Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) provides academic and business economists, government officials, and members of the financial and business communities with timely research on current economic issues. Contents: Editors' Summary Financial Crash, Commodity Prices, and Global Imbalances, By Ricardo J. Caballero, Emmanuel Farhi, and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas Making Sense of the Subprime Crisis, By Kristopher Gerardi, Andreas Lehnert, Shane M. Sherlund, and Paul Willen The Central Role of Home Prices in the Current Financial Crisis: How Will the Market Clear? By Karl E. Case Beyond Leveraged Losses: The Balance Sheet Effects of the Home Price Downturn, By Jan Hatzius Financial Regulation in a System Context, By Stephen Morris and Hyun Song Shin The Unofficial Economy and Economic Development, By Rafael La Porta and Andrei Shleifer The Real Exchange Rate and Economic Growth, By Dani Rodrik