Careful analysis of an individual nation’s economy is difficult even for insiders who know aspects of their own economy well. Good analysis is that much more difficult for outside economists who lack detailed knowledge of the economy. Yet outsiders can bring a fresh perspective that raises interesting questions and sometimes contributes new insights. When insiders and outsiders cooperate together, the resulting analysis may be a significant improvement over what each group could achieve by themselves.
This book results from a collaboration among Greek and non-Greek economists, sponsored by the Bank of Greece and the Brookings Institution. By combining the expertise of Greek and non-Greek economists, the project has sought to achieve two broad goals. The first is to facilitate understanding of Greek observers about their economy and to stimulate a constructive policy debate within Greece. The second complementary goal is to provide an analysis of the Greek economy useful to observers of other nations whose economic situations and problems have similarities with those of Greece.
