1. Walter Bagehot and <italic>Lombard Street</italic> (1873): introduction to a 150-year retrospective.
- Author
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Leloup, Sandrine and Trautwein, Hans-Michael
- Subjects
- *
MONETARY policy , *REAL economy , *FINANCIAL crises , *ECONOMIC history , *COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
This article introduces a special issue on Walter Bagehot and his book Lombard Street. Bagehot, known primarily as an essayist and journalist, was the editor-in-chief of The Economist and made it a reference journal for the financial center of London. The article discusses Bagehot's background in banking and his pragmatic approach to describing the world of finance. It also explores the relevance of Bagehot's views in the present, including their application during the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. The special issue includes articles that examine the construction and reception of Lombard Street, its application in later financial crises, and Bagehot's views on financial markets and crises. The text discusses various perspectives on Walter Bagehot's ideas on the governance of the Bank of England and the role of central banks in financial stability. It highlights Bagehot's belief in reconciling conflicting interests and the importance of an international lender of last resort. The text also examines the reception of Bagehot's ideas in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis and analyzes the interpretations of his principles by Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the Federal Reserve. Additionally, it explores Bagehot's failure to spot a financial bubble in the past and his contribution to the creation of modern Treasury bills. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
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