The course will draw on the rich economic and finance literatures which examine analytically and empirically the interplay between financial systems and the economy, and provide tools for an informed discussion on policy and institutional reforms. The first section of this course examines the economic behaviour of the main agents involved in financial decisions, primarily firms, households, financial institutions, financial intermediaries and policymakers. The second section will focus on the linkages between finance and the macro-economy. Historical, international and development perspectives will be considered.