
EconTalk Milton Friedman on Money
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Aug 28, 2006 Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize–winning economist and Stanford Hoover fellow, reflects on monetary history and the Fed. He discusses why the 1970s shifted views on inflation, the Fed's role in the Great Depression, interest rates as a tool to control money, and the appeal of steady money rules like New Zealand’s approach. He warns of political pressures that can undo monetary stability.
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Inflation Is A Monetary Phenomenon
- Inflation is fundamentally a monetary phenomenon driven by money growth.
- The 1970s' stagflation forced economists to accept money's central role in inflation.
Great Depression Money Collapse
- The chapter on the Great Depression showed money contraction coincided with massive output loss.
- Friedman and Anna Schwartz documented money falling one-third and the economy halving between 1929–33.
Rates Are A Tool To Control Money
- Central banks talk about interest rates but use them to control money supply.
- Short-term rates are a practical tool to manage money growth via open-market operations.







