Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION Part I The nature of free banking 1 HOW WOULD THE INVISIBLE HAND HANDLE MONEY? (with Lawrence H.White) 2 THE EVOLUTION OF A FREE BANKING SYSTEM (with Lawrence H.White) 3 THE RATIONALIZATION OF CENTRAL BANKS Part II Macroeconomic consequences of deregulation 4 THE STABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF MONEY SUPPLY UNDER FREE BANKING 5 COMMERCIAL BANKS AS PURE INTERMEDIARIES Between “old” and “new” views 6 FREE BANKING AND MONETARY CONTROL 7 MONETARY EQUILIBRIUM AND THE PRODUCTIVITY NORM OF PRICE-LEVEL POLICY 8 THE “PRODUCTIVITY NORM” VERSUS ZERO INFLATION IN THE HISTORY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT Part III The regulatory sources of monetary disorder 9 ARE BANKING CRISES FREE-MARKET PHENOMENA? 10 LEGAL RESTRICTIONS, FINANCIAL WEAKENING, AND THE LENDER OF LAST RESORT 11 IN DEFENSE OF BANK SUSPENSION 2 BANK-LENDING “MANIAS” IN THEORY AND HISTORY

About the Author

George Selgin is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Georgia