Central Banks as Sources of Financial Instability.

The current financial crisis has highlighted the utter dependence on contemporary central banks as instruments for assuring the continuous flow of credit after a financial bust and the capacity of such banks to make booms which make those busts possible. The theoretical treatment of central banking...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Independent Review Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 485 - 497
Autor principal: Selgin, George
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Independent Institute Spring 2010
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:The current financial crisis has highlighted the utter dependence on contemporary central banks as instruments for assuring the continuous flow of credit after a financial bust and the capacity of such banks to make booms which make those busts possible. The theoretical treatment of central banking puts almost complete emphasis on the stabilizing capacity of such banks, reflecting the normative nature of much theoretical work on the subject and the assumption that they succeed in limiting the effects of booms and busts. The writer challenges the conventional treatment of central banking by contending that banks are fundamentally destabilizing.