Can the MAC Make the Federal Funds Rate More Effective?

Background When inflation threatens America’s stability and economic growth, the Fed raises the Federal Funds Rate (FFR). This reduces domestic demand for borrowed funds, and that reduces the growth of domestic money in circulation and thus the rate of inflation. This approach worked reasonably well from the 1930s when the FFR became an official policy…

Opinion | Biden jobs plan can be paid for by fixing overvalued U.S. dollar

President Biden is showing that he’s serious about his pledge to “Build Back Better.” His new $2.3 trillion “American Jobs Plan” offers a blueprint for both investing in the nation’s infrastructure and rebuilding U.S. manufacturing. Now, it’s Congress’s turn to weigh in on the specifics of the president’s proposal—and how to pay for it. If…

CPA Conference Day 1: “It’s The Dollar, Stupid.”

We all remember the famous line by Bill Clinton’s campaign advisor James Carville: “It’s the economy, stupid,” he said about what mattered most to voters. The economy still matters, of course, but one of the major fundamentals of the economy is the dollar and it’s non-competitive with the rest of the world. It’s too strong.…

Phenomenal World | The Class Politics of the Dollar System

CPA’s take: This well-written article explains why dollar hegemony and overvaluation is bad for US productivity and working-class people around the world.  The global dollar system has few national winners. In the typical frame, understanding the US dollar means understanding the “exorbitant privilege” it confers on America. But the role of the dollar in structuring…