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On the origin and rise of central bank independence in West Germany

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  • Jorg Bibow

Abstract

This paper investigates the (re-)establishment of central banking in West Germany after 1945 and the history of the Bundesbank Act of 1957. The main focus is on the early emphasis on central bank independence, which at the time represented a German peculiarity. The paper inquires whether contemporary German economic thought may have provided a theoretical case for this peculiar tradition and scrutinizes the political calculus that motivated some key actors in the play. Contrary to conventional wisdom, important contradictions between the postulate of central bank independence and Ordoliberalism are identified. JEL Classification Codes: B22, B31, E50

Suggested Citation

  • Jorg Bibow, 2009. "On the origin and rise of central bank independence in West Germany," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 155-190.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eujhet:v:16:y:2009:i:1:p:155-190
    DOI: 10.1080/09672560802707498
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Berger, Helge, 1997. "Konjunkturpolitik im Wirtschaftswunder," Beiträge zur Finanzwissenschaft, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, edition 1, volume 2, number urn:isbn:9783161467950, September.
    2. Jorg Bibow, 2002. "What has Happened to Monetarism? An Investigation into the Keynesian Roots of Milton Friedman's Monetary Thought and Its Apparent Monetarist Legacies," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_347, Levy Economics Institute.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rocío Sánchez-Lissen & María Teresa Sanz-Díaz, 2020. "The journal Moneda y Crédito as a vehicle spreading the social market economy in Spain (1943-1966)," Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (IHE-EHR), Journal of the Spanish Economic History Association, Asociación Española de Historia Económica, vol. 16(01), pages 125-135.
    2. Jörg Bibow, 2018. "Unconventional monetary policies and central bank profits," IMK Studies 62-2018, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    3. Jörg Bibow, 2013. "Lost at Sea: The Euro Needs a Euro Treasury," IMK Studies 35-2013, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    4. Jorg Bibow, 2015. "The Euro's Savior? Assessing the ECB's Crisis Management Performance and Potential for Crisis Resolution," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_845, Levy Economics Institute.
    5. Thomas Hermann, 2018. "A rhetorical situation triggers accounting communication. The case of the conflict between the Bank of German States and the Government in 1955/56," CONTABILIT? E CULTURA AZIENDALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(1), pages 73-118.
    6. Masciandaro, Donato, 2022. "Independence, conservatism, and beyond: Monetary policy, central bank governance and central banker preferences (1981–2021)," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    7. Lars P. Feld & Ekkehard A. Köhler & Daniel Nientiedt, 2015. "Ordoliberalism, Pragmatism and the Eurozone Crisis: How the German Tradition Shaped Economic Policy in Europe," CESifo Working Paper Series 5368, CESifo.
    8. Stefano Figuera & Andrea Pacella, 2021. "La teoria euckeniana della moneta: spunti per una riflessione critica (Eucken's theory of money: ideas for critical reflection)," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 74(296), pages 275-299.
    9. Stefano Figuera & Guglielmo Forges Davanzati & Andrea Pacella, 2022. "Considerations on the Legacy of Ordoliberalism in European Monetary Policy," HISTORY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT AND POLICY, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(2), pages 95-122.
    10. Singleton,John, 2010. "Central Banking in the Twentieth Century," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521899093, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Central banking; central bank independence; Ordoliberalism; Keynesianism; monetarism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B22 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Macroeconomics
    • B31 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought: Individuals - - - Individuals
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General

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