Agency and communicaton in IMF conditional lending: Theory and empirical evidence

theory and empirical evidence


Loading...

Date

2009-02

Publication Type

Working Paper

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

Altmetric

Data

Abstract

We focus on the role that the transmission of information between a multilateral (the IMF) and a country has for the optimal design of conditional reforms. Our model predicts that when agency problems are especially severe, and/or IMF information is valuable, a centralized control is indeed optimal. To the contrary, when local knowledge is more important than the agency bias we expect delegation to dominate. Controlling for economic and political factors, our empirical tests show that the number of IMF conditions is lower in countries with a greater social complexity, while it increases with the bias of the countries’ authorities, openness, and transparency, consistently with the theory.

Publication status

published

External links

Editor

Book title

Volume

218

Pages / Article No.

Publisher

KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

ECONOMETRICS AND ECONOMETRIC MODELS (OPERATIONS RESEARCH); panel data; communication; GOVERNMENT BORROWING; ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION (INFORMATION THEORY); FINANCIAL MARKETS; INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND; INTERNATIONALER WÄHRUNGSFONDS; FINANZMÄRKTE; ÖFFENTLICHE KREDITAUFNAHME; delegation; ASYMMETRISCHE INFORMATIONEN (INFORMATIONSTHEORIE); ÖKONOMETRIE UND ÖKONOMETRISCHE MODELLE (OPERATIONS RESEARCH); UNSICHERE INFORMATION + UNVOLLSTÄNDIGE INFORMATION (INFORMATIONSTHEORIE); IMF conditionality; UNCERTAIN INFORMATION + INCOMPLETE INFORMATION (INFORMATION THEORY)

Organisational unit

02525 - KOF Konjunkturforschungsstelle / KOF Swiss Economic Institute check_circle

Notes

Funding

Related publications and datasets