The number of central banks in the world is approaching 180, a tenfold increase since the beginning of the twentieth century. What lies behind the spread of this economic institution? What underlying process has brought central banks to hold such a key role in economic life today? This book...

The main challenges the European Single Market is facing in the 21st century result from the enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe, the EMU, and the globalization of trade and investment that has aided the rise of competitive emerging markets. This state-of-the-art book provides fresh...