Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial? It’s been a wild week in Westminster and it’s starting to look like the Tories are losing their grip. Ed and George chew over the Supreme Court’s judgment on Rwanda and what it means for Sunak. Could his new Foreign Secretary slam the brakes on some Tories’ hopes to leave the ECHR? A deep ex­amination of the theoretical and political foundations of money that rescues the money discus­sion from economists."—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Open Magazine Eich’s extraordinary book provides an essential guide to thinking about the politics of money."— Adam Tooze

If you are interested in this review, you may also like to listen to a podcast of Professor Frieden’s LSE public lecture, ‘Lessons for the Euro from America’s Past’, recorded on 19 January 2016. Identifying the motivations for currency policy preferences on the part of industries seeking to influence politicians, Jeffry Frieden shows how each industry’s characteristics—including its exposure to currency risk and the price effects of exchange rate movements—determine those preferences. Frieden evaluates the accuracy of his theoretical arguments in a variety of historical and geographical settings: he looks at the politics of the gold standard, particularly in the United States, and he examines the political economy of European monetary integration. He also analyzes the politics of Latin American currency policy over the past forty years, and focuses on the daunting currency crises that have frequently debilitated Latin American nations, including Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. With deftness, elegance, and intellectual verve, Eich paints a vivid and compelling picture of the whole history of political and economic thought as revealed through an interrogation of money. It is clear that this insightful book announces a new and important voice in the field.”—David Singh Grewal, author of Network Power For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial. In Currency Politics, Frieden not only draws together beautifully the strands of his previous work, but he advances a new and entirely persuasive explanation of the euro project as an essential bulwark against competitive devaluations. Above all, he argues convincingly for the centrality of exchange rate policy to domestic politics, international relations, and macroeconomics in open economies." —Ronald Rogowski, University of California, Los AngelesCurrency Politics is an ambitious book on an important topic. Frieden is one of the best political economists and one of the best scholars writing on this subject." —Sebastian Edwards, University of California, Los Angeles and author of Toxic Aid A fresh and splendidly clear guide to the intellectual history of monetary policy. . . . The Currency of Politics is an invaluable guide to why — and how to think about what comes next."—Felix Martin, Financial Times

While the fragility of exchange rate commitments has been known since the publication of a 1995 paper by Obstfeld and Rogoff, the question of why some central banks fix the value of their currencies and others do not is less well understood. Jeffry Frieden’s Currency Politics provides a thoughtful guide to the political economy of exchange rate policy. ... The book is readable for both economists and political scientists. I recommend Currency Politics to both sets of scholars. Economists will learn about the political aspects of exchange-regime choice and political scientists about the economic aspects. ---Lawrence H. Officer, EH.Net Meanwhile, Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion of his MPs over the SNP’s ceasefire amendment. Ed explains why this isn’t as big a threat to the Labour leader as it first appears... Jeffry A. Frieden, Currency Politics: The Political Economy of Exchange Rate Policy (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015).Eich’s work is sure to be a landmark in political science. His argument is bold and ambitious; his writing clear and engaging; and his message timely, persuasive and imperative."—Erik Jones, Survival Eich’s contribution demarcates a new space for political thought on money, and brings together key theorists on the structuration of money both to show that political thought often has a direct effect on the type of monetary system that is maintained, and to show that democratic agency vis-a-vis money is often wilfully ignored."—Dominic Burbidge, Politics and Poetics Regression analysis of voting data and proxy variables for political interests largely substantiate Frieden’s theories in the selected cases, particularly the preference of manufacturers and exporters for a flexible regime and lower price level. International financial intermediaries, who have historically lobbied for a more stable regime, contest these policy settings. There is also evidence that populist politicians may inflate the price level to boost the purchasing power of consumers, particularly in the Latin American context. The Currency of Politics breaks the frame we use to understand money. More than an instrument or an institution, currency becomes a nerve center of political theory. Deeply in dialogue with the past, Stefan Eich compels us forward to conceptualize money as a medium for democratic agency—or its loss. A tour de force.”—Christine Desan, author of Making Money: Coin, Currency, and the Coming of Capitalism

In Currency Politics, Frieden not only draws together beautifully the strands of his previous work, but he advances a new and entirely persuasive explanation of the euro project as an essential bulwark against competitive devaluations. Above all, he argues convincingly for the centrality of exchange rate policy to domestic politics, international relations, and macroeconomics in open economies."—Ronald Rogowski, University of California, Los Angeles A very good book. . . . Eich takes us on a fascinating journey."—Paul Sagar, Perspectives on Politics The book is readable for both economists and political scientists. I recommend Currency Politics to both sets of scholars. Economists will learn about the political aspects of exchange-regime choice and political scientists about the economic aspects."—Lawrence H. Officer, EH.Net Frieden undertakes careful examination of currency politics. . . . [M]eticulous [and] well-informed. . . . Recommended."— Choice You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.Jeffry A. Frieden, Professor of Government at Harvard University, has written a fine book on the determinants of decision-making regarding exchange-rate regime and, to some extent, exchange-rate level within the selected regime. The book is readable for both economists and political scientists. I recommend Currency Politics to both sets of scholars. Economists will learn about the political aspects of exchange-regime choice and political scientists about the economic aspects." -- Lawrence Officer, EH.net. In the use of case studies and the inclusion of historical and contextual factors, Currency Politics introduces a meaningful narrative to the analysis. Pure economic analysis is typically deterministic and struggles to account for contingent factors. By considering social, institutional and historical aspects, the text succeeds in treating the economy for what it really is: a complex and interdependent phenomenon. Currency Politics: The Political Economy of Exchange Rate Policy. Jeffry A. Frieden. Princeton University Press. 2016. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, critical attention has shifted from the economy to the most fundamental feature of all market economies—money. Yet despite the centrality of political struggles over money, it remains difficult to articulate its democratic possibilities and limits. The Currency of Politicstakes readers from ancient Greece to today to provide an intellectual history of money, drawing on the insights of key political philosophers to show how money is not just a medium of exchange but also a central institution of political rule.