This course explores a number of important topics concerning the roles which money and the financial system play in the economy. We shall examine the functions of financial institutions, such as banks or insurance companies, and the working of financial markets, which are markets for selling and buying bonds, stocks, or foreign exchange. Also, we will consider the activities of the Federal Reserve, both as of "lender of a last resort" and "designer" of monetary policies. We shall discuss the strengths and weaknesses of existing financial systems in the United States and other industrial and developing countries, and try to evaluate some lessons the emerging democracies across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union can learn when building and designing their own financial systems.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture
Level: UG Credit: 1.00
Prerequisites: ECON111 and ECON112 or ECON105
Last Updated on MAR-22-1999
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