Debates & Controversies

“”Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) continues to advance rapidly. We are past the first phase of reaction (first they ignore you), deeply into the second phase (then they attack you), and expanding the ranks of the third phase (then you win). We are very early in the third phase, winning with increasing numbers of people, but still a minority view.”
– Wm K Black, Feb 18. 2019

-2022-

Modern money theory on fiscal and monetary policies: empirics, theory, and praxis
— Eric Tymoigne (@tymoignee), Elgar Online (@Elgar_Libraries) Oct 2022

How Many More Trillions Before the Debt Triggers a Crisis?
— Stephanie Kelton, Stony Brook University (@StephanieKelton), John B. Taylor, Stanford University Pairagraph (@pairagraph) June 5, 2022

-2021-

Dismal Economics “Although neoclassical economics relies on assumptions that should have been discarded long ago, it remains the mainstream orthodoxy. Three recent books, and one older one, help to show why its staying power should be regarded as a scandal.”
— James Galbraith Project Syndicate (@ProSyn) July 23, 2021

MMT and Power – Part 1
— Bill Mitchell (@billy_blog) Macroeconomic research, teaching and advocacy, May 6, 2021

Paul Krugman Has Changed His Tune About Our “Long Run Budget Problem”
— Nathan Tankus (@NathanTankus) Notes on the Crisis April 15, 2021

-2020-

Who’s Afraid of MMT? • It is not surprising that current and retired central bankers feel threatened by Modern Monetary Theory. With deep roots in the Keynesian tradition and a consistent commitment to achieving full employment, MMT shows that good economics and sound policy doesn’t have to be shrouded in obscurantist cant.
— James K. Galbraith, Project Syndicate (@ProSyn) Dec 23, 2020

A Pair Of Weaker MMT Critiques…
— Brian Romanchuk (@RomanchukBrian) Seeking Alpha (@SeekingAlpha) July 8, 2020

Does Modern Monetary Theory Have Any Scholarly Validity?
— John Harvey (@John_T_Harvey) Forbes (@Forbes) Jan 28, 2020

-2019-

Explainer: Five questions about Modern Monetary Theory
— Howard Schneider (@hpschneider), Reuters (@Reuters) Aug 7, 2019

Comments on Meadway’s Criticisms of MMT
— Brian Romanchuk (@RomanchukBrian), Bond Economics, June 5, 2019

The Job Guarantee misinformation campaign – UBI style
— Bill Mitchell (@billy_blog) Macroeconomic research, teaching and advocacy, May 15, 2019

For MMT
— Thomas Fazi (@battleforeurope), Bill Mitchell (@billy_blog), Tribune Mag May 6, 2019

Senate Has a Duty to Denounce MMT, Republicans Say in Resolution • Pro-deficit doctrine would unleash inflation, 5 senators say; Krugman, longtime MMT critic, says Republican ideas even worse
— Katia Dmitrieva (@katiadmi), Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) May 3, 2019

Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)—A Response to Henwood
— Rohan Grey (@RohanGrey), Nathan Tankus (@NathanTankus), Scott Ferguson (@videotroph), Raúl Carrillo (@RaúlACarrillo) Monthly Review May 2, 2019   NOTE: Translated into Spanish by Jorge Amar Benet (@Jorge_Econopata)

Rohan Grey’s Twitter Thread on @dylanmatt’s Vox piece on MMT
— Rohan Grey (@RohanGrey) April 16, 2019

Modern Monetary Theory, explained • A very detailed walk through of the big new left economic idea.
— Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt) vox.com Apr 16, 2019

Tom Friedman Just Noticed that the UK “Has Gone Mad” (Part 2) • Blair, Brexit, and Friedman Show the Need for MMT Insights
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives April 11, 2019

Tom Friedman Just Noticed that the UK “Has Gone Mad” (Part 1)
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives April 11, 2019

Democracies With Sovereign Currencies Can Dance
— Anonymous New Economic Perspectives April 11, 2019

MMT, Models, Multidisciplinarity
— Pavlina Tcherneva (@PTcherneva) New Economic Perspectives April 8, 2019

A Response to Rebecca Spang’s “MMT and Why Historians Need to Reclaim Studying Money”
— Maxximilian Seijo (@MaxSeijo), History News Network (@myHNN) April 7, 2019

Why Does Everyone Hate MMT
— James Montier, GMO April 3, 2019

MMT Scholars’ Predictive and Policy Successes
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives April 1, 2019

MMT and Why Historians Need to Reclaim Studying Money
— Rebecca L. Spang (@RebeccaSpang), History News Network (@myHNN) March 31, 2019

Is there a better model to explain economics in the Trump era?
— James K. Galbraith, Boston Globe (@GlobeOpinion) March 30, 2019

A Must Read: Why does everyone hate MMT?
— L. Randall Wray, New Economic Perspectives Naked Capitalism March 26, 2019

MMT Makes Democrats Curious Amid Debate on Health Care, Climate
— Jack Fitzpatrick (@jackfitzdc), Bloomberg Government, ‏March 25, 2019

A Conspiracy Against MMT? Chicago Booth’s Polling and Trolling
— L. Randall Wray, New Economic Perspectives March 18, 2019

Four “Tells” That Show Krugman Knows He Cannot Win an Honest Debate
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives March 15, 2019

The Day Orthodox Economists Lost Their Minds and Integrity
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives March 15, 2019

Three Natural Experiments Documenting Krugman’s Bias Against MMT
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives March 14, 2019

Wolfers Blames MMT for Orthodox Economists’ Ignorance of MMT
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives March 14, 2019

The Chicago Booth Survey on MMT
— David Andolfatto (@dandolfa), MacroMania March 14, 2019

MMT Responds to Brad DeLong’s Challenge
— L. Randall Wray, New Economic Perspectives March 12, 2019

MMT Takes Center Stage – and Orthodox Economists Freak
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives March 11, 2019

MMT: Sense Or Nonsense?
— John Harvey (@John_T_Harvey), Forbes March 5, 2019

MMT Is Already Helping
— Pavlina Tcherneva (@PTcherneva), Jacobin (@JacobinMag) Feb 27, 2019

Modern Monetary Theory is On the March.
— William Black (@WilliamKBlack) New Economic Perspectives Feb 18, 2019

-2013 & earlier-

Modern Money Theory 101: A Reply to Critics • Key words: Modern Money Theory, Price Stability, Full Employment, Financial Stability, Money
— Éric Tymoigne (@tymoignee), L. Randall Wray Levy Economics Institute of Bard College November 2013

Larry Summers versus Dodd Frank
— Nathan Tankus (@NathanTankus) Naked Capitalism Sept 11, 2013

Could a Memo by Christina Romer Have Saved the Economy?
— John Hudson The Atlantic Feb 22, 2012

2,181 Italians pack a Sports Arena to learn Modern Monetary Theory: The Economy doesn’t Need to suffer Neoliberal Austerity
— Michael Hudson Michael Hudson on Finance, Real Estate and the Powers of Neoliberalism Feb 27, 2012

Paul Debates Jamie and MMT
Joe Firestone (@joefirestonephd) All Life is Problem Solving July 20, 2010

How the Economists Got It Wrong
James K. Galbraith The American Prospect (@TheProspect) Dec 19, 2001