Ep. 220: George Selgin on Fed Independence, Poor Operations and Inflation
Jun 14, 2024
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George Selgin, Senior Fellow at Cato Institute, and Professor Emeritus, delves into Fed's post-crisis changes, abundant reserves policy impact, inflation management post-covid, and recommendations on old books in monetary economics.
George Selgin emphasizes the Fed's transition to an abundant reserve system post-GFC, altering banking operations.
The Fed's policy changes post-GFC affected bank behavior, lending practices, and interest rate management.
George highlights the delicate balance between controlling inflation and supporting economic growth post-COVID.
Deep dives
Introduction and Podcast Format
The podcast episode features a conversation with guest George Selgin, a senior economist, and professor emeritus, discussing monetary and financial alternatives, highlighting his unique background starting from a zoology major to economics. The dialogue touches upon George's interests in ecological processes, monetary economics, and his life in Granada, Spain. The host provides insight into George's critical views on monetary policy and the Fed.
Evolution of the Federal Reserve's Monetary Systems
George delves into the significant changes in the Federal Reserve's monetary systems post the 2008 financial crisis. The transition from a scarce reserve system to an abundant reserve system, coupled with the introduction of interest rates on reserves, had lasting implications on banking operations and interest rate dynamics.
Impact of Federal Reserve's Policy Changes
The discussion highlights how the Fed's policy changes post-GFC influenced bank behavior, lending practices, and interest rate management, challenging the traditional mechanisms of interbank lending and impacting credit allocation within the financial system.
Handling of Inflation and Economic Growth
George outlines the Fed's response to inflation post-COVID, emphasizing the delicate balance between controlling inflation and supporting economic growth. The conversation navigates through the Fed's interest rate decisions, growth prospects, and potential implications on the broader economy.
Fed's Independence and Future Concerns
The dialogue explores the Fed's independence amidst political pressures and potential reforms. George stresses the importance of preserving the Fed's autonomy and cautions against legislative changes that may compromise its ability to manage inflation and economic stability in the long run.
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute and professor emeritus of economics at the University of Georgia. He is the author of numerous books, including ‘The Theory of Free Banking’, ‘Floored! How a Misguided Fed Experiment Deepened and Prolonged the Great Recession’ and ‘The Menace of Fiscal QE’. George is one of the founders, with Kevin Dowd and Lawrence H. White, of the Modern Free Banking School, which draws its inspiration from the writings of F. A. Hayek on denationalization of money and choice in currency. In this podcast, we discuss how marine biology helps you understand economics, how the Fed fundamentally changed after the Global Financial Crisis, understanding the Fed’s abundant reserves policy, and much more.