This led him to enunciate in his next book gold and the dollar crisis. In 1960, 11 years before nixons suspension of gold convertibility and essentially the demise of the bretton woods agreement, the economist robert tiffin foresaw this problem in his book, gold and the dollar crisis. Robert kiyosaki, author of rich dad, poor dad 2007 ive read richard duncans book and i urge you all to do the same. Feb 27, 1993 robert triffin, 81, an economist who backed monetary stability. The operation and demise of the bretton woods system vox. Triffin is remembered for having rightly called the break of the gold dollar link in 1971 in 195960. Us trade deficits it was the closing of the gold window in 1971 that triggered the bankers endgame.
He was also a seminar speaker and discussion leader with the foundation for economic education. As triffin wrote in gold and the dollar crisis, they may have received unintended encouragement from the greater stress placed by most of my academic friends first and foremost professor fritz. We are no longer on any kind of gold standard but in many ways the post bretton woods dollar regime has been like a gold standard, only better for the us and worse for the rest of the world. The dollar crisis pdf summary richard duncan 12min blog. These units would not depend on gold or currencies, but would add to the worlds total liquidity. With this background, robert triffin testified before congress in 1959, received a big writeup in business week, and followed up with his book gold and the dollar crisis 1960. Study 84 terms international finance chapter 2 flashcards. Apr 19, 2018 almost 60 years ago now, robert triffin saw this coming. Because the bretton woods parities, which were declared in the 1940s, had undervalued the price of gold, gold production would be insufficient to provide the resources to finance the growth of global trade. Today we are in a much more flexible system, where the demand for global liquidity can be more easily accommodated. Now, in late 2016, the dollar shortage has started to morph into a debt crisis and potential liquidity crisis. The dollarbased reserve system has been fraying for years.
In this book the talent of robert triffin notice 10 yers before the collapse of bretton woods and the convertibility the dollar to gold. Bis working papers are written by members of the monetary and economic. So, the destabilising forces on the dollar, the other unexpected side of triffins dilemma, could take down the whole fiat complex as well. The gold pool 19611968 and the fall of the bretton woods. Gold and the dollar crisis 1983 edition open library. Without confidence in the dollar, it would no longer be accepted as the worlds reserve currency. Americas trade deficits are explained by triffins paradox, i. Triffin gained enormous influence by reviving the interwar story that gold scarcity threatened deflation. Robert triffin testified before congress in 1959, received a big writeup in. This tension the triffin dilemma was linked to the specific modalities of the goldexchange standard in 1960, when his gold and the dollar crisis was first published. For the second time in 50 years, triffins dilemma has come into play.
Robert triffin, the belgianborn yale economist who championed european unity for much of his life and correctly foresaw the demise of the bretton woods international monetary system, died on. United states gold reserves would dwindle and a liquidity crisis would ensue. Union excess exchange rate exchange restrictions federal reserve finance foreign exchange reserves fund deposits funds gold and dollar gold exchange standard gold production gross reserves growth imports. It may be said, however, to have worked smoothly until just before the outbreak of the first world war in 1914. Robert, baron triffin 5 october 1911 23 february 1993 was a belgianamerican economist best known for his critique of the bretton woods system of fixed currency exchange rates.
A plan for a stable international financial architecture christian ghymers, rtiucl,1 and irelac2, belgium the triffin dilemma more than 50 years ago, the belgianamerican economist robert triffin 1911 1993 denounced the dangerous incoherence of the dollar system, not the general. Triffin in 1960, 11 years before nixons suspension of gold convertibility and essentially the demise of the bretton woods agreement, the economist robert tiffin foresaw this problem in his book, gold and the dollar crisis. The future of convertibility, yale university press, 1960. Of late, the spotlight has increasingly focused on the continued role of the dollar in global finance. Changes in and collapse of the international gold standard system. Gold and the dollar crisis by robert triffin, 1983, garland edition, in english.
After 1971, with the us dollar no longer tied to gold, us trade deficits increased exponentially. Global trade and the unsustainability of federal debt. Mar 11, 2018 economics is both an extremely important part of our lives and a notoriously unpredictable one. In the wake of the financial crisis of 20072008, the governor of the peoples bank of china explicitly named the reserve currency status of the us dollar as a contributing factor to global savings and investment imbalances that led to the crisis. Was when nixon leaving the gold exchange window by august 1971. Triffin this book explains the success of the nineteenth century system of international convertibility and the calamitous collapse of the late 1920s and the attempt to bring it back to life. From at least 1964, the fate of the pool was, in fact, tied to sterling, the first line of defense for the dollar. Us deficits are related to the us dollar as the global reserve currency. Major central banks pooled interventions to stabilize the dollar price of gold. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. It explains why the world is entering a global financial crisis. Thereafter, we turn to triffin s main writings on the international monetary system, especially national central banking and the international economy 1947 and gold and the dollar crisis 1960. Robert triffin of the gold standard in theory and history. Jan, 2009 in triffins day, the bretton woods arrangement presented the usd as good as gold since it was convertible to gold.
His critique became known later as triffin s dilemma. The gold pool was probably the most ambitious case of central bank cooperation in history. The hegemony of the us dollar einternational relations. However, richard duncans the dollar crisis summary has proven a prophetic book so far. Apr 08, 20 not since robert keohanes after hegemony 1983 has the debate been quite as lively academically. Introduction the economic crisis has resulted in renewed attention to the creation of a new global reserve system. Robert triffin is the author of gold and the dollar crisis. The fixed exchange rate system could break down, leading to instability. There are those, such as barry eichengreen, who have speculated the dollars reign is near an end. Apr 24, 2018 federal reserve to take full advantage of the dollars reservecurrency status. Discuss some of the pros and cons of the main alternatives debated in the 1960s and 70s, such as a supranational currency robert triffin, the classical gold standard jacques rueff, floating.
The problem is that there it includes many other predictions. Triffin proposed the creation of new reserve units. Robert triffin, 81, an economist who backed monetary. Publication date 1960 topics currency question, currency question, balance of payments publisher new haven yale university press. Combining popular persuasion and academic analysis, the book warn ed. Robert triffin was a belgian economist who worked at the ny fed 19421946, the imf 19461948 and later was a professor at yale university. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to survive the next 20 years. Robert triffin, gold and the dollar crisis, new haven, 1960. It is difficult to be precise as to when the international gold standard system began to crumble.
167 201 746 436 743 279 806 447 1022 1255 850 442 26 429 355 617 872 544 1096 419 996 1217 1546 162 1129 1118 251 721 701 743 1234 288 808