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How Do Fixed-Exchange-Rates Regimes Work: The Evidence From The Gold Standard, Bretton Woods and The EMS

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  • Alberto Giovannini
Abstract
This paper defines two competing hypotheses on the working of fixed exchange rates. The "symmetry" hypothesis states that every country is concerned with the good functioning of the system, and cannot afford to deviate from world averages. Every country is just left to follow the rules of the game," that is to avoid sterilizing balance of payments flows. The world price level is pegged down either by an external numeraire like gold, or by cooperation among central banks, in a fiat currency system. The competing hypothesis states that fixed-exchange rates regimes are inherently asymmetric: they are characterized by a 'center country" which provides the nominal anchor for the others, either by managing the gold parity in a centralized fashion, or by arbitrarily setting some other nominal anchor. I discuss the empirical evidence to discriminate between the two hypotheses, by studying the institutional features and the data on three experiences of fixed rates: the International Gold Standard, the Bretton Woods regime, and the European Monetary System.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Giovannini, 1988. "How Do Fixed-Exchange-Rates Regimes Work: The Evidence From The Gold Standard, Bretton Woods and The EMS," NBER Working Papers 2766, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2766
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    Cited by:

    1. Richard C. Marston, 1992. "Interest Differentials Under Fixed and Flexible Exchange Rates: The Effects of Capital Controls and Exchange Risk," NBER Working Papers 4053, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Francesco Giavazzi & Alberto Giovannini, 1990. "Can the European Monetary System be Copied Outside Europe? Lessons from Ten Years of Monetary Policy Coordination in Europe," NBER Chapters, in: International Policy Coordination and Exchange Rate Fluctuations, pages 247-278, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Caporale, Guglielmo Maria & Kalyvitis, Sarantis & Pittis, Nikitas, 1996. "Interest rate convergence, capital controls, risk premia and foreign exchange market efficiency in the EMS," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 693-714.
    4. Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Nikitas Pittis, 1995. "Interest rate linkages within the European Monetary System: an alternative interpretation," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(2), pages 45-47.
    5. Fenghua Wen & Xin Yang & Xu Gong & Kin Keung Lai, 2017. "Multi-Scale Volatility Feature Analysis and Prediction of Gold Price," International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making (IJITDM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(01), pages 205-223, January.
    6. Richard C. Marston, 1993. "Interest Differentials under Bretton Woods and the Post-Bretton Woods Float: The Effects of Capital Controls and Exchange Risk," NBER Chapters, in: A Retrospective on the Bretton Woods System: Lessons for International Monetary Reform, pages 515-546, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Hans Genberg & Alexander Swoboda, 1993. "The Provision of Liquidity in the Bretton Woods System," NBER Chapters, in: A Retrospective on the Bretton Woods System: Lessons for International Monetary Reform, pages 269-316, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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