Securing Stability and Growth in a Shock Prone Region: The Policy Challenge for Latin America

What are the reasons for the costs of Latin America's volatility? Because there is no consensus on these fundamental questions, there is no consensus on the appropriate policy response to macroeconomic volatility in Latin America, and other shock-prone countries. This paper provides new evidence on these contentious issues, and discusses policy implications for the region. Paper prepared for the IDB/OECD conference on "Securing Stability and Growth in Latin America: Policy Issues and Prospects for Shock-Prone Economies", Paris, November 9-10, 1995.