Dollar hegemony: A power analysis

Carla Norrlof

Review of International Political Economy, 2014, vol. 21, issue 5, 1042-1070

Abstract: The dollar has been the world's first currency since the end of World War II, possibly since the inter-war period, and is the leading currency today. A growing chorus of observers believes this dollar-centered order is coming to an end. While much commentary revolves around changes in the distribution of power, measures are only loosely related to the material basis for currency dominance. A proper understanding of the dollar's global role requires a quantitative assessment of the United States' monetary capabilities and currency influence relative to potential rivals. Moreover, while there is general recognition that a shift in power capabilities away from the United States to another actor in the international system is an insufficient, although necessary, condition for the prevailing currency hierarchy to reverse, there exists no systematic exploration of how power is exercised when converting monetary capabilities into currency influence. This paper offers a systematic assessment of the monetary capabilities and currency influence of all countries in the world as well as an analysis of how the three faces of power sustain dollar hegemony.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1080/09692290.2014.895773

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