In May 2004 the European Union will undergo the largest expansion in its history when ten countries--Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia--become members. The number of new members and their diversity make this "big bang"...

After experiencing spectacular economic growth and industrial development for much of the postwar era, Japan plunged abruptly into recession in the early 1990s and since then has suffered a prolonged period of economic stagnation, from which it is only now emerging. Japan's malaise, marked by...

Intro -- CESifo Seminar Series -- Contents -- Contributors -- Series Foreword -- Preface -- 1 Introduction -- I China's Exchange Rate Policy -- 2 United States, China, and the Rebalancing Debate: Misalignment, Elasticities, and the Saving-Investment Balance -- 3 The Role of the Chinese Dollar...

The process of monetary integration in Europe began amid widespread skepticism among economists about the project. But today the success of the euro has prompted a reconsideration of whether monetary unions should be implemented elsewhere. This CESifo volume assesses contemporary theoretical and...