This paper compares various proposals for monetary policy rules according to the standard of political economy. It first presents an argument for why rules-based monetary policy is preferable to discretionary policy. Next it discusses at a general level two kinds of rules: those that can be...

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has claimed that the Fed's bank bailouts during the 2008 financial crisis were consistent with Walter Bagehot's rules for a lender of last resort. This paper demonstrates Bernanke's claims to be mistaken. First, we outline Bagehot's doctrine for a classical...

Economists often prescribe that countries seeking economic development should embrace the principle of the rule of law. I want to suggest that we listen to our own advice and apply it to our monetary and financial system. The principle of the rule of law could usefully guide us in resolving the...

This paper is an introduction to contemporary discussions within monetary theory and policy. The paper focuses on comparing proposals for monetary policy rules. It first lays out an argument for why monetary policy?defined here broadly to mean adjusting the money supply in an attempt to...