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If ‘money matters’, what about the monetary base?

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  • Tim Congdon

Abstract

Crucial to the debates on monetarism is the money aggregate relevant to its key propositions, in particular those that relate to the determination of nominal national income and inflation. In his influential work on ‘market monetarism’, Scott Sumner has accorded a privileged position to the monetary base in the key monetarist propositions. This article argues that, on the contrary, in a modern economy the role of cash is so small, as well as so clandestine, that the monetary base does not play any direct role in the determination of national income and inflation.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Congdon, 2023. "If ‘money matters’, what about the monetary base?," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 185-200, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecaffa:v:43:y:2023:i:2:p:185-200
    DOI: 10.1111/ecaf.12574
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert J. Gordon, 1986. "The American Business Cycle: Continuity and Change," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gord86-1.
    2. Nelson, Edward, 2002. "Direct effects of base money on aggregate demand: theory and evidence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 687-708, May.
    3. Werner, Richard A., 2014. "Can banks individually create money out of nothing? — The theories and the empirical evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-19.
    4. Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2016. "The Curse of Cash," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10798.
    5. Caswell, Ellen & Hewkin Smith, Miranda & Learmonth, David & Pearce, Gareth, 2020. "Cash in the time of Covid," Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, Bank of England, vol. 60(4), pages 2-2.
    6. Sumner, Scott, 2021. "The Money Illusion," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226773681, January.
    7. Robert J. Gordon, 1986. "Front matter, The American Business Cycle. Continuity and Change," NBER Chapters, in: The American Business Cycle: Continuity and Change, pages -15, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Tim Congdon, 2020. "Will the Current Money Growth Acceleration Increase Inflation?," World Economics, World Economics, 1 Ivory Square, Plantation Wharf, London, United Kingdom, SW11 3UE, vol. 21(2), pages 1-24, April.
    9. Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz, 1963. "A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number frie63-1.
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    Cited by:

    1. Scott Sumner, 2023. "Does the monetary base matter? A response to Tim Congdon," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 437-440, October.

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