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The immoderate world economy

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  • Obstfeld, Maurice

Abstract

This paper explores the connection between the much-debated global current account imbalances of the past decade and the U.S. financial collapse. It argues that the connection is an intimate one, although nothing so simple as cause and effect. Instead, the imbalances were a primary symptom of forces that led directly to the financial crash. The paper goes on to examine lessons for reforming the global financial architecture. A major lesson is the need to take a systemic view of global financial stability - a view that analyzes the global economy much as one would analyze an integrated domestic economy.

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  • Obstfeld, Maurice, 2010. "The immoderate world economy," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 603-614, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:29:y:2010:i:4:p:603-614
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    Cited by:

    1. Anni Huang & Narayan Kundan Kishor, 2019. "The rise of dollar credit in emerging market economies and US monetary policy," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 530-551, February.
    2. Aizenman, Joshua & Hutchison, Michael M., 2012. "Exchange market pressure and absorption by international reserves: Emerging markets and fear of reserve loss during the 2008–2009 crisis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 1076-1091.
    3. Clovis Kerdrain & Isabell Koske & Isabelle Wanner, 2010. "The Impact of Structural Policies on Saving, Investment and Current Accounts," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 815, OECD Publishing.
    4. Clovis Kerdrain & Isabell Koske & Isabelle Wanner, 2011. "Current Account Imbalances: can Structural Reforms Help to Reduce Them?," OECD Journal: Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2011(1), pages 1-44.
    5. Òscar Jordà & Moritz Schularick & Alan M Taylor, 2011. "Financial Crises, Credit Booms, and External Imbalances: 140 Years of Lessons," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 59(2), pages 340-378, June.
    6. Joshua Aizenman & Michael M. Hutchison, 2012. "International Financial Markets and Transmission of the Crisis: Determinants of Exchange Market Pressure and Absorption by International Reserves," Chapters, in: Maurice Obstfeld & Dongchul Cho & Andrew Mason (ed.), Global Economic Crisis, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Joshua Aizenman & Michael M. Hutchison, 2010. "Exchange Market Pressure and Absorption by International Reserves: Emerging Markets and Fear of Reserve Loss During the 2008-09 Crisis," NBER Working Papers 16260, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Mulder, Christian & Perrelli, Roberto & Rocha, Manuel Duarte, 2012. "External vulnerability, balance sheet effects, and the institutional framework — Lessons from the Asian crisis," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 16-28.
    9. Ray C. Fair, 2011. "A World Macro Saving Fact and an Explanation," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1776, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Jun 2011.
    10. Ray C. Fair, 2014. "Wealth Effects on World Private Financial Saving," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1974, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    11. Benbouzid, Nadia & Mallick, Sushanta K. & Sousa, Ricardo M., 2017. "Do country-level financial structures explain bank-level CDS spreads?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 135-145.

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