Keynes, the IMF, and the Future
By Gita Bhatt
If Lord Keynes, who helped usher in the post–World War II economic order at the Bretton Woods conference, visited the IMF today, he would be astonished at the institution’s evolution. (more…)
Designing Labor Policies to Foster Inclusive Growth in Emerging Markets
By Romain Duval and Prakash Loungani
Emerging market economies have enjoyed good growth in recent decades but are still far from closing gaps in living standards with advanced economies. (more…)
A Review of IMF-Supported Lending Programs
By Petya Koeva Brooks, Martin Mühleisen, and Chad Steinberg
The IMF’s Review of Program Design and Conditionality provides a deep look into the design of 133 IMF-supported lending programs in operation between September 2011 and December 2017. (more…)
Bank Profitability: Consider the Source
By Udaibir S. Das, Kun Hu, and TengTeng Xu
The global financial crisis of 2007–2009 and the ensuing period of low interest rates have renewed interest among policy makers in the relationship between bank profitability and financial stability. (more…)
Financing for Sustainable Development: Tackling Big Challenges
By Chris Lane
Without adequate financing, the best intentions of the global community expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will remain beyond reach.
The IMF 30 Years After Brady
By Rhoda Weeks-Brown and Martin Mühleisen
Last month marked the 30th anniversary of the announcement of the “Brady plan”. In response to the 1980s Latin American debt crisis, this plan, named after then US Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady, allowed countries to exchange their commercial bank loans for bonds backed by US Treasuries, bringing an end to a tumultuous period with possible systemic consequences for the global banking system at the time. (more…)
Tackling Corruption in Government
By Vitor Gaspar, Paolo Mauro and Paulo Medas
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
No country is immune to corruption. The abuse of public office for private gain erodes people’s trust in government and institutions, makes public policies less effective and fair, and siphons taxpayers’ money away from schools, roads, and hospitals. (more…)
Assessing the Risk of the Next Housing Bust
By Claudio Raddatz and Nico Valckx
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
There’s good news for people living in Las Vegas, Miami and Phoenix: the risk of a housing bust like the one they endured during the global financial crisis is fairly small. (more…)
Economic Forces, Not Tariffs, Drive Changes in Trade Balances
By Johannes Eugster, Florence Jaumotte, Margaux MacDonald, and Roberto Piazza
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
New IMF research finds that macroeconomic factors, not tariffs, explain most of the changes in trade balances between two countries. (more…)