Keeping an economy growing over the long run at rates sufficient to provide full employment for labor and capital with low inflation or a stable price level has been an important goal for economic policy. Money and monetary policy have figured importantly in achieving this goal. Currently, it is argued, central bank independence is important to achieving this end. This book examines various indices of central bank independence to see how closely independence is related to such important performance characteristics of an economy as the rate of inflation, the growth of output, investment, and real interest rates.