An Economic Analysis Of Monetary Union

This book explores the new economics of monetary union. It carefully discusses the effects of shocks and policies on output and prices. Shocks and policies are country-specific or common. They occur on the demand or supply side. Countries can differ in behavioural functions. Wages can be fixed, flexible, or slow. In addition, fixed wages and flexible wages can coexist. Take for instance fixed wages in Germany and flexible wages in France. Or take fixed wages in Europe and flexible wages in America. A special feature of this book is the numerical estimation of shock and policy multipliers. Further topics are inflation and disinflation. Take for instance inflation in Germany and price stability in France. Then what policy is needed for disinflation in the union? And what will be the dynamic effects on Germany and France?

In this book, a historical analysis of the precedents of the euro is examined within the context of the current issues affecting the Eurozone and the long-term effects of the institutional changes implemented since 2010. The book begins by placing the Eurozone challenges in the historical context of previous monetary unions, drawing on the experience of the gold standard. It then specifically focuses on the problems arising from the running of permanent trade imbalances within the Eurozone. The authors explore the advantages and disadvantages of being a member of the Eurozone and attempt to measure the optimality of a currency area by the calculation of an index on internal macroeconomic asymmetries. They address the proposals recently made in favour of a fiscal union in the Euro zone; including the economic and political feasibility of fiscal transfers in the Eurozone. The final two papers discuss whether the monetary union is in fact more than just that, and whether it will lead inevitably to some form of political union if it is to survive. With chapters by leading experts from both Europe and the UK, this book will appeal to students in Economics, Finance, Politics, EU integration and European studies; as well as academics and professional economists doing research in EU integration, the Euro zone, monetary history and monetary and banking unions in Europe, the UK and elsewhere.

The first edition of this book was published in 1994, as the future of monetary unification in Europe was very much in doubt. With Economic and Monetary Union now in place, it is appropriate to bring the scholarship on the topic up to date for the students of international political economics. To this effect, essayists Jeffry Frieden, Geoffrey Garrett, Lisa L. Martin, Benjamin J. Cohen revised four of the original chapters to reflect new conditions. Editors, Barry Eichengreen and Frieden completely rewrote the introductory essay. Three new chapters by Matthew Gabel, Charles Engel, and Paul De Grauwe et al cover public support for EMU, local currency pricing, and whether Europe is now better off? The updated volume's purpose remains that of bringing the latest in scholarship in Economics and Political Science to bear on the European monetary integration

The European Community is negotiating a new Treaty to establish the constitutional foundations of an economic and monetary union in the course of the 1990s. Coming hard on the heels of the completion of the single market by 1992, economic and monetary union, including a new European Central Bank and the ecu as the single currency, will be the most important milestone in the construction of the new Europe since the Treaty of Rome of 1957. This study provides the only comprehensive guide to the economic implications of economic and monetary union. Being the work of economists inside the EC Commission, it also reflects the considerations influencing the design of the union. The study provides a unique bridge between the insights of modern economic analysis and the work of the policy-makers preparing for economic and monetary union.

The book develops a general framework for the macroeconomic modeling of monetary unions. The starting point of the analysis is the standard two-country Mundell-Fleming model with perfect capital mobility, extended to incorporate the supply side in a context of rigid real wages, and modified so that the money market is common for two countries forming a monetary union. The model is presented in two versions: for a small and a large monetary union, respectively. After solving each model, the authors derive multipliers for monetary, expenditure, supply, and external shocks, both in the short and the long run; a graphical analysis is also provided. Special attention is paid to the crucial distinction between symmetric and asymmetric shocks.

The creation of the European Central Bank and the Euro have brought new challenges to EU integration and economic policy. This book looks into issues of monetary and factor market policies. The analysis presents new theoretical and empirical research on the current decline of the Euro. Issues regarding exchange rate policies and international economic relations are also addressed.

An overview of the elements of both microeconomic and macroeconomic theory related to the analysis of the EU. Its analyses are based on new trade theory and new growth theory, and areas covered include economic integration, common market theory, and monetary integration theory.

This Revised Second Edition covers recent events in the EMS, including the collapse of the ERM; includes fully updated empirical evidence; includes discussion of new theoretical developments such as target zone models and credibility testing; and introduces the political issues surrounding the move to monetary union. This popular textbook on monetary integration has now been fully revised and updated with expanded chapters on recent important events in the EMS, new empirical evidence, and coverage of further theoretical developments. This lucid and authoritative view will remain an invaluable undergraduate textbook. Professor De Grauwe focuses on the economic theory of monetary union, presents the costs and benefits of moving to a single currency, and provides a detailed presentation of the monetary system operating in Europe. This second edition introduces the student to the political issues surrounding monetary union, and Professor De Grauwe offers a critical analysis of the possibility of eventual European transition to full monetary union.