International Financial Contagion

Stijn Claessens, Kirsten Forbes

Springer, May 31, 2001 - Business & Economics - 466 pages

Within less than two years, a currency crisis that began in Thailand had spread throughout East Asia, Russia, and Brazil, affecting developed economies as well as emerging markets around the world. The scope and virulence of this international financial contagion was completely unexpected. In an attempt to better understand these events, a group of leading economists from international institutions, academic universities, and the private sector gathered at a conference sponsored by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank. This book presents a selection of the papers given at this conference. This is the most extensive collection to date of research on international financial contagion. It includes survey articles and policy discussions, as well as detailed theoretical models and empirical analyses. Topics range from how to define contagion, to the relative importance of real versus financial linkages, to what policies could reduce contagion in the future. Many of the chapters perform empirical tests attempting to explain why crises spread, either by focusing on a specific transmission channel or an individual country or region. The chapters in this book have made impressive strides toward better understanding the causes and channels of international financial contagion.

About the author

Stijn Claessens is the senior economist in the Debt and International Finance Division of the International Economics Department of the World Bank. Ronald C. Duncan is chief of the International Trade Division of the International Economics Department of the World Bank.

Bibliographic information

• Title: International Financial Contagion; International Financial Contagion, Stijn Claessens
• Editors: Stijn Claessens, Kirsten Forbes
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Springer, 2001
• ISBN: 0792372859, 9780792372851
• Length: 466 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Finance; Business & Economics / International / Economics; Business & Economics / International / General