Handbook of the international political economy of monetary relations

This extensive Handbook provides an in-depth exploration of the political economy dynamics associated with the international monetary and financial systems. Leading experts offer a fresh take on research into the interaction between system structure, the self-interest of private firms, the political institutions within which governments make policy, and the ideas that influence beliefs about appropriate policy responses. Crucially they also assess how these factors have shaped the political economy of various facets of monetary and financial systems. Organized into four comprehensive sections, the Handbook begins with a focus on the international system and explores how the distribution of power in the system shapes its structure and dynamics. The next section then considers the politics of exchange rate regime choice before analyzing current research on financial crises and financial regulation. Key questions are asked, such as: what drives financial crises and why do some economies suffer banking and currency crises while others do not? How does politics shape the central characteristics of the IMF's approach to crisis management? And how does change in the distribution of power in the international system change the structure of the global monetary and financial systems? The Handbook addresses these concerns and concludes with an examination of international governance, including the IMF and institutional reform in the post-crisis eurozone. This detailed Handbook brings together original contributions from some of the leading authorities in the field, making it an invaluable resource to academics and students of international relations, governance, and political economy.