This paper applies Kirzner’s theory of entrepreneurial alertness to central banking. As opposed to entrepreneurs operating within the market, central banks can operate outside the market by defining its structure and regulations. We label as “super-alertness” the particular type of...

Contemporary monetary systems permit those in positions of authority to exercise discretionary power in the pursuit of monetary policy objectives. We argue there are strong prima facie reasons why this is normatively problematic. Engaging the literature on the rule of law, we argue that a...

Knowledge problems with discretionary monetary policy -- Incentive prolems with discretionary central banking -- When firefighters are arsonists -- On the shoulders of giants: monetary policy insights of the classically liberal nobel laureates -- Money and the rule of law -- Conclusion: money...

Contemporary monetary institutions are flawed at a foundational level. The reigning paradigm in monetary policy holds up constrained discretion as the preferred operating framework for central banks. But no matter how smart or well-intentioned are central bankers, discretionary policy contains...

In October 1988, Algeria went through the autumn of its own discontent and yet more than two decades later, the country is still ruled by the "old guard", namely the veterans of the war of independence. This paper examines the reasons Algeria has resisted the winds of change blowing through the...

I develop a theory of sovereign entrepreneurship, which is a special kind of political entrepreneurship. Sovereignty is rooted in self-enforced exchange of political property rights. Sovereign entrepreneurship is the creative employment of political property rights to advance a plan. Building on...

This is a condensed version of Salter and Tarko (2018), presented at the Austrian Economics in the 21st Century conference in Rosario, Argentina. I argue that current perspectives on banking and financial regulation, including newly popular proposals for macroprudential regulation, cannot...