A simple approach to international monetary policy coordination

This paper analyzes the strategic interaction between the monetary policymakers of two countries, in an intertemporal general equilibrium model with nominal rigidities and imperfect competition. It offers an excursus on non-cooperative towards cooperative solutions. In a non-cooperative equilibrium the monopolistic allocation prevails in both countries, because of the incentive to use strategically the terms of trade. In a cooperative solution where both policymakers internalize the externalities given by the terms of trade, the competitive allocation is reached. However, cooperation can be counterproductive. We then characterize a problem of delegation in which the set of choice is restricted to the Pareto efficient allocations and in which the participation constraints implied by the non-cooperative equilibrium are taken into account. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.