Introduction

For decades, scholars have studied the economic determinants and effects of programs sponsored by the Bretton Woods institutions: the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Much less systematic attention has been paid, however, to the political factors that influence these International Financial Institutions (IFIs). Recent methodological innovations in the study of why countries enter into IFI programs and with what effects, as well as newly available data, have led researchers to reevaluate conventional wisdom. This book presents the cutting edge of this research agenda, bringing together scholars working on various dimensions of the frontier.