Moral Economies of Money: Politics and the Monetary Constitution of Society

People believed that money was a public good and had the right to control money creation practices. Jakob Feinig's book explores how the relationship between money users and governments changed from British colonial North America to the United States, discussing how popular movements reshaped money-creating institutions and how their opponents attempted to silence them. It also provides an introduction to money creation practices since the colonial era and helps readers understand why most people are disconnected from knowledge about money creation today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

For a significant portion of American history, a substantial segment of the population held the belief that money was a public commodity and asserted the authority to influence the practices associated with its creation. However, if the general understanding of money creation was once widely disseminated, what factors led to its disappearance? In his insightful and thought-provoking book, Jakob Feinig delves into the intricate transformation of the relationship between money users and money-issuing governments, spanning from British colonial North America to the present-day United States. Through a comprehensive analysis, Feinig explores how popular movements have exerted a profound influence on the institutions responsible for money creation, while also shedding light on the strategies employed by opponents to suppress these movements. Moreover, the book offers a comprehensive introduction to money creation practices since the colonial era, empowering readers to comprehend the reasons behind the widespread disconnection from knowledge about money creation in contemporary society. At the same time, Feinig situates the recent prominence of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) within a broader historical context, providing valuable insights into the historical processes that have shaped our understanding of money and monetary systems. This book is of immense interest to historians of capitalism, economic and political sociologists, social theorists, anthropologists of money, and anyone seeking to delve into the realm of monetary activism and its implications for the present day. By examining the historical trajectory of money creation and its relationship with popular movements, Feinig offers a valuable framework for understanding the possibilities and limitations of monetary reform in the contemporary era.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503629172