Why do currency crises happen? What conditions set the stage for such a crisis? How severe will it be? When will it happen? This book answers these questions, illustrating the points by examining the exchange rate realignments of the European Monetary System. It also shows how balancing the tension between domestic and international politics plays a vital part in a government's willingness to uphold its exchange rate commitments. Michele Chang pays particular attention to the role of domestic elections, since these may prevent governments from credibly committing to a fixed exchange rate and from responding quickly and coherently to market instability, thus encouraging speculation.

Autorentext

MICHELE CHANG teaches political Science at Colgate University, USA, and is a Fellow at Cornell University's Institute for European Studies. She has received fellowships from the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation and the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst. She has previously published in the Journal of Public Policy as well as with Cornell University Press.

Inhalt

Introduction The European Monetary System Political Economy of Currency Crisis and Devaluation France, 1981-1986 France, 1988-1995 Italy: Domestic Versus International Origins of Currency Crises Ireland Conclusion