Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?

The viability of a fixed exchange rate system is shown to be state-or shock-dependent. We show, simply, Obstfeld's claim that there may be multiple equilibria - multiple shock values for which a regime switch becomes optimal. We distinguish between self-fulfilling and history-dependent crises....

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Main Authors: Davies, G, Vines, D
Format: Working paper
Language:English
Published: CEPR 1995
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author Davies, G
Vines, D
author_facet Davies, G
Vines, D
author_sort Davies, G
collection OXFORD
description The viability of a fixed exchange rate system is shown to be state-or shock-dependent. We show, simply, Obstfeld's claim that there may be multiple equilibria - multiple shock values for which a regime switch becomes optimal. We distinguish between self-fulfilling and history-dependent crises. In the former, crises may occur due to a jump from one equilibrium to another, even for constant model parameters, including the government's cost of quitting the regime. In the latter, costly expectational adjustment implies that the country's history, embodied in its initial expectations, determines the relevant equilibrium and the likelihood of a crisis.
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spelling oxford-uuid:7f2583dc-1c85-4ff1-acf3-1656828c90672022-03-26T21:14:55ZEquilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?Working paperhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_8042uuid:7f2583dc-1c85-4ff1-acf3-1656828c9067EnglishDepartment of Economics - ePrintsCEPR1995Davies, GVines, DThe viability of a fixed exchange rate system is shown to be state-or shock-dependent. We show, simply, Obstfeld's claim that there may be multiple equilibria - multiple shock values for which a regime switch becomes optimal. We distinguish between self-fulfilling and history-dependent crises. In the former, crises may occur due to a jump from one equilibrium to another, even for constant model parameters, including the government's cost of quitting the regime. In the latter, costly expectational adjustment implies that the country's history, embodied in its initial expectations, determines the relevant equilibrium and the likelihood of a crisis.
spellingShingle Davies, G
Vines, D
Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?
title Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?
title_full Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?
title_fullStr Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?
title_full_unstemmed Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?
title_short Equilibrium Currency Crises: Are Multiple Equilibria Self-fulfilling or History Dependent?
title_sort equilibrium currency crises are multiple equilibria self fulfilling or history dependent
work_keys_str_mv AT daviesg equilibriumcurrencycrisesaremultipleequilibriaselffulfillingorhistorydependent
AT vinesd equilibriumcurrencycrisesaremultipleequilibriaselffulfillingorhistorydependent