Course Homepage for

Topics in International Monetary and Financial Policy
The Graduate Institute of International Studies

Summer semester 2006

Signe Krogstrup
Office R6
Rigot, 11A, Avenue de la Paix
Office Hours: Tuesdays 10-12

General Topics
Topic1: US Current Account
Topic2: China's Exchange Rate Policy
Topic3: EU Fiscal Rules
Topic4: Policy Coordination
References

Course Description:
The course covers theoretical and policy issues concerning current global current account and fiscal imbalances of the main players in the world economy: the US, the EU and Emerging Asia. Four topics are treated in more detail: The theory and empirics of current account determination and the link to current global imbalances and exchange rates, with a special view to the US current account deficit; Currency arrangements and currency reform in Emerging Asian countries; The large and persistent budget deficits of EU countries and fiscal rules and institutions to mitigate these; and finally, a wrap up of the current global macroeconomic situation and international policy coordination as a means to unwind imbalances. The course is designed for DEA students specializing in economics, and open to 4th year License students with a good working knowledge of international macroeconomics and political economy.

Time and Place:
Thursdays 16:15 in R3, Rigot

Grading
Each student will give a presentation of one of the papers under the topic headings above, and act as a discussant during the course. The grade for the course will be based on three factors: Presentation (50%), Discussant (25%), participation in class (25%)

Readings
Readings will be mainly based on articles which are available online. Links are listed below. The few articles which cannot be downloaded will be handed out in class. A master copy of the readings are available for loan in case anyone prefers to make photocopies. Note that there will not be a polycopie for this class.

Dates for sessions and tentative schedule for student presentations and discussions
16/3: Introduction
23/3: Rescheduled to Friday 24th March, 10:15, R2
30/3: Rescheduled to Wednesday 5th April, 10:15, R3

6/4: Presentation by Ursula Hermelink of Mussa (2005). Discussant: Gauri Khanna

13/4: Presentation by Nicolas Jaquier of Croke and coauthors (2005). Discussant: Sergio Sola.

20/4: No class (Easter vacation)

27/4: Presentation by Sergio Sola of Gourinchas and Rey (2005). Discussant: MD. Mohsin. Presentation Lane and Milesi-Ferretti (2005).

4/5: Presentation by Eric Ogutu of Hausman and Sturzenegger (2005/6). Discussant: Torsten Schulz. Lecture: Genberg and coauthors (2005), chapters 2 and 3

11/5: Presentation of Goldstein (2004/5). Presentation by Ronald Hagger of Prasad, Rumbaugh and Wang (2005). Discussant: Nicolas Jaquier

18/5: Mckinnon and Schabl (2003). Dooley and Coauthors (2003, 2005)

25/5: No class (Official Holiday: Ascension).

1/6: Presentation of Williamson (2001) by Torsten Schulz. Discussant: Ronald Hagger. Lecture: Genberg (2006).

8/6: EMU, the deficit bias: theory and stylized facts.

15/6: NB!: This class is rescheduled to Monday 19/6, at 10:15.
Presentation of Eichengreen and Wyplosz (1998). Presentation by MD Mohsin of Buiter and Siebert (2005). Discussant: Eric Ogutu.

22/6: Presentation of Blanchard and Giavazzi (2004). Discussant: Ursula Hermelink. Lecture: Wyplosz (2002).

 

 

Outline and syllabus
Papers marked with an asterisk are intended for student presentations)

Introductory Lectures: Underlying Theoretical Framework and Stylized Facts on the Global Economy (3-4 Sessions)
Do handouts and make the students use the theoretical framework in their presentations and discussions.

1. Theory:
A . Balance of Payments Accounts, identities, budget constraints, and relations between the key variables.
Overview of BoP Accounts; Definition of the net foreign asset ratio; Changes to the value of net foreign assets due to exchange rate changes (trade balance and valuation effects); Sustainability of Net Foreign Assets (debt sustainability)
Lecture notes linked here. Students should be familiar with Burda and Wyplosz chapters 2 and 3.

B. Current Account Determination 1: The Elasticities and the Absorption approaches. Based on lecture notes.

C. Current Account Determination 2: The Mundel Flemming Model
-The effect of fiscal policy on the current account balance
-The root cause of a CA deficit and implications for CA adjustment and the exchange rate
-Fixed exchange rates and sterilization of capital inflows.
Lecture notes linked here (graphs missing here, but handed out in class)

D. Current Account Determination 3: The Intertemporal Approach to the Current Account. The Stages of Current Account and Why current account deficits are not necessarily bad.
Lecture notes on the intertemporal approach here, and graphs here. The class is based on Obsfeld and Rogoff, International Macroeconomics, Chapters 1 and 2.

2. Stylized Facts:
Current account, investment position (gross and net foreign asset holdings), exchange rate developments, fiscal developments etc. in history for the US, China and other countries.
Readings: First section of Obstfeld and Rogoff (2005) and lecture notes or handout.

Topic 1. Current Account Determination and the US Current Account Deficit (3-4 sessions)

Topics:

1. Current account adjustment and the exchange rate: How large a depreciation of the USD is needed?

Theory:
-*Mussa (2005) (copies can be picked up outside my office, or had in class on Wednesday 5th April)
- Obstfeld and Rogoff (2005)
- Blanchard, Giavazzi and Sa (2005)

Empirics:
-*Croke, Kamin and Leduc (2005)
-Freund (2000) (http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ifdp/2000/692/ifdp692.pdf)
-Freund and Warnock (2005) (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w11823.pdf)
-Edwards (2005) (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w11669.pdf)

2. Current account adjustment and financial adjustment channel: Valuation effects and the “exorbitant privilege” as explanations for the developments in the US CA in recent years, and implications for the future

-*Gourinchas and Rey (2005b)
-*Lane and Milesi-Ferretti, (2005), sections I-III.

-Tille (2003) (http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/current_issues/ci9-1.pdf). A note on valuation effects on the US external asset position
-De Gregorio (2005): discussion of Gourinchas and Rey, 2005b. (http://www.nber.org/books/curracct/degregorio9-22-05comment.pdf)
-Gourinchas and Rey (2005a) (http://www.princeton.edu/%7Ehrey/ifa_2005.pdf) on valuation effects on the US current account and external position
-Tille (2005a) (http://www.ny.frb.org/research/current_issues/ci11-12.pdf) A note on the effect of the exorbitant privilege on the US current account and implications for future US current account developments
-Tille (2005b) (http://www.ny.frb.org/research/staff_reports/sr237.pdf) on how in theory, valuation effects might substantially smooth the adjustment of the US current account

3. What External Imbalances? Unmeasured Exports of US knowledge as an explanation for the US current ccount developments in recent years, and implications for the future

-*Hausman and Sturzenegger, 2005, 2006, (non-technical 05 version; and technical 06 version)

-A critical voice: “Here is what’s the matter with Dark Matter”, By Higgins, Klitgaard and Tille, Jan 06.

Another “what imbalances?” view by Richard Cooper (www.ucd.ie/economic/staff/bwalsh/Cooper%20on%20deficit.doc)

Some background and complementary readings on the sustainability of the US external position: Roubini and Setser (2004) (http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/%7Enroubini/papers/Roubini-Setser-US-External-Imbalances.pdf)
Roubini (2005) (http://www.rgemonitor.com/blog/roubini/91200/)


Topic 2. Currency arrangements and reform in Emerging Asian countries, with a focus on China (3-4 sessions)

1. Overview of Currency Arrangements and Central Bank Asset Accumulation in East Asia.
-*Genberg and coauthors (2005), Chapter 2 and 3. (handout)
Premium sample from rgemonitor on China's reserve accumulation

2. Proponents of a RMB revaluation in the short term:

-*Morris Goldstein (2004, 2005)

-*Prasad, Rumbaugh and Wang (2005)

Related: Menzie Chinn's blog on "Is the Rmb undervalued?"

3. Arguments against an eminent RMB revaluation:
-*Mckinnon and Schnabl (2003)
Related McKinnon writings:
(http://www.stanford.edu/~mckinnon/briefs/WSJopedrev.pdf)
(http://www.stanford.edu/~mckinnon/papers/Weekly_Economist_Oct_2005.pdf)

-*Dooley and coauthors (2003, 2005)
Related:
-Kuijs and Wang (2006) on China's growth pattern
-Dani Rodrik on "What's so special about China's exports?
-Roubini and Setser (2005)

4. Options for Future Currency Arrangements in East Asia:

-*Williamson (2001) on the BBC
-*Genberg (2006) on sequencing of reforms

Background and complementary reading on exchange rate regimes:
-Genberg and Coauthors (2005), chapter 5. (handout)
-Background on creating a regional currency arragement in East Asia
-Frankel (2003)
-A followup from Williamson on future Asian currency arrangements
-Research supporting the Williamson proposal
-McKinnon on future Asian currency arrangements

Related and background readings:
- Cheung, Menzie and Jujii, 2005 give an overview of different mehods to assess the valuation of the Renminbi.
- Funke and Rahn (2005) similarly estimate the equilibrium value of the Renminbi.
- Roubini and Setzer 2004 and 2005
- On Monetary Policy in China.


Topic 3. Fiscal rules and the EMU’s Growth and Stability Pact (3-4 sessions)

1. Background
1. Stylized Facts on Debts and Deficits in EU countries.
Public Debts and Deficits are Unprecedented in History.
Readings: This session will be based on lecture notes.

2. Causes of the Deficit Bias
Normative models (Barro tax smoothing, Keynesian countercyclical policy), Political economy models (Common pool, time inconsistency of preferences), other? Based on lecture Notes and Slides

2. SGP and Alternatives
-*Eichengreen and Wyplosz (1998): The design of the SGP and why (if) we need it (). Lecture notes Here.
Related: Wyplosz (2006), Section 3.
Info on the March 2005 reform of the Stability and Growth Pact. Here is a related article. And here is a press release from the Commission on the reforms.

-*Buiter and Siebert (2005) on why market disciplining does not work in the EMU

-*Blanchard and Giavazzi (2004) on the golden rule

-*Wyplosz (2002) in national fiscal councils


Topic 4. Policy Coordination and Global Imbalances (1-2 sessions)
1. Why is policy coordination desirable?
The theory of policy coordination, externalities and the prisoner’s dilemma. Readings: Meyer and others (2002) (http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ifdp/2002/723/ifdp723.pdf)

2. International policy coordination in the current global macroeconomic climate.
- *Genberg and Coauthors, 2005, Chapter 4: (not available online, will be handed out in class)
- *Roubini and Setser (2004)
- William Cline: The case for a new Plaza Accord. IIE Policy Brief December 2005

Related readings:
-Article from The Economist on coordination, April 2006


Related: Interview with Professor Alexandre Swoboda on global imbalances in "Central Banking" last year.

References, further reading and background literature

· Blanchard, Olivier, Francesco Giavazzi and Filipa Sa, 2005, The U.S. Current Account and the Dollar, NBER Working Paper No. 11137 (http://www.nber.org/papers/W11137)
· Blanchard, Olivier and Francesco Giavazzi, 2004, Improving the Stability and Growth Pact Through Proper Accounting of Public Investment, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 4220 (http://www.cepr.org/pubs/new-dps/dplist.asp?dpno=4220&action.x=8&action.y=6&action=ShowDP)
· Burda and Wyplosz, Macroeconomics, a European Text, Second Edition. Textbook.
· Buiter, William and Anne Siebert, 2005, How the Eurosystem's Treatment of Collateral in its Open Market Operations Weakens Fiscal Discipline in the Eurozone (and what to do about it), CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5387 (http://www.cepr.org/pubs/new-dps/dplist.asp?dpno=5387&action.x=12&action.y=6&action=ShowDP)
· Cheung, Yin-Wang, Menzie Chin and Eiji Fujii, 2005, Why the Renminbi Might be Undervalued (But Probably Isn’t), Paper presented to conference on External Imbalances and Adjustment in the Asia Pacific Region, Federal Reserve Bank of San Fransisco, September 22-23.
· Croke, Hilary, Steven B. Kamin and Sylvain Leduc, 2005, Financial Market Developments and Economic Activity during Current Account Adjustments in Industrial Economies, International Financial Discussion Papers No. 827 (http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ifdp/2005/827/ifdp827.pdf)
· De Gregorio, Jose, 2005, Global Imbalances and Exchange rate Adjustment, Comment on Gourinchas and Rey (2005b), presented at NBER conference on G7 Current Account Imbalances: Sustainability and Adjustment, June 1-2, 2005. (http://www.nber.org/books/curracct/degregorio9-22-05comment.pdf)
· Dooley, Michael P., Folkerts-Landau, David and Garber, Peter, 2003, An Essay on the Revived Bretton Woods System, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, NBER Working Paper 9971 (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w9971.pdf)
· Dooley, Michael P., Folkerts-Landau, David and Garber, Peter, 2004, The Revived Bretton Woods System: The Effect of Periphery Intervention and Reserve Management on Interest Rates and Exchange Rates in Center Countries, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, NBER Working Papers: 10332 (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w10332.pdf)
· Dooley, Michael P., Folkerts-Landau, David and Garber, Peter, 2005, Direct Investment, Rising Real Wages and the Absorption of Excess Labor in the Periphery. NBER Working Paper 10626 (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w10626.pdf)
· Edwards, Sebastian, 2005, The End of Large Current Account Deficits, 1970-2002: Are There Lessons for the Unites States? NBER Working Paper 11669 (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w11669.pdf)
· Eichengreen, B. and C. Wyplosz, 1998, The Stability and Growth Pact: More than a minor nuisance? Economic Policy (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1468-0327.00029)
· Frankel, Jeffrey A., 2003, Experiences of, and Lessons from, Exchange Rate Regimes in Emerging Economies, NBER Working Paper No. 10032 (http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN022208.pdf)
· Freund, Caroline, 2000, Current Account Adjustment in Industrialized Countries, International Finance Discussion Paper no. 692, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. (http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ifdp/2000/692/ifdp692.pdf)
· Freund, Caroline, and Warnock, 2005, Current Account Deficits in Industrial Countries: The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall? NBER Working Paper 11823 (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w11823.pdf)
· Funke, Michael and Jorg Rahn, 2005, Just how undervalued is the Chinese Renminbi? The World Economy 28(4). (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-9701.2005.00688.x)
· Genberg, Hans, 2006, Exchange Rate Arrangements and Financial Integration in East Asia: On a Collision Course? Mimeo, HKMA
· Genberg, Hans, Robert McCauley, Yong Chul Park and Avinash Persaud, 2005, Official Reserves and Currency Management in Asia: Myth, Reality and the Future, Geneva Reports on the World Economy 7, ICMB and CEPR
· Goldstein, Morris, 2005, Renminbi Controversies, Paper Prepared for the Conference on Monetary Institutions and Economic Development, Cato Institute, November 3. Washington DC. (http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/goldstein1205.pdf)
· Goldstein, Morris, 2004, Adjusting China’s Exchange Rate Policies, paper presented at the IMF’s seminar on China’s Foreign Exchange System, Dalian, China, May 26-27, 2004 (http://www.iie.com/publications/wp/wp04-1.pdf)
· Gourinchas, Pierre-Olivier and Hélène Rey, 2005a, International Financial Adjustment. Working Paper, University of Princeton. (http://www.princeton.edu/%7Ehrey/ifa_2005.pdf)
· Gourinchas, Pierre-Olivier and Hélène Rey, 2005b, From World Banker to World Venture Capitalist: The US External Adjustment and The Exorbitant Privilege, Working Paper, University of Princeton. (http://www.princeton.edu/~hrey/exorbprivilegedec05.pdf)
· Hausmann, Ricardo and Federico Sturzenegger, 2006, Global Imbalances or Bad Accounting? The Missing Dark Matter in the Wealth of Nations, CID Working Paper 124, Harvard University (http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidwp/pdf/124.pdf)
· Lane, Philip and GianMaria Milesi-Ferretti, 2005, A Global Perspective on External Positions, NBER Working Papers 11589 (http://www.nber.org/papers/w11589.pdf)
· Mckinnon, Ronarld and Gunther Schnabl, 2003, China: A Stabilizing of Deflationary Influence in East Asia? The Problem of Conflicted Virtue. Mimeo (http://www.stanford.edu/~mckinnon/papers/China.pdf)
· McKinnon, Ronald, 2003, China’s exchange rate, Asian Wallstreet Journal, 27th June. (http://www.stanford.edu/~mckinnon/briefs/WSJopedrev.pdf)
· Meyer, Laurence H., Brian M. Doyle, Joseph E. Gagnon and Dale W. Henderson, 2002, International Coordination of Macroeconomic Policies: Still Alive in the New Millenium? International Finance Discussion Papers no. 723. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. (http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ifdp/2002/723/ifdp723.pdf)
· Mundel, Robert, 2003, Globalization and the RMB Exchange Rate, presentation made at the Renmin University of China, Beijing, October 31.
· Mussa, Michael, 2005, Exchange Rate Adjustment Needed to Reduce Global Payments Imbalances. In Bergsten (ed.) Dollar Adjustment: How Far? Against What? Institute for International Economics, Washington D.C.
· Obstfeld, M. and K. Rogoff, 2004, The Unsustainable US Current Account Position Revisited, NBER Working Paper no. 10869 (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w10869.pdf)
· Prasad, Eswar, Thomas Rumbaugh and Quing Wang, 2005, Putting the Cart Before the Horses? Capital Account Liberalization and Exchange Rate Flexibility in China, IMF Policy Discussion Paper 05/1 (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=17967.0)
· Roubini, Nouriel, 2005, A Contemporary Rasmonian Tale with Five Interpretations. Blog posted 1 May 2005 on Roubini Global (http://www.rgemonitor.com/blog/roubini/91200/).
· Roubini, Nouriel and Brad Setser, 2004, The US as a Net Debter: The Sustainability of the US External Imbalances. (http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/%7Enroubini/papers/Roubini-Setser-US-External-Imbalances.pdf)
· Roubini, Nouriel and Brad Setser, 2005, Will the Bretton Woods 2 Regime Unravel Soon? The Risk of a Hard Landing in 2005-2006. Mimeo, Stern School of Business, New York University (http://www.frbsf.org/economics/conferences/0502/Roubini.pdf)
· Tille, Cédric, 2003, The Impact of Exchange Rate Movements on U.S. Foreign Debt, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Current Issues in Economics and Finance, vol. 9, number 1, January 2003 (http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/current_issues/ci9-1.pdf)
· Tille, Cédric, 2005, The Income Implications of Rising U.S. International Liabilities, With Matthew Higgins and Thomas Klitgaard, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Current Issues in Economics and Finance, vol. 11, number 12, December 2005 (http://www.ny.frb.org/research/current_issues/ci11-12.pdf)
· Tille, Cédric, 2005b, Financial Integration and the Wealth Effect of Exchange Rate Fluctuations, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Report 226, October 2005 (http://www.ny.frb.org/research/staff_reports/sr237.pdf)
· Williamson, J., 2001, The Case for a Basket, Band and Crawl (BBC) Regime for East Asia, in Future Direction for Monetary Policy in East Asia, edited by Collignon, Pisany-Ferry and Park, London: Routledge (http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Conferences/2001/williamson.pdf)
· Wyplosz, Charles, 2006, European Monetary Union: The Dark Sides of a Major Success. Forthcoming, European Policy, April. (http://hei.unige.ch/~wyplosz/emu_EP.pdf)
· Wyplosz, Charles, 2002, Fiscal Policy: Institutions vs. Rules, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 3238 (http://www.cepr.org/pubs/new-dps/dplist.asp?dpno=3238&action.x=11&action.y=11&action=ShowDP)