The Deficit Myth
Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy
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4.5 • 15 Ratings
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Bestseller
A “clear and vigorously written book” (Foreign Affairs), from the leading thinker of modern monetary theory, that delivers a bold new understanding for how to build a prosperous society
Stephanie Kelton's brilliant exploration of modern monetary theory (MMT) dramatically changes our understanding of how we can best deal with crucial issues ranging from poverty and inequality to creating jobs, expanding health care coverage, climate change, and building resilient infrastructure. Any ambitious proposal, however, inevitably runs into the buzz saw of how to find the money to pay for it, rooted in myths about deficits that are hobbling us as a country.
Kelton busts through the myths that prevent us from taking action: that the federal government should budget like a household, that deficits will harm the next generation, crowd out private investment, and undermine long-term growth, and that entitlements are propelling us toward a grave fiscal crisis.
MMT, as Kelton shows, shifts the terrain from narrow budgetary questions to one of broader economic and social benefits. With its important new ways of understanding money, taxes, and the critical role of deficit spending, MMT redefines how to responsibly use our resources so that we can maximize our potential as a society. MMT gives us the power to imagine a new politics and a new economy and move from a narrative of scarcity to one of opportunity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kelton, a professor of economics at SUNY Stony Brook, debuts with an accessible introduction to modern monetary theory (MMT) and its implications for public policy. According to MMT, the American government, as monopoly issuer of the U.S. dollar, can print and spend money as it sees fit, without undue concern for runaway inflation or ballooning national debt. Lawmakers and economists who maintain that the government should operate like a household (by balancing tax revenue and spending), Kelton writes, mistake the real usage of taxes (not to fund public services, but rather to create demand for currency), and employ the "deficit myth" mainly to avoid funding projects to which they're politically opposed. She also undercuts common notions about unemployment and inflation, and argues that a new, MMT-based economy could help to mitigate climate change and eliminate trade wars. By placing a greater emphasis on "full employment," Kelton writes, the government could spend money to create meaningful jobs while also providing health care and better public education. Kelton writes clearly and directly, and does well to keep the lay reader in mind throughout. This comprehensive, lucid explanation of a much-buzzed about economic theory will resonate with progressives.
Customer Reviews
Should be mandatory reading in high school
If everyone knew how the money system for sovereign currencies worked, we’d be having a lot more rational discussions. This book explains it simply while providing enough detail to address the most likely questions.
Powerful
I’m so glad to know that what I’ve secretly hoped all along — there must be a better way — is actually possible and available to us! This book is inspiring me to do what I can to make positive change happen.