Costs and benefits compared

7 important questions on Costs and benefits compared

What is the difference between the monetarist and the Keynesian view?

monetarist
national MPs are ineffective as instruments to correct for asymmetric shocks
low costs of joining MU
many countries would abandon own currency and join MU 

Keynesian
national MPs and exchange rate are powerful instruments in absorbing shocks
high costs of joining MU

What is the central insight of the theory of optimal currency areas?

The lower the degree of symmetry, the greater the need for flexibility in the labour markets to make a smoothly functioning MU possible

Describe two ways to make a monetary union less costly

1. increase the symmetry of shocks by political unification
2. increase the degree of flexibility by a reform of labour market institutions
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Formulate two possibilities for the long-run MU according to Krugman's view

1. the EU-28 will move into the OCA zone over time. More integration, more specialization, less symmetry. The MU benefits however increase steeply with the degree of integration, which brings us closer to the OCA zone
2. more integration, farther away from OCA zone, costs of declining symmetry dominate all benefits

What is meant by the endogeneity in integration in EMUU?

The decision to join EMU can be self-fulfilling: the process of integration may be speeded up by the choice to join the MU (e.g. others know the country will be part of it, hence trade might be increased) The new country grouping moves thus faster into OCA zone.

Would enlarging the Eurozone bring us closer to an OCA? Answer by using degree of openness and asymmetry.

Concerning the degree of openness, central European countries fit quite well in existing Eurozone. Concerning asymmetry, studies found that for a couple of countries the correlation of shocks is similar to the ones in the Eurozone.

Conclusion: EU28 is not an optimal OCA, potential for larger asymmetric shocks in the enlarged zone compared to the current zone

Give 2 pro and 2 cons why the UK should (not) join the EMU.

pro
- UK probably experiences little problems in adjusting to shocks because of high flexibility
- Entry into the Euroone is likely to intensify the strong position of London as financial centre

con
- lowest degree of opennes towards rest of EU
- negative correlation between UK and EU demand shocks; weak correlation between UK and EU supply shocks
- UK government issues debt in pounds, guarantees debt will always be repaid

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