The papers in this book cover the wide range of Robert Triffin's expertise. For example, Jacques Larosire interprets the evolution of the international monetary system. Michel Aglietta critically appraises the international monetary system and suggests the present system is one that does not constrain domestic policy choices. The desirability, scope and means of policy co-ordination are analyzed in the contributions by James Tobin, Robert Solomon, John Williamson, Alexandre Lamfalussy and Wolfgang Rieke. Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa discusses the possible paths to European Monetary Union whilst Alfred Steinherr and Jacques Girard evaluate the past and future evolution of the ECU. Paul De Grauwe provides empirical answers to the highly debated question whether the EMS is a DM-zone.

"A Halsted Press book."Includes index. Bibliography: p. [244]-245.

International monetary reform is of vital importance to the countries of the world. Although many studies have been made of the structure and problems of the international payment mechanism, few provide an analytical survey of the international monetary system. This study analyzes the structural and operational limitations of past systems as well as the major reform proposals for modifying and/or replacing the current system with a new payment mechanism. The authors describe the structure and nature of the international payment system and identify the issues relating to international adjustment, liquidity, and confidence. They discuss the nature of international liquidity, including liquidity's purpose, sources of demand and supply, and potential shortcomings. They analyze the theoretical and empirical implications of the gold standard. Of primary concern is the extent to which the actual operations of the system corresponded to the theoretical role of the gold standard, and the nature and limitations of the so-called dollar-gold system that prevailed in the past quarter century until 1971. The major reform proposals of the international payment mechanism are next discussed. Included are the proposals of historical interest such as Keynes, Triffin, Bernstein, Stamp, Angell, Rueff, and the currently debated issues of the Special Drawing Rights standard, freely floating exchange rates, and the wider-band and crawling-pegged exchange rate mechanisms. Finally the authors analyze the nature, operation, and future role of the managed float exchange rate system, which resulted from the international monetary crisis of 1973. Of particular interest are the effects of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) cartel on the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency, and the monetary effects of the cartel's balance-of-payments surplus on the world financial markets. This study provides the historical background, the institutional framework, and a balanced analysis of problems involved in the international monetary system. It will be of interest to all students of economics and finance, and should be read by anyone wishing to understand the world of ever-expanding trade.

This book interprets the historical evolution of how and why the international monetary system has been transformed. The strategies of the major decision-makers are defined and described, and an analysis made of how these strategies were adapted. The structure of the analysis differs from other such contributions, in that it does not concentrate on the way in which disturbances have developed, but rather on describing the pattern of reaction of policy makers to disturbances, and in particular on the political element in the decisions. This structure of analysis makes relevance criteria somewhat different from most academic literature on the international monetary system. A substantial amount of evidence is presented that has hitherto been largely neglected by experts; for example the sterling support schemes, the gold pool transactions, the use of the swap network, Schiller's preparation of the German block floating, the intervention pattern among key currencies, and the views arising from the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee. In order to facilitate comparison with other presentations careful documentation is provided of the points made. Apart from the literature referred to in the Bibliography, all material used - comprising documents, memoranda, publications and communiqués - has been organized in a computer index containing about 500 entries. Background material covered by one or more of these entries is available to the interested reader.