Summary
The basic questions of monetary theory remain unanswered. There is little agreement on a definition of money or what assets serve as money, much less on the nature of the private and social costs and benefits of a money economy. Controversy over these questions is reviewed critically. It is concluded that the extensive literature on these matters is not in fact very illuminating. Some new avenues of enquiry are suggested. Generalisation of Clower's exchange matrix suggests that money is only one of a hierarchy of budget restraints, and that money's contribution to efficient price-setting goes beyond its role as numeraire. Finally, questions of control of the money supply are considered.
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She wishes to thank the participants in the Economic Anthropology Seminar on Means of Payment at University College London for their comments and suggestions, especially Mary Douglas (UCL), Gerald Cohen (UCL), Morris Perlman (LSE) and Charles Goodhart (Bank of England). The comments of Yoram Barzel (University of Washington), Thomas Rymes (Carleton University), and members of the Money Study Group are also gratefully acknowledged. Resposibility for the outcome is entirely the author's.
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Chick, V. Unresolved questions in monetary theory: A critical review. De Economist 126, 37–60 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01718077
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01718077