Central Bank Capitalism

Joscha Wullweber is Heisenberg Professor of Political Economy, Transformation and Sustainability and the director of [tra:ce] at Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.

• PrefaceAcknowledgments1. Introduction:Central Banks and Power2. The "Boring" World of Central Banking: Monetary Policy Prior to the 20072009 Global Financial Crisis3. A Political Theory of Money4. Security Structures and Socioeconomic Layers5. Sources of Instability in the Financial System6. The Shadow Banking System and Free Market Capitalism7. A Never-Ending Crisis: The Global Financial System in the Twenty-First Century 8. Masters of Stability:The Unconventional Monetary Policy of Central Banks 9. Central Bank Capitalism and the Elasticity Provision of Last Resort10. Outlook: Navigating in Turbulent TimesNotesReferencesIndex

"Financial globalization is the significant fact of our age. Central Bank Capitalism foregrounds the role of central banks in enabling this development, and the challenge that political scientists face in integrating this into their understanding of governance."—Perry Mehrling, author of The New Lombard Street "Monetary theory and policy are shrouded in near-mystical language and ideas. Wullweber shines a bright light on both and in plain language reveals the interdependence of private capital markets, money markets, the shadow banking system and central banks."—Ann Pettifor, author of The Case for the Green New Deal "Wullweber offers a brilliant new perspective on the role of central banks in today's global economy. With deep empirical analysis, he sees a new regime emerging governed by powerful monetary authorities. Central Bank Capitalism is provocative and insightful."—Benjamin J. Cohen, author of International Political Economy: An Intellectual History "Central banks remain some of the most mysterious and important institutions of modern time. In this tour-de-force analysis, Wullweber unpacks their technocratic processes and shows them to be deeply political."—Marieke de Goede, author of Speculative Security "Central Bank Capitalism makes the reader understand why monetary policy is no longer boring—and why this is a problem for all of us."—Waltraud Schelkle, author of The Political Economy of Monetary Solidarity "Everyone should try to understand how and how much central banks are crucial for economics and politics, and this book is a great place to start. Even well-informed readers who've kept up with recent financial developments will have a great deal to learn from Wullweber's comprehensive vision of global financial politics."—Roy Kreitner, author of Calculating Promises "Recommended reading for anyone who wants to understand the workings of contemporary finance capitalism and the central role that central banks play in its perpetuation."—Caspar Dohmen, Deutschlandfunk "Wullweber takes us deep into the engine room of central banks - the institutions decisively responsible for steering today's economy. The great strength of his book lies in the fact that he does not stop at a (critical) description of financial market developments. Instead he points out why the situation evolved as it did, either because of inaction, mostly on the part of Western governments, or because of financial market deregulation."—pro zukunft "Wullweber argues that financial markets in advanced economies can no longer function without 'unconventional policies' from central banks."—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs "The book's proposed monetary policy is inclusive based on democratic principles, concentrating on 'financing and implementing social, ecological, and sustainable solutions to climate change" and other policy issues.'... Recommended."—E. C. Erickson, CHOICE