Our International Monetary System Yesterday Today And Tomorrow

Annotation Provides an analysis of the global monetary system and proposes a comprehensive yet evolutionary reform of the system aimed at creating better monetary cooperation for the twenty-first century.

The 1944 Bretton Woods conference created new institutions for international economic governance. Though flawed, the system led to a golden age in postwar reconstruction, sustained economic growth, job creation, and postcolonial development. Yet financial liberalization since the 1970s has involved deregulation and globalization, which have exacerbated instability, rather than sustained growth. In addition, the failure of Bretton Woods to provide a reserve currency enabled the dollar to fill the void, which has contributed to periodic, massive U.S. trade deficits. Our latest global financial crisis, in which all these weaknesses played a part, underscores how urgently we must reform the international financial system. Prepared for the G24 research program, a consortium of developing countries focused on financial issues, this volume argues that such reforms must be developmental. Chapters review historical trends in global liquidity, financial flows to emerging markets, and the food crisis, identifying the systemic flaws that contributed to the recent downturn. They challenge the effectiveness of recent policy and suggest criteria for regulatory reform, keeping in mind the different circumstances, capacities, and capabilities of various economies. Essays follow ongoing revisions in international banking standards, the improved management of international capital flows, the critical role of the World Trade Organization in liberalizing and globalizing financial services, and the need for international tax cooperation. They also propose new global banking and reserve currency arrangements.

The next financial collapse will resemble nothing in history. . . . Deciding upon the best course to follow will require comprehending a minefield of risks, while poised at a crossroads, pondering the death of the dollar. The U.S. dollar has been the global reserve currency since the end of World War II. If the dollar fails, the entire international monetary system will fail with it. But optimists have always said, in essence, that confidence in the dollar will never truly be shaken, no matter how high our national debt or how dysfunctional our government. In the last few years, however, the risks have become too big to ignore. While Washington is gridlocked, our biggest rivals—China, Russia, and the oil-producing nations of the Middle East—are doing everything possible to end U.S. monetary hegemony. The potential results: Financial warfare. Deflation. Hyperinflation. Market collapse. Chaos. James Rickards, the acclaimed author of Currency Wars, shows why money itself is now at risk and what we can all do to protect ourselves. He explains the power of converting unreliable investments into real wealth: gold, land, fine art, and other long-term stores of value.

The research purpose of this book is to advance the reform of the existing international monetary system through the establishment of a new international currency standard that is a super-sovereign currency. International Monetary System provides international economic activities rules for the human society. It has significant influences not only on international economic activities of various countries but also on their domestic economic activities as well. Since the disintegration of International gold standard in 1971, studies on reform of international monetary system have remained as the important research themes for international economic research fields. Improvements of international monetary system to facilitate worldwide economic developments have been interests to all. Thus this book has valuable theoretical contributions. Since the collapse of Bretton Woods System, the current international monetary system of Jamaica System has come into being. Under Jamaica System, the sovereign currency US dollar has acted as the main international currency. This has caused vulnerability of money standard, instability of exchange rate system, and frequent occurrences of currency crises. Calls for international monetary system reforms have increased under these circumstances. Various programs such as improved international gold standard system, expansion of Special Drawing Rights, as well as establishment of single world currency surface. So this book has significant practical contributions as well. The major contribution of this book is the proposal of new scheme of establishment of supra-sovereign international currency. This is an entire new reform program that differs significantly from any past or current reform programs in international economic research fields from all over the world.