Illiquid Banks, Financial Stability, and Interest Rate Policy

S-Tier
Journal: Journal of Political Economy
Year: 2012
Volume: 120
Issue: 3
Pages: 552 - 591

Authors (2)

Douglas W. Diamond (not in RePEc) Raghuram G. Rajan (University of Chicago)

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Banks finance illiquid assets with demandable deposits, which discipline bankers but expose them to damaging runs. Authorities may not want to stand by and watch banks collapse. However, unconstrained direct bailouts undermine the disciplinary role of deposits. Moreover, competition forces banks to promise depositors more, increasing intervention and making the system worse off. By contrast, constrained central bank intervention to lower rates maintains private discipline, while offsetting contractual rigidity. It may still lead banks to make excessive liquidity promises. Anticipating this, central banks should raise rates in normal times to offset distortions from reducing rates in adverse times.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/666669
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25