Theory and practice of monetary policy have changed significantly over the past three decades. A very important part of today's monetary policy is management of the expectations of private market participants. Publishing and justifying the central bank's best forecast of inflation, output, and...

We document an increase in the scoring probability from penalties in soccer, which separates the time period before 1974 significantly from that after 1976: the scoring probability increased by 11%.We explain this finding by arguing that the institution of penalty-shooting before 1974 is best...

Theory and practice of monetary policy have changed significantly over the past three decades. A very important part of today's monetary policy is management of the expectations of private market participants. Publishing and justifying the central bank's best forecast of inflation, output, and...

The rhythm of financial development in south-eastern Europe has accelerated. In a setting of low inflation and robust growth, domestic credit and cross-border flows are expanding. This process can strengthen real convergence by supporting productivity gains that enhance competitiveness and a...

This paper looks at the different paradigms of decentralization for drinking water supply in the Philippines and its effectiveness in poverty alleviation. As centralization and decentralization are not definitive concepts but defining features, there are bound to be different pathways to...

Marine protected areas have been advocated as a useful tool in fisheries management. However, as protected areas they are a ‘blunt’ tool to manage fishery operations; in the sense that they do not alter the incentives of individual fishers, the outcomes from protected area creation are...