Developments in the Political Economy of Policy Coordination

Issues of macroeconomic and exchange rate policy coordination have cycled in and out of the forefront of international policy discussions a number of times over the last several decades, yet little systematic progress has been made in institutionalizing this process and both the potential benefits and costs of cordination strategies remain highly controversial. This essay reviews the recent technical and political economy literature on this subject, highlighting the major areas of consesus and disagreement. It emphasizes the importance of taking uncertainty and political economy considerations into account.