Central banks, big and small

Benjamin Kingsmore

Central banks do a lot of things: they implement monetary policy, regulate financial institutions, manage payment systems and analyse economic developments. Many of their tasks are crucial to the functioning of a modern economy. And to make all this happen in practice, armies of unseen officials do the necessary implementing, regulating, managing and analysing. In this post I try to answer some questions about these officials: how many are there? Where are they? And if you wanted to host a party for central bankers, what would be the most convenient location?

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Inequality: reframing the debate, reforming institutions and rooting out rent-seeking

Marilyne Tolle.

Inequality sits near the top of Western politicians’ agendas and exercises the minds of academic economists and policymakers alike. While attention to the living standards of the poorest is warranted, I argue that the current focus on inequality is misplaced for two reasons: first, because inequality of outcome is of second-order economic importance compared to improving absolute living standards; and second, because it shifts attention away from tackling the inefficiencies caused by rent-seeking. Addressing these via institutional reforms would foster growth, raise the living standards of the poorest, and, as a by-product, reduce inequality.

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