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Fiat Money And The Natural Scale Of Government, Martin Shubik, Eric Smith
Fiat Money And The Natural Scale Of Government, Martin Shubik, Eric Smith
Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers
The competitive market structure of a decentralized economy is converted into a self-policing system treating the bureaucracy and enforcement of the legal system endogenously. In particular we consider money systems as constructs to make agents’ economic strategies predictable from knowledge of their preferences and endowments, and thus to support coordinated resource production and distribution from independent decision making. Diverse rule systems can accomplish this, and we construct minimal strategic market games representing government-issued fiat money and ideal commodity money as two cases. We endogenize the provision of money and rules for its use as productive activities within the society, and …
Inventories, Investment, Inflation And Taxes, James Tobin
Inventories, Investment, Inflation And Taxes, James Tobin
Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers
Sales today were made possible by inputs of factor services and intermediate goods at various previous dates. Prices change between the input dates and the sale date. Especially in periods of general inflation, these price movements create ambiguities in the reckoning of profits. The accounting definition used in taxing profits can have significant economic effects. Tax accounting is generally not neutral vis-à-vis general inflation. Costing inputs at their historical nominal prices (FIFO) is a real burden and disincentive, greater the higher the inflation rate. It is analogous to depreciating durable capital at historical cost. However, it may be partially, completely, …