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The dog that didn’t bark: the curious case of Lloyd Mints, Milton Friedman and the emergence of monetarism

Author

Listed:
  • Harris Dellas

    (University of Bern)

  • George Tavlas

    (Bank of Greece)

Abstract

Lloyd Mints has long been considered a peripheral figure in the development of monetary economics at the University of Chicago. We provide evidence showing that the standard assessment of Mints’s standing in Chicago monetary economics -- and in American monetary economics more broadly -- is mistaken. In light of the originality and the breadth of his monetary contributions, and given the degree to which those contributions shaped part of Milton Friedman’s monetary framework and were pushed forward by Friedman, we argue that, far from being a peripheral figure in the development of Chicago monetary economics, Mints played a catalytic role.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris Dellas & George Tavlas, 2019. "The dog that didn’t bark: the curious case of Lloyd Mints, Milton Friedman and the emergence of monetarism," Working Papers 264, Bank of Greece.
    • Handle: RePEc:bog:wpaper:264
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Michael D. Bordo, 1993. "The Bretton Woods International Monetary System: A Historical Overview," NBER Chapters, in: A Retrospective on the Bretton Woods System: Lessons for International Monetary Reform, pages 3-108, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tavlas, George S., 2022. "“The Initiated”: Aaron Director And The Chicago Monetary Tradition," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 1-23, March.
    2. Tavlas, George S., 2021. "A Reconsideration Of The Doctrinal Foundations Of Monetary Policy Rules: Fisher Versus Chicago," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 43(1), pages 55-82, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Lloyd Mints; Milton Friedman; monetarism; Chicago monetary tradition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B22 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Macroeconomics
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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