Money Talks: Understanding Monetary Policy

Schedule:

A wise man once said, “the more money we come across, the more problems we see.”  While the truth in that statement can be debated, one cannot deny the importance of understanding money; what it is, where it comes from, and how it works.  For policymakers interested in promoting a prosperous economy, it is increasingly important to understand how monetary policy affects inflation, unemployment, and interest rates, as well as how politics can affect monetary policy.

Too often the meat and substance of monetary policy is lost amid technical jargon and economic theory.  To help clarify this topic for policymakers on the Hill, The Mercatus Center at George Mason University will host a four-day course to sift through the jargon to offer a clear and concise look at monetary economics and its effects on the lives of all Americans. 

Course participants will develop a conceptual framework for understanding monetary economics while working to answer such questions as:

• Where does money come from?  How does the banking system work?
• What determines national interest rates, and how much control does the Federal Reserve have over them?  Are there any drawbacks to the way the system is run?
• How are Asian financial systems affecting the American economy, particularly the Japanese and Chinese monetary systems?  How does the federal deficit affect monetary policy?  What about prolonged deficits and military activity?