Marcello De Cecco - Böcker

This volume, based on a conference held by the Italian Macroeconomic Policy Group and the centre for Economic Policy Research, examines the issues raised by European monetary unification. An introduction describes recent monetary developments and identifies the motivations for creating a European central bank. Theoretical papers analyse the interactions of capital controls, financial intermediation and seigniorage in open economies; the optimal design of centralized banks of issue by sovereign countries; and some new aspects of the 'optimal currency area' question. The empirical papers provide new evidence and interpretation of inflation experience across Europe and the attitudes of European central bankers about inflation and unemployment. The historical papers describe the experience of currency unification in Germany and Italy in the 19th century and the creation of the US Federal Reserve System. The volume concludes with a panel discussion on the feasibility of European monetary unification, featuring leading academics and central bankers.

This stimulating book addresses the relationship between market authority and political authority - a favourite theme of Susan Strange to whom the book is dedicated. From a survey of the bias against capital liberalisation in economic thought to an analysis of the US role in global monetary affairs, it discusses how and why free capital flows contribute to the instability of the global capitalist system. The internationally renowned contributors analyse the history and theory of international capital flows to make sense of contemporary global investments and what they mean for global polity and the economy. They argue over the challenges of integrating large developing countries into a liberal world order and the consequences of the multilateral system for the world's poor. In further discussions they investigate the sustainability of global capitalism in light of financial crises, widespread inequality and the uncertain future for traditional welfare states. They also advance various mechanisms through which they believe greater stability and equity could be introduced into the global financial system and the world economy. Implicit in these arguments is the shared belief that tensions between visions of a rule-based, liberal world and concepts of a more equitable distribution of resources drive most of the major conflicts in the global economy.Investigating the economic, political and social drawbacks of volatile global finance, and the human choices required to introduce stability, equity and a sense of purpose to the world economy, Markets and Authorities will be an invaluable addition to the fields of economics, political science, political economy and international business.