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A new perspective on the Gold Standard: Inflation as a population phenomenon

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  • Faria, João Ricardo
  • McAdam, Peter

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to contribute a new model of the Gold Standard, focusing on the interaction between resource scarcity and demographics. In a dynamic micro-founded model we find that: i) prices and equilibrium gold holdings increase with population (a scale effect), but decrease with the population growth rate; ii) that the Gold Standard implies deflation unless extraction resources outstrip population growth; and iii) there is no optimal quantity of money. The predictions of the model are examined using a structural VAR. Our results also shed light on debates about the viability of a return to the Gold Standard, and, more generally, on the interaction between policy variables and scarce resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Faria, João Ricardo & McAdam, Peter, 2012. "A new perspective on the Gold Standard: Inflation as a population phenomenon," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 1358-1370.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:31:y:2012:i:6:p:1358-1370
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2012.02.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Thi Hong Van Hoang & Amine Lahiani & David Heller, 2016. "Is gold a hedge against inflation? New evidence from a nonlinear ARDL approach," Post-Print hal-02012307, HAL.
    2. Wu, Chih-Chiang & Chiu, Junmao, 2017. "Economic evaluation of asymmetric and price range information in gold and general financial markets," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 53-68.
    3. Thomas Conlon & Brian M. Lucey & Gazi Salah Uddin, 2018. "Is gold a hedge against inflation? A wavelet time-scale perspective," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 317-345, August.
    4. Salisu, Afees A. & Ndako, Umar B. & Oloko, Tirimisiyu F., 2019. "Assessing the inflation hedging of gold and palladium in OECD countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 357-377.
    5. Hoang, Thi Hong Van & Lahiani, Amine & Heller, David, 2016. "Is gold a hedge against inflation? New evidence from a nonlinear ARDL approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 54-66.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gold Standard; Cagan-Keynes; Labor; Extraction; Scarcity; Inflation; Deflation; Population dynamics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money

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