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On the monetary nature of savings: a critical analysis of the Loanable Funds Theory

Author

Listed:
  • Giancarlo Bertocco
  • Andrea Kalajzić

Abstract

To hypothesize the existence of a relationship between money and savings means questioning a fundamental pillar of the mainstream economic theory: the concept of neutrality of money. According to the traditional theory economic phenomena such as savings can be defined independently from money. The objective of this work is to show that savings cannot be defined independently from money and that savings must be considered as a monetary phenomenon. The paper consists of two parts. Starting from Adam Smith’s analysis and continuing up to the approaches developed by contemporary economists, in the first part we summarize the most significant aspects and the limitations of the mainstream theory. In the second part we specify the reasons of the non-neutrality of money and of the monetary nature of savings.

Suggested Citation

  • Giancarlo Bertocco & Andrea Kalajzić, 2022. "On the monetary nature of savings: a critical analysis of the Loanable Funds Theory," Working Papers PKWP2206, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    • Handle: RePEc:pke:wpaper:pkwp2206
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    File URL: https://postkeynesian.net/media/working-papers/PKWP2206.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert M. Solow, 2000. "The neoclassical theory of growth and distribution," Banca Nazionale del Lavoro Quarterly Review, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, vol. 53(215), pages 349-381.
    2. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    3. Ben S. Bernanke & Mark Gertler, 1995. "Inside the Black Box: The Credit Channel of Monetary Policy Transmission," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 27-48, Fall.
    4. Giancarlo Bertocco & Andrea Kalajzić, 2019. "A Keynes + Schumpeter model to explain development, speculation and crises," Working Papers PKWP1916, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    5. Giancarlo Bertocco & Andrea Kalajzić, 2020. "A Keynes + Schumpeter Model to Explain the Relationship Between Money, Development and Crises," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 390-413, July.
    6. Giancarlo Bertocco, 2013. "On Keynes's Criticism of the Loanable Funds Theory," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 309-326, April.
    7. Bernanke, Ben S. & Gertler, Mark & Gilchrist, Simon, 1999. "The financial accelerator in a quantitative business cycle framework," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 21, pages 1341-1393, Elsevier.
    8. Giancarlo Bertocco & Andrea Kalajzić, 2019. "On the monetary nature of the interest rate in a Keynes–Schumpeter perspective," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(4), pages 527-553, October.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • B12 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Classical (includes Adam Smith)
    • B13 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Neoclassical through 1925 (Austrian, Marshallian, Walrasian, Wicksellian)
    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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