The Benefits of Crises for Economic Reforms
Working Paper 3527
DOI 10.3386/w3527
Issue Date
This paper presents a model in which economic crises have positive effects on welfare. Periods of very high inflation create the incentive for the resolution of social conflict and thus facilitate the introduction of economic reforms and the achievement of higher levels of welfare. Policies to reduce the cost of inflation, such as indexation, raise inflation and delay the adoption of reforms, but have no effect on expected social welfare.
Published Versions
American Economic Review, vol.83, no.3, June1993. citation courtesy of