Bringing Balance to the Force? A Comparative Analysis of Institutionalisation Processes in the G20’s Mutual Assessment Process and the EU’s Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure

Charlotte Rommerskirchen*, Holly Snaith

*Corresponding author for this work

    Abstract

    Events from 2008 onwards have bought the old consensus on the sound money and finance paradigm (the ‘Great Moderation’) into bold relief. One manifestation of this crisis of belief is the increased focus on global imbalances, institutionally reflected in the creation of the Mutual Assessment Process (MAP) at the G20 level and subsequently the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure (MIP) at the European Union (EU) level. Comparing both newcomers to international macroeconomic policy coordination, this article analyses four features that shape (and we show, institutionalise) the process of paradigm contestation: presence, position, promotion and plausibility. We argue that although initially the G20’s MAP scored higher in terms of presence, position and promotion, it is the EU’s MIP, which heralds a more substantial shift in macroeconomic management. Collectively, both indicate the increased prominence of global imbalances as the subject of inter- or supranational management, and a broadening of the notion of necessary or legitimate economic governance.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalNew Political Economy
    Volume23
    Issue number4
    Pages (from-to)391-406
    Number of pages16
    ISSN1356-3467
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2018

    Keywords

    • G20
    • global imbalances
    • Macroeconomic policy
    • stability and growth pact
    • the EU
    • the IMF

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