Credit rating agencies have drawn criticism for failing to anticipate and deter root causes of the 2008-2009 financial crisis in the United States. However, this paper presents evidence that credit rating agencies regularly anticipate and deter governments in emerging democracies from...

The authors build on the findings from an earlier analysis, adding to the evidence base for the notion that credit rating agencies contribute to fiscal sustainability. To do so, the authors focus on election periods when political pressures for fiscal expansions are heightened. The literature on...

Credit rating agencies have drawn criticism for failing to anticipate and deter root causes of the 2008-2009 financial crisis in the United States. However, this paper presents evidence that credit rating agencies regularly anticipate and deter governments in emerging democracies from...

Credit rating agencies have drawn criticism for failing to anticipate and deter root causes of the 2008-2009 financial crisis in the United States. However, this paper presents evidence that credit rating agencies regularly anticipate and deter governments in emerging democracies from...

Since the global financial crisis and the end of the commodity super-cycle, weak growth and countercyclical fiscal policy have contributed to deteriorating public finances in many countries across the globe. As public debt burdens rose, credit ratings deteriorated and a number of countries have...

Since the global financial crisis and the end of the commodity super-cycle, weak growth and countercyclical fiscal policy have contributed to deteriorating public finances in many countries across the globe. As public debt burdens rose, credit ratings deteriorated and a number of countries have...

Rating agencies play a pivotal role in international credit transactions. Their sovereign risk-assessments are largely thought to reflect objective evaluations of the creditworthiness of potential borrowers. We test this assumption by examining the role that competitive positioning and dynamics...