Journal Article

Why is financial stability a goal of public policy?

Abstract: A number of developments in recent years have combined to put the issue of financial stability at the top of the agenda, not just of supervisory authorities, but of public policymakers more generally. These developments include: the explosive growth in the volume of financial transactions, the increased complexity of new instruments, costly crises in national financial systems, and several high-profile mishaps at individual institutions.> Policymakers care about financial instability because of the close linkages between financial stability and the health of the real economy. Recent examples of these linkages include the banking crises in Scandinavia and Japan, the 1995 peso crisis in Mexico, and the current exchange rate and banking problems in the emerging market economies of Southeast Asia.> In remarks made before the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City?s 1997 symposium, ?Maintaining Financial Stability in a Global Economy,? Mr. Crockett examines the role of public policy in maintaining financial stability. In particular, he addresses the following questions: What do we mean by financial stability? Why should official intervention (as opposed to reliance on market forces) be required to promote stability? And what concrete approaches can be employed?

Keywords: Public policy; Financial institutions;

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Part of Series: Economic Review

Publication Date: 1997

Volume: 82

Issue: Q IV

Pages: 5-22