Critics have long been concerned that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s overly stringent approach to macroeconomic policy does not sufficiently heed some countries' viewpoints, sacrificing potential economic growth and poverty reduction in order to lower inflation rates and government deficits. For example, in October 2007, over 120 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) expressed their concerns to the IMF that its unnecessarily restrictive policies may undermine low-income countries' ability to increase social spending. During the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, as well as more recently, some NGOs also criticized the IMF for imposing spending reductions and tight monetary policy that exacerbated already severe economic stress in middle-income countries. The author brings up the example of NGO concerns in order to draw attention to which of the following claims? The IMF has dramatically increased its lending to member countries in response to the deepening global economic crisis. IMF-supported programs help countries overcome balance-of-payments problems, stabilize their economies, and restore sustainable economic growth. The IMF's macroeconomic policy promotes economic growth and poverty reduction for low-income countries. The IMF imposes excessively strict macroeconomic policies that potentially intensify existing economic problems. The 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis served to illustrate the value of spending reductions and tight monetary