Did adoption of the gold standard exacerbate or diminish macroeconomic volatility? Supporters thought so, critics … thought not, and theory offers ambiguous messages. A hard exchange-rate regime such as the gold standard might limit monetary … absorption in a world of real shocks and nominal stickiness. A simple model shows how a lack of flexibility can be discerned in …

represented. Thus, China will play an increasingly larger role in the future in world monetary matters. The drama surrounding …

Did adoption of the gold standard exacerbate or diminish macroeconomic volatility? Supporters thought so, critics … thought not, and theory offers ambiguous messages. A hard exchange-rate regime such as the gold standard might limit monetary … absorption in a world of real shocks and nominal stickiness. A simple model shows how a lack of flexibility can be discerned in …

Why did monetary authorities hold large gold reserves under Bretton Woods (1944-1971) when only the US had to? We argue … that gold holdings were driven by institutional memory and persistent habits of central bankers. Countries continued to … back currency in circulation with gold reserves, following rules of the pre-WWII gold standard. The longer an institution …