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Bretton Woods, swap lines, and the Federal Reserve’s return to intervention

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  • Michael D. Bordo
  • Owen F. Humpage
  • Anna J. Schwartz

Abstract

This paper describes the United States? first line of defense against shortcomings in the Bretton Woods system, which threatened the system?s continuation as early as 1960. The exposition describes the Federal Reserve?s use of swap lines both to provide cover for central banks? unwanted dollar exposures, thereby forestalling claims on the U.S. gold stock, and to supply dollar liquidity to countries facing temporary balance-of-payments deficits, thereby bolstering confidence in their parities. As suggested by the expansion and growing use of the swap lines, the operations failed to distinguish between temporary and fundamental disequilibrium forces. In substituting temporary for fundamental adjustments, the lines ultimately proved inadequate.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael D. Bordo & Owen F. Humpage & Anna J. Schwartz, 2012. "Bretton Woods, swap lines, and the Federal Reserve’s return to intervention," Working Papers (Old Series) 1232, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedcwp:1232
    DOI: 10.26509/frbc-wp-201232
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael D. Bordo & Owen F. Humpage & Anna J. Schwartz, 2015. "US Intervention during the Bretton Woods Era, 1962–1973," NBER Chapters, in: Strained Relations: US Foreign-Exchange Operations and Monetary Policy in the Twentieth Century, pages 120-209, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. B. Dianne Pauls, 1990. "U.S. exchange rate policy: Bretton Woods to present," Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), issue Nov, pages 891-908.
    3. Michael D. Bordo & Barry Eichengreen, 1993. "A Retrospective on the Bretton Woods System: Lessons for International Monetary Reform," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number bord93-1.
    4. Michael D. Bordo & Owen F. Humpage & Anna J. Schwartz, 2010. "U.S. Foreign-Exchange-Market Intervention and the Early Dollar Float: 1973 - 1981," NBER Working Papers 16647, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Sir Alec Cairncross & Barry Eichengreen, 2003. "Sterling in Decline," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, edition 0, number 978-0-230-59630-6, December.
    6. Mr. Jorge I Canales Kriljenko, 2004. "Foreign Exchange Market Organization in Selected Developing and Transition Economies: Evidence from a Survey," IMF Working Papers 2004/004, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Mr. Jorge I Canales Kriljenko, 2003. "Foreign Exchange Intervention in Developing and Transition Economies: Results of a Survey," IMF Working Papers 2003/095, International Monetary Fund.
    8. 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.
    9. Robert L. Hetzel, 1996. "Sterilized foreign exchange intervention: the Fed debate in the 1960's," Economic Quarterly, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, issue Spr, pages 21-46.
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    Keywords

    Bretton Woods Agreements Act; Financial markets; Monetary policy; International finance;
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