Does the IMF Influence Fiscal and Monetary Policy?
Abstract
In theory, the IMF could influence fiscal and monetary policy via several channels, among them advice to policy makers, conditionality, and the moral hazard it induces with the borrowers. This article tries to disentangle those effects empirically. Using panel data for 98 countries over the period 1975-2000 it analyzes whether IMF involvement indeed influences fiscal and monetary policy in program countries. There is evidence that participation in IMF Standby and Extended Fund Facility arrangements improves economic policy. Money disbursed and the degree to which a program is implemented does not have any systematic influence. The same is true for future availability of resources as measured by exhaustion of a country's quota with the Fund. The final section discusses policy implications.Download Info
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Journal of Economic Policy Reform.
Volume (Year): 8 (2005)
Issue (Month): 3 ()
Pages: 225-238
Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/link.asp?id=300262
Order Information:
Web: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/subscription.asp
Related research
Keywords: IMF programs; fiscal policy; monetary policy; compliance; conditionality; moral hazard;References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Axel Dreher & Roland Vaubel, 2003. "The Causes and Consequences of IMF Conditionality," International Finance 0309004, EconWPA, revised 17 Oct 2003.
- Dollar, David & Svensson, Jakob, 2000.
"What Explains the Success or Failure of Structural Adjustment Programmes?,"
Economic Journal,
Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(466), pages 894-917, October.
- Dollar, David & Svensson, Jakob, 1998. "What explains the success or failure of structural adjustment programs?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1938, The World Bank.
- Przeworski, Adam & Vreeland, James Raymond, 2000. "The effect of IMF programs on economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 385-421, August.
- Axel Dreher, 2004.
"IMF and Economic Growth: The Effects of Programs, Loans, and Compliance with Conditionality,"
TWI Research Paper Series
1, Thurgauer Wirtschaftsinstitut, Universität Konstanz.
- Dreher, Axel, 2006. "IMF and economic growth: The effects of programs, loans, and compliance with conditionality," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 769-788, May.
- Axel Dreher, 2004. "IMF and Economic Growth: The Effects of Programs, Loans, and Compliance with Conditionality," International Finance 0404004, EconWPA, revised 25 Apr 2004.
- Dreher, Axel, 2005. "IMF and Economic Growth: The Effects of Programs, Loans, and Compliance with Conditionality," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Kiel 2005 11, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
- Roland Vaubel & Axel Dreher & Uğurlu Soylu, 2007.
"Staff growth in international organizations: A principal-agent problem? An empirical analysis,"
Public Choice,
Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 275-295, December.
- Roland Vaubel & Axel Dreher & Ugurlu Soylu, 2003. "Staff Growth in International Organizations: A Principal-Agent Problem? An Empirical Analysis," Public Economics 0306006, EconWPA, revised 08 Jul 2003.
- Boockmann, Bernhard & Dreher, Axel, 2002.
"The Contribution of the IMF and the World Bank to Economic Freedom,"
ZEW Discussion Papers
02-18, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research.
- Boockmann, Bernhard & Dreher, Axel, 2003. "The contribution of the IMF and the World Bank to economic freedom," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 633-649, September.
- Bernhard Boockmann & Axel Dreher, 2002. "The Contribution of the IMF and the World Bank to Economic Freedom," International Finance 0207001, EconWPA.
- Michele FRATIANNI & John PATTISON, 2007.
"Who Is Runninc the IMF: Critical Shareholders or the Staff?,"
Working Papers
279, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
- Michele Fratianni & John Pattison, 2004. "Who is Running the IMF: Critical Shareholders or the Staff?," Working Papers 2004-06, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, Department of Business Economics and Public Policy.
- Axel Dreher, 2004. "A Public Choice Perspective of IMF and World Bank Lending and Conditionality," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 119(3_4), pages 445-464, 06.
- Conway, Patrick, 1994. "IMF lending programs: Participation and impact," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 365-391, December.
- Graham Bird & Thomas D Willett, 2004. "IMF Conditionality, Implementation and the New Political Economy of Ownership," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 46(3), pages 423-450, September.
- Axel Dreher & Roland Vaubel, 2004. "Do IMF and IBRD Cause Moral Hazard and Political Business Cycles? Evidence from Panel Data," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 5-22, January.
- Axel Dreher, 2003. "The influence of elections on IMF programme interruptions," The Journal of Development Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 39(6), pages 101-120.
- Axel Dreher, 2004. "The Influence of IMF Programs on the Re-election of Debtor Governments," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(1), pages 53-76, 03.
Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- James Vreeland, 2006. "IMF program compliance: Aggregate index versus policy specific research strategies," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 359-378, December.
- Jorra, Markus, 2012.
"The effect of IMF lending on the probability of sovereign debt crises,"
Journal of International Money and Finance,
Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 709-725.
- Markus Jorra, 2010. "The Effect of IMF Lending on the Probability of Sovereign Debt Crises," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201026, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
- Bandeira, Pablo, 2009.
"El desarrollo institucional en el contexto de la ineficacia de la ayuda: ¿qué podemos hacer?
[Promoting institutional development in the context of actual aid ineffectiveness: what can we do?]," MPRA Paper 13372, University Library of Munich, Germany. - Ruben Atoyan & Patrick Conway, 2006. "Evaluating the impact of IMF programs: A comparison of matching and instrumental-variable estimators," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 1(2), pages 99-124, June.
- Axel Dreher & Stefanie Walter, 2008.
"Does the IMF Help or Hurt? The Effect of IMF programs on the likelihood and outcome of currency crises,"
KOF Working papers
08-186, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
- Dreher, Axel & Walter, Stefanie, 2010. "Does the IMF Help or Hurt? The Effect of IMF Programs on the Likelihood and Outcome of Currency Crises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 1-18, January.
- Axel Dreher & Nathan Jensen, 2005.
"Independent Actor or Agent? An Empirical Analysis of the impact of US interests on IMF Conditions,"
KOF Working papers
05-118, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
- Axel Dreher & Nathan Jensen, 2003. "Independent Actor or Agent? An Empirical Analysis of the impact of US interests on IMF Conditions," International Finance 0310004, EconWPA, revised 08 Jan 2004.
- Graham Bird, 2008.
"The implementation of IMF programs: A conceptual framework,"
The Review of International Organizations,
Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 41-64, March.
- Graham Bird, 2006. "The Implementation of IMF Programs: A Conceptual Framework," School of Economics Discussion Papers 1506, School of Economics, University of Surrey.
Lists
This item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.Statistics
Access and download statisticsCorrections
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jpolrf:v:8:y:2005:i:3:p:225-238For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Michael McNulty).
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

