The expert contributors compare the recent crisis with earlier crises, explore international aspects of the crisis from the perspectives of financial markets and trade, and examine macroeconomic policy responses. In so doing, they address important questions including: How did this crisis differ from those suffered previously? How and why did flaws in financial markets contribute to the crisis? How important were global imbalances and global overheating in explaining the global meltdown? Did different pre-crisis fundamentals generate different post-crisis performances? And, how severe were...

How should a country implement inflation-forecast targeting for monetary policy? This book explores the basic principles and practices. A central theme is that managing expectations is essential for achieving the inflation target and for effectively managing short-term policy trade-offs. The book outlines efficient operational procedures, central bank communications, financial stability issues, and the importance of incorporating financial conditions in inflation-forcast targeting. It also reviews the experiences of Canada, the Czech Republic, India and the United States. The analysis argues...