SAE./No.169/November 2020 Studies in Applied Economics THE FINANCIAL FIREFIGHTER’S MANUAL Kurt Schuler +PIOT)PQLJOT*OTUJUVUFGPS"QQMJFE&DPOPNJDT (MPCBM)FBMUI BOEUIF4UVEZPG#VTJOFTT&OUFSQSJTF $FOUFSGPS'JOBODJBM4UBCJMJUZ The Financial Firefighter’s Manual By Kurt Schuler About the Series The Studies in Applied Economics series is under the general direction of Professor Steve H. Hanke, Founder and Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise (
[email protected]). This paper is jointly issued with the Center for Financial Stability. About the Author Kurt Schuler is Senior Fellow in Financial History at the Center for Financial Stability in New York. The paper reflects his personal views only. Abstract Apparently no up to date compilation exists of the various measures governments and the private sector have undertaken to address economic crises, especially financial crises. This paper tries to provide an overview that is comprehensive but brief. It is not an exhaustive analysis of crises, but rather an aid to thinking about how to respond to them, especially at their most acute. Acknowledgments Thanks to Diego Troconis for bibliographical research, and to him, Elizabeth Duncan, Eric Adler, Lars Jonung, and Kevin Dowd for comments on various versions of the paper since the original in December 2019. Further comments welcome. Keywords: Financial crises JEL codes: G01 1 Contents Introduction Some general points about responding to crises Types of crises and potential remedies 1. Debt crisis a. Sovereign debt (fiscal) crisis b. Banking system crisis c. Shadow banking system crisis d. Corporate or household debt crisis 2.