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Too often monetary economics has been taught as a collection of facts about institutions for students to memorize. By teaching from first principles instead, this advanced undergraduate textbook builds on a simple, clear monetary model and applies this framework consistently to a wide variety of monetary questions. Starting with the case in which trade is mutually beneficial, the book demonstrates that money makes people better off, and that government money competes against other means of payments, including other types of government money. After developing each of these topics, the book tackles the issue of money competing against other stores of value, examining issues associated with trade, finance, and modern banking. The book then moves from simple economies to modern economies, addressing the role banks play in making more trades possible, concluding with the information problems plaguing modern banking, which result in financial crises.

Modeling Monetary Economies

Preface; Part I. Money: 1. Trade in a model with no frictions; 2. A simple model of money; 3. Barter and commodity money; 4. Inflation; 5. International monetary systems; 6. Price surprises; Part II. Banking: 7. Capital; 8. Liquidity and financial intermediation; 9. Central banking and the money supply; 10. Money stock fluctuations; 11. Fully backed central bank money; 12. The payments system; 13. Bank risk; 14. Liquidity risk and bank panics; Part III. Government Debt: 15. Deficits and the national debt; 16. Savings and investment; 17. The effect of the national debt on capital and savings; 18. The temptation of inflation; References; Author index; Subject index.