The International Reserves Issue in the EMU

This paper examines the effects of the Economic and Monetary Union on demand for foreign reserves. The traditional theory on demand for international reserves assigns a pivotal role to imports. However, in a currency union part of imports are settled in the common currency, leaving no incentive for keeping foreign reserves. Moreover, the pooling of the demand for reserves in the currency union and an increasing role of a currency as an international reserve currency may also influence, among other things, the union demand for reserves. Based on estimated demand functions for reserves it is shown that the Economic and Monetary Union has reduced the demand for reserves substantially. It is argued that an enlargement with new member countries of the European Union will result in further savings of reserves. A simple calculation at the end of the paper illustrates the welfare gain associated with the reduced need of reserves in the Economic and Monetary Union.     

Regression Models with Variables of Different Frequencies: The Case of a Fixed Frequency Ratio*

An increasing variety of data frequencies available in economics, finance, etc. gives rise to a question how to build and estimate a regression model with variables observed at different frequencies. In a unifying framework of (m,d)‐aggregation we consider various approaches by discussing some potential and limitations. A Monte Carlo experiment and an empirical example illustrate that the traditional fixed aggregation approach, widely used in applied economics, might be inconsistent with data and highly inferior in terms of model precision.     

Determinants of institutional quality: an empirical exploration

ABSTRACT

Recent literature has underlined the role that institutions play in the process of development, making it essential to understand why differences exist in the quality of institutions across countries. The goal of this study is to investigate the determinants of institutional quality. Our results confirm that institutional quality is conditioned by variables that can be modulated by public policy, such as income per capita, international openness, education, taxation, and patterns of income (re)distribution. Our conclusions differ from the pessimistic outlooks of works highlighting deterministic factors, such as colonial or geographical factors, as determinants of institutional quality.