were contributed by IMF members to provide the resources for lending. Countries were allowed to borrow from the IMF without adhering to a specific agreement. Countries the borrowed heavily would have to agree to increasingly stringent IMF supervision of its macroeconomic policies, agree to monetary and fiscal conditions which included IMF mandated targets...
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...|Veronika_Kostúrová | | | |Matej Bel University, Faculty of Economics | | | | | |Italy | | | |17.11.2011 | Italy´s current economic situation and its prediction for the future Macroeconomics 2 Take the art works of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tintoretto and Caravaggio, the operas of Verdi and Puccini, the cinema of Federico Fellini, add the architecture of Venice, Florence and Rome and you have just a fraction of Italy's treasures from over the centuries. While the country is renowned for these and other delights, it is also notorious for its precarious political life and has had several dozen governments since the end of World War II. In my report I would like to look at current situation of Italy, especially economy and some predicting for the future. Italy has...
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...in the early 1990s – natural gas production and distribution networks were preserved, with few exceptions, in the state-controlled monopoly Gazprom. Correspondingly, the Russian gas industry avoided ruinous warfare that the oil barons – former insiders and well-connected newcomers – waged fighting for control, ownership, and export quotas. Likewise, the natural gas sector was largely spared the troubles that befell on some oil majors (e.g. on YuKOS) which did not fall in line after the state changed its policy on energy resources in 2003. It is unsurprising that Gazprom is at the spearhead of the current Russian search for a decent place in the global division of labor. Russians appear to have come to a firm consensus that their country needs to be integrated into the world economy but they are less certain about what economic activities Russia should focus on. Exploring comparative advantages related to natural endowments of energy resources seems to be the right choice given prevalence of energy...
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...Globalization of Markets? Firms of all sizes benefit and contribute to the globalization of markets 97% of all U.S. exporters have less than 500 employees 98% of all small and mid-sized German companies participate in international markets 1-4 What Is The Globalization of Production? Firms source goods and services from locations around the globe to capitalize on national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production like land, labor, energy, and capital Companies can lower their overall cost structure improve the quality or functionality of their product offering 1-5 Why Do We Need Global Institutions? Global institutions help manage, regulate, and police the global marketplace promote the establishment of multinational treaties to govern the global business system 1-6 Why Do We Need Global Institutions? Examples include the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) the World Trade Organization (WTO) the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the World Bank the United Nations (UN) the G20 1-7 What Do Global Institutions Do? The...
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...sometimes referred to as government debt. It is a term for all of the money owed at any given time by any branch of the government. It encompasses public debt owed by the federal government, the state government, and even the municipal and local government. Public debt accrues over time when the government spends more money than it collects in taxation. As government engage in more deficit spending, the amount of public debt increases. Public debt can either be: 1.1External debt 1.2Domestic debt or Internal Debt 1.1External debt: Public debt can be made up of all sorts of different types of debt. A great deal of public debt is external debt, which is money that is owed by the government to foreign lenders, either in the form of international organizations, other governments, or groups like sovereign wealth funds which invest in government bonds 1.2Domestic debt or Internal Debt: Public debt is also made up of internal debt, where citizens and groups within the country lend the government money to continue operating. In some ways, this is a lot like lending to oneself, since ultimately the responsibility for public debt falls back on the very people lending money. 2.0Benefits of Public Debt * It is an alternative for financing fiscal budget deficit * Deficit budget raise the recession and public borrowing help the economy not to be fall in recession * Public debt refers to the current outstanding obligations for which...
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...assets far surpassed those of previous bankrupt giants such as WorldCom and Enron (“IInvestopedia: Case Study", April 02, 2009). The collapse of the Lehman Brothers is contagious and even triggered the Global Financial Crisis. LEHMAN BROTHERS HISTORY Three brothers – Henry Lehman, Emanuel Lehman and Mayer Lehman in 1850, founded Lehman Brothers. Started as a normal dry-goods store, the brothers grew the business by buying and selling cotton to planters living in and around Montgomery, Alabama ("History of Lehman Brothers", n.d). Eventually the brothers built a cotton storage warehouse together with a cotton merchant John Wesley Durr in a brief partnership form. Thereafter in 1858, an office in New York was opened to fulfill the needs of the growing sales and trades. After Civic War, Lehman Brothers who already have a strong pressure in the cotton commodities trading moved their headquarters to New York City. They also did a part in financing Alabama's reconstruction. In 1870, Lehman Brothers together with a group of cotton merchants and traders founded the New York Cotton Exchange, which is still in operating today. Lehman brothers also start to deal with emerging market...
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...financial deposit-taking and lending institutions such as commercial banks and d) the Canadian Payments Association. The currency used in Canada is the Canadian dollar. It is the means of payment, store of value and unit of account for all transactions conducted within Canada. It is the currency in which all assets and liabilities are measured. As such, exchange rates are not an issue in our domestic transactions. The country’s central bank, is the Bank of Canada. Its role is to issue the currency of the land, the Canadian dollar, to manage the supply of money to ensure that there is neither too much of it that could cause inflation, nor too little that could cause recession and to oversee the financial system, acting as a lender of last resort when the need arises. Commercial banks and other non-bank financial institutions are the main players in the financial system. They engage in the process of financial intermediation, which is the taking of deposits from the private public that has a surplus of money and making loans to the public that has a shortage of money. In addition, commercial banks provide payment services such as chequing accounts, bank drafts, debit cards, credit cards, electronic payments, wire transfers and engage in the purchase and sale of foreign exchange. The Canadian Payments Association (CPA) is the payment system...
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...[pic] Case Study 1 Ryan Duran Amanda Greathouse Andy Cook Nick Miller Hillary Hughes Elizabeth Schaible Table of Contents Company Profile History 3 Organization, Mission, and Culture 3 Functional Area Assessment 9 Internal Environment Financial Position of Disney 14 Assorted Financial Ratios 14 IFE Matrix 17 External Environment Key External Forces 19 EFE 23 Competitive Analysis 28 CPM 30 Objectives Short Term 32 Long Term 33 Grand Strategies 34 Initial Findings 36 Company Profile Company History The Walt Disney Company, originally known as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, was formed by Walt and Roy Disney in 1923 with the creation of a cartoon named Alice’s Wonderland. With the start of that popular cartoon, the Disney brothers had unknowingly created a legacy that would live for generations. Since the creation of the Walt Disney Company, it has produced hundreds of chart topping animated films, put on dozens of Broadway plays, acquired TV and radio stations, and has created the most magical place on earth on three continents. Even after the deaths of the founders, the company has thrived for several decades every intent to continue growing. Organizational Mission and Culture Mission Statement The original mission of the Walt Disney Company was to “nurture the...
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...Stress in liquidity is at the heart of any banking crisis in history. During the financial crisis of 2007-09, funding liquidity risk caused the collapse of interbank markets, which became the focus of authorities’ attention at restoring order. Accordingly, central banks and other regulatory bodies world-wide have been evolving prudential liquidity norms in order to impart stability to financial systems. Apart from implementing newer norms on liquidity, they have been devising ways of assessing objectively liquidity conditions in the markets. As an end to this objective, various central banks have started identifying the indicators of liquidity and preparing a composite index thereof in order to have a bird’s eye view of liquidity conditions across financial markets. In this study, a systemic liquidity index (SLI) is constructed considering prevailing rate variables across different financial markets in India. The SLI, so developed, is appropriately validated for its function as a metric for measuring systemic liquidity and its implications on the banks’ performance. Introduction “Unfortunately the word ‘liquidity’ has so many facets that is often counter-productive to use it without further and closer definition” - Charles Goodhart (Banque de France, 2008) The financial crisis of 2007-09 originated in the relatively small subprime lending market of the US, but engulfed the world financial markets very quickly and had devastating effect on the global economy. One of the important...
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...Pamphlet Series No. 53 Governance of the IMF Decision Making, Institutional Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability Leo Van Houtven INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND 2002 Pamphlet Series No. 53 Governance of the IMF Decision Making, Institutional Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability Leo Van Houtven INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND Washington, D.C. 2002 ISBN 1-58906-130-6 ISSN 0538-8759 August 2002 The views expressed in this pamphlet, including any legal aspects, are those of the author and should not be attributed to Executive Directors of the IMF or their national authorities. Cover design and typesetting: IMF Graphics Section Please send orders to: International Monetary Fund, Publication Services 700 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431, USA Tel.: (202) 623-7430 Telefax: (202) 623-7201 E-mail: publications@imf.org Internet: http://www.imf.org Contents Preface ............................................................................................... List of Abbreviations ........................................................................ I. II. Introduction ........................................................................... Quotas and Voting Power in the IMF: A System That Calls for Greater Equity ................................................... Role of Quotas and the Debate on the Quota Formula............ Further Work Toward Correcting Distortions and Enhancing Equity in Voting Power .....................
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