Economics of the International Financial System offers an illuminating, engaging and lucid account of the working of 21st-century global political economy. From a macroeconomic perspective, it explores how major capitalist economies are closely integrated with each other in that none can remain unaffected by economic events around the globe. The book is one of the first in its genre to examine: the origin and relevance of international money as a concept and phenomenon; the structure of various money markets; the nature and functioning of major international financial institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD); and the dynamics of the new world financial system that emerged after the demise of Bretton Woods system. This will form an essential reading for students and scholars of international monetary economics, international corporate finance, researchers, policymakers, bankers and financial executives.

China has experienced a remarkable transformation since the 1990s. It now boasts the second-largest — some would argue the largest — economy in the world, having evolved from a closed economy into the leading goods-trading nation. China’s economic rise has given it increasing prominence in international monetary and financial governance, but it also exposes China to new risks associated with its integration into the global financial system. Drawing insights from economics and political science, Enter the Dragon: China in the International Financial System takes a broad conceptual approach and tackles the questions that accompany China’s ascendance in international finance: What are the motivations and consequences of China’s effort to internationalize the renminbi? What is the political logic underlying China’s foreign financial policy? What forces have shaped China’s preferences and capacities in global financial governance? Enter the Dragon contributes to the ongoing debate over China’s political interests, its agenda for economic and financial cooperation, and the domestic and international implications of its economic rise. Bringing together experts from both inside and outside of China, this volume argues that China’s rise in the international financial system is a highly complex and political process, and can only be understood by incorporating analysis of domestic and international political economy.

Economic globalization has given rise to frequent and severe financial crises in emerging market economies. Other countries are also unsuccessful in their efforts to generate economic growth and reduce poverty. This book provides perspectives on various aspects of the international financial system that contribute to financial crises and growth failures, and discusses the remedies that economists have proposed for addressing the underlying problems. It also sheds light on a central feature of the international financial system that remains mysterious to many economists and most non-economists: the activities of the International Monetary Fund and the factors that influence its effectiveness. Dr Isard offers policy perspectives on what countries can do to reduce their vulnerabilities to financial crises and growth failures, and a number of general directions for systemic reform. The breadth of the agenda provides grounds for optimism that the international financial system can be strengthened considerably without revolutionary change.

Since the recent international crises, the role and significance of international financial institutions (IFI) have been challenged. Some have argued that global financial institutions are inadequate and inefficient in performing their missions, and may be replaced by modern institutions with inclusive governance and a goal-focused approach. International Financial Institutions and Their Challenges analyzes the claimed purposes of IFIs and their failures, and proposes solutions for the future. This comprehensive account is the first book of its kind to give readers an exhaustive overview of key IFI's from the International Monetary Fund to the Islamic Development Bank. By encouraging readers to think outside the box, Lessambo enhances the current and future debates on IFIs. The book brings readers to the real challenges of international finance, and appeals to scholars in economics, finance, international studies, government studies, law, and political science, as well as professionals in finance, development experts, and employees at NGOs.

This book aims to explore stability in an international financial system using disequilibrium theory. It examines historical cases of both instability and stability and reviews price-disequilibrium theory to construct a theoretical model for a stable international financial system. In the modern knowledge economy in a global world, financial socio-technical systems still continue to be central to global commerce. Moreover, technological advances in computer and communications have changed both the knowledge economy and the financial system. While globalization and technology have made international finance more powerful and important to knowledge economies, they have also increased the volatility, instability, and fraudulent use of international finance. The international world has not experienced a long-term, stable financial system after 1913. International financial systems have been periodically unstable, triggering financial crises and resultant economic depressions in different nations. Yet the global economy cannot develop properly without a stable international system, which distributes wealth to economically productive activities. How then can a stable and modern international-financial-system be constructed? In this provocative volume, the authors applies the cross-disciplinary analysis of societal dynamics to important economic writers to derive a new approach to the problem of stabilizing international financial systems.

The paper argues that the design of the international financial system should take into consideration three problems: financial market instability; basic macroeconomic and financial asymmetries which characterise the international economy; and the additional problems generated by the current globalization process. A distinction is drawn between systemic issues, and centre-periphery issues. Based on this distinction, the paper proposed a broad agenda which relates both to the organisational structure of international financial institutions, and the services provided by them.

New Institutional Arrangements for the World Economy Hans-Jiirgen Vosgerau, Konstanz I. The Problem During the first days of July 1987 the newly established Sonderforschungs bereich 178 "Internationalisierung der Wirtschaft" held its first symposium in Konstanz/Bodensee. "New Institutional Arrangements for the World Economy" were discussed by a group of economists and lawyers working in the fields of interna tional trade, international monetary economics, international finance, international public choice, and international economic law. Cooperation between these areas of research is an important condition for attaining the long-term aim of the Sonderforschungsbereich, viz. analysis of the complex interdependencies between international economic transactions of various kinds and international economy related institutions in a broad sense. The nature of these interdependencies seems to be crucial for the world economy's further development. A better understanding of their characteristics will be helpful for the solution of most imminent international economic problems. Four problem areas were especially addressed during the conference, each con sisting of three or four contributions. The revised papers are presented in this volume, each followed by a comment of the invited discussant, or by a summary of the discussion. The last contribution is meant as a summary conclusion and has no comment. The four problem areas discussed were: (1) Exchange rate stabilization and econ omic policy coordination, (2) International financial markets and their regulation, (3) Protectionism and the Uruguay GAIT-round, and (4) The institutional frame work for international production.

International Finance and Open-Economy Macroeconomics provides a complete theoretical, historical, and policy-focused account of the international financial system that covers all of the standard topics, such as foreign exchange markets, balance of payments accounting, macroeconomic policy in an open economy, exchange rate crises, multinational enterprises, and international financial markets. The book uses the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference as a unifying theme to relate the many controversial issue. It is written in a lively manner to bring real world events into the discussion of all of the concepts, topics, and policy issues. There is also emphasis on the history of economic thought in order to explain how economists in different time periods dealt with international financial issues.

This text examines the actions that governments have taken to cope with the economic and political consequences associated with the globalization of international finance. Topics covered include the Third World debt crisis and the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, BCCI.