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Inflation (economics) is caused by an increase in money supply. This typically occurs when a government prints money to finance deficit spending. Ergo, there is more money in the economy chasing the same number of goods because in the short-run supply is fixed.In an inflationary environment, the velocity of money (a measure of how quickly money changes hands via transactions) increases because people realize that money is more valuable today than it will be tomorrow. As a result, people prefer to spend money right away in order to purchase goods rather than holding onto money that will purchase fewer goods tomorrow. In turn, shopkeepers, who are also afraid of accepting currency that is quickly losing value in exchange for goods, raise prices further. Thus the increase in velocity exacerbates inflationary expectations, causing inflation to accelerate. At this point, market participants’ expectations of inflation are self-fulfilling. As a result, real money supply (nominal money in circulation adjusted for inflation) falls and the economy becomes demonetized.In order to stabilize inflation expectations and restore confidence, the most common macroeconomic tool deployed is implementation of a fixed exchange rate pegged to a stable currency like the U.S. Dollar. This policy implies that the central bank is obligated to exchange the local currency for the reserve currency (USD) at a fixed ratio. As a result, people are less inclined to spend the local currency as quickly as possible because they are comforted by the fact that the local currency is convertible into USD. This policy lowers the velocity of money and temporarily halts hyperinflation, giving the central bank and policymakers the desperately needed breathing space and opportunity to introduce major structural reforms. Argentina took this approach in addressing the hyperinflationary crisis in 1991 under President Menem.Another common way to create this breathing space and a slow down in the velocity of money without fixing the exchange rate is by dramatically devaluing the currency to an exchange rate that is credibly defensible given the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Bolivia took this approach under the guidance of economist Jeffrey Sachs in 1985.After creating this halt in hyperinflation, policymakers need to implement reforms aimed to cut deficit spending and the need to print money by reducing public expenditures and raising funds via increased taxes, improved tax collection or privatization of state-owned assets. To the extent that these fiscal policy reforms are perceived to be credible and are actually implemented, then policymakers will have successfully curbed hyperinflation.
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