Background
The Smithsonian Agreement was an international pact concluded in 1971 aiming to stabilize global currencies by realigning them within a pegged exchange rate system reminiscent of the Bretton Woods framework.
Historical Context
In the aftermath of the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system in the early 1970s, global monetary authorities sought new ways to maintain exchange rate stability. The Smithsonian Agreement emerged in this period as a significant, though ultimately short-lived, effort to re-establish fixed exchange rates.
Definitions and Concepts
The Smithsonian Agreement was an attempt to salvage the principles of fixed exchange rates that had characterized the Bretton Woods era. The agreement allowed for a greater degree of fluctuation than previously permissible but sought to prevent erratic currency values.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economic theory often favors freely floating exchange rates as a reflection of market forces.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical economics tends to support market-determined exchange rates, thus potentially viewing the Smithsonian Agreement as overly interventionist.
Keynesian Economic
Keynesian economists might view the Smithsonian Agreement as a necessary intervention to manage global economic stability by controlling volatile currency fluctuations.
Marxian Economics
Marxian analysis may interpret the Smithsonian Agreement as a mechanism for stabilizing capitalist economies, placing a spotlight on controlling financial instability in favor of sustaining capitalist enterprises.
Institutional Economics
From an institutional perspective, the Smithsonian Agreement represented an effort to establish renewed governance frameworks within the explicit structures of global monetary policy.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists might assess how sentiments and expectations influenced policymakers seeking to establish stability through the Smithsonian Agreement despite systemic pressures against fixed exchange rates.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesian theorists often argue for coordinated international financial policies, in line with the aspirations of the Smithsonian Agreement to maintain pegged exchange rates globally.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economists critique such agreements for attempting to control complex market processes better left to natural equilibrating mechanisms through free market pricing.
Development Economics
Development economics would engage with the Smithsonian Agreement in understanding how fixed and pegged exchange rates impact emerging and developing economies, affecting debt levels, exports, and currency stability.
Monetarism
Monetarists may critique the Smithsonian Agreement for not sufficiently addressing the root monetary supply issues leading to currency instability, thus reinstating fixed pegs without control over inflation dynamics.
Comparative Analysis
The Smithsonian Agreement bears similarities to earlier efforts like Bretton Woods in attempting to impose order on international monetary systems, yet it showcased inherent difficulties in maintaining such pegs amidst evolving economic realities.
Case Studies
Examining the outcomes in countries like the U.S., Germany, and Japan under the Smithsonian framework illuminates the agreement’s transient nature and its varying impacts based on domestic economic policies.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “History of the World Economy in the Twentieth Century” by John Maynard
- “Globalizing Capital: A History of the International Monetary System” by Barry Eichengreen
- “The Collapse of Global Trade, Murky Protectionism, and the Crisis: Recommendations for the G20” by Richard Baldwin and Simon Evenett
Related Terms with Definitions
- Bretton Woods System: A post-World War II arrangement which established fixed exchange rates and marked the inception of institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
- Exchange Rate Peg: A policy tool that fixes a country’s currency rate to another currency or basket of currencies to provide greater financial stability.
- Monetary Policy: Strategies by a government or central bank to control the money supply and achieve macroeconomic goals such as controlling inflation, consumption, growth, and liquidity.
