Essays on Financial Markets and Macroeconomic Performance in Less Developed Economies---Evidence from Egypt

The objective of my dissertation research is to contribute to the quantitative-based research and policy discussion concerning the links between macroeconomics, monetary policy, and the financial sector.;My dissertation is motivated by the fact that financial intermediation plays a critical role in the economic development of low income economies. Assessment of financial sector performance is instrumental towards understanding the dynamics of economic growth. My dissertation's contribution to the empirical literature about less developed economies stems from the application of rigorous and robust econometric techniques to high quality data. This paves the way forward to better assess the effectiveness of monetary policy and efficiency of financial intermediation in these economies. My analysis, which focuses on Egypt, takes into consideration various political, economic, and social transformations that took place during the past five decades and which have substantially affected the macroeconomic performance of the country. My dissertation follows the primary model for dissertations and is divided into three different essays. In the first chapter, I examine the Demand for Money in Egypt. In the second chapter, I investigate the presence of a Broad Credit Channel for Monetary Transmission. In the third essay, I present an Aggregate Model for Savings Behavior and its Determinants in Egypt. The objective and proposed scope of my research is detailed below. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).