The monetary system and sovereign money

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject Economics - Other, grade: 1,0, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (Nachhaltigkeit), course: Fundamentals of sustainability economics, language: English, abstract: According to the rising demand of sustainable economic models, based on the increasing awareness that our planet cannot withhold the current pressure of the continuous economic growth, this essay raises the question whether our current monetary system creates a growth imperative and if sovereign money is an alternative to overcome this growth imperative. The essay gives an introduction into the function of the two-tier, fractional reserve banking system and reflects the consequences of the “money creation privilege” of modern private banks. Moreover, it is discussed if and how this system creates a growth imperative in our economic system. Therefore, the neutrality theory of money is criticized as well as the common idea that interest creates growth. Furthermore, the pro-cyclical behavior of private banks and the lack of control of central banks isdiscussed as a possible reason for growth imperative. Still as a result there is no systemic necessity to growth based on the monetary system. The monetary system is not a driving condition of the economic growth, but it lays the necessary basis for growth. The essay concludes that it is questionable that the growth imperative can be avoided with sovereign money, especially because the causality goes from economic growth to money creation and not vice versa.