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Adaptive Learning and the Transition to Fiat Money

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Author Info
George Selgin (University of Georgia)
Abstract

This article explores some implications of adaptive learning for monetary evolution using a search--theoretic framework that allows for media--of--exchange network effects. Adaptive learning precludes any voluntary transition to a fiat standard from a non--monetary state of nature and can account for the historically--observed tendency for fiat monetary standards to emerge only following the prior appearance of commodity money and the widespread employment of redeemable banknotes. Adaptive learning can also account for governments" frequent resort to coercive measures to force a switch to fiat money and for their ability to affect such a switch even when doing so is not Pareto optimal. Copyright Royal Economic Society 2003.

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Article provided by Royal Economic Society in its journal The Economic Journal.

Volume (Year): 113 (2003)
Issue (Month): 484 (January)
Pages: 147-165
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Handle: RePEc:ecj:econjl:v:113:y:2003:i:484:p:147-165

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Hayashi, Fumio & Matsui, Akihiko, 1996. "A Model of Fiat Money and Barter," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 111-132, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Freeman, Scott J, 1989. "Fiat Money as a Medium of Exchange," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 30(1), pages 137-51, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Selgin, George A, 1994. "On Ensuring the Acceptability of a New Fiat Money," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 26(4), pages 808-26, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Ellison, Glenn & Fudenberg, Drew, 1993. "Rules of Thumb for Social Learning," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(4), pages 612-43, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Arthur, W Brian, 1989. "Competing Technologies, Increasing Returns, and Lock-In by Historical Events," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(394), pages 116-31, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Aiyagari, S. Rao & Wallace, Neil, 1997. "Government Transaction Policy, the Medium of Exchange, and Welfare," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 1-18, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Kiyotaki, Nobuhiro & Wright, Randall, 1993. "A Search-Theoretic Approach to Monetary Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(1), pages 63-77, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Dowd, Kevin & Greenaway, David, 1993. "Currency Competition, Network Externalities and Switching Costs: Towards an Alternative View of Optimum Currency Areas," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 103(420), pages 1180-89, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Angela Redish, 1993. "Anchors Aweigh: The Transition from Commodity Money to Fiat Money in Western Economies," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 26(4), pages 777-95, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Friedman, Milton, 1986. "The Resource Cost of Irredeemable Paper Money," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(3), pages 642-47, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Jones, Robert A, 1976. "The Origin and Development of Media of Exchange," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 84(4), pages 757-75, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Lui, Francis T, 1983. "Cagan's Hypothesis and the First Nationwide Inflation of Paper Money in World History," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(6), pages 1067-74, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1985. "Network Externalities, Competition, and Compatibility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 424-40, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Ritter, Joseph A, 1995. "The Transition from Barter to Fiat Money," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(1), pages 134-49, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  20. Alchian, Armen A, 1977. "Why Money?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 9(1), pages 133-40, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Samuel E. Vazquez, 2009. "Scale Invariance, Bounded Rationality and Non-Equilibrium Economics," Quantitative Finance Papers 0902.3840, arXiv.org. [Downloadable!]
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