This paper investigates how monetary policy can help to avoid the liquidity trap by studying the experience of Japan. First, I analyze how the Bank of Japan conducted interest rate policy over the 1990s as the economy entered a deflationary slump. I use a new method of estimating the policy rule...

This paper asks how well Okun's Law fits short-run unemployment movements in the United States since 1948 and in twenty advanced economies since 1980. We find that Okun's Law is a strong and stable relationship in most countries, one that did not change substantially during the Great Recession....

The electoral campaign of Argentina's new president Javier Milei has revived the debate over the pros and cons of dollarization. Critics argue that dollarizing would force Argentina to import the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, regardless of whether the Fed's policies are appropriate for...

This paper provides mathematically consistent calculations of the forward, backward, and total linkages in the Brazilian economy in 1975. Our results reveal, among other things, that: 1) high linkages cannot be exclusively associated with modern industrial sectors; 2) none of our linkage...

This paper reviews the challenges and experiences in rebuilding fiscal institutions in postconflict environments, based on advice from the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department to selected countries. The recommended strategy involved a three-step process of (i) creating a proper legal framework for...