Non-Monetary Effects of the Financial Crisis in the Propagation of the Great Depression
Немонетарные последствия финансового кризиса в распространении Великой депрессии
1983-01-01
SCID: 54.1/kq48s9w8
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Great Depressionaggregate demandbank failurescredit allocationfinancial crisis
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Abstract (AI)
This paper examines the effects of the financial crisis of the 1930s on the path of aggregate output during that period. Our approach is complementary to that of Friedman and Schwartz, who emphasized the monetary impact of the bank failures; we focus on non-monetary (primarily creditrelated) aspects of the financial sector--output link and consider the problems of debtors as well as those of the banking system. We argue that the financial disruptions of 1930-33 reduced the efficiency of the credit allocation process; and that the resulting higher cost and reduced availability of credit acted to depress aggregate demand. Evidence suggests that effects of this type can help explain the unusual length and depth of the Great Depression.
Key Findings
1
Credit-market effects, including problems faced by debtors and banks, help explain the exceptional duration and severity of the Great Depression.
2
Financial disruptions from 1930–33 reduced the efficiency of credit allocation and increased the cost of borrowing while limiting credit availability.
3
Higher credit costs and reduced credit access depressed aggregate demand during the Great Depression.
4
The analysis complements Friedman and Schwartz’s monetary account by emphasizing financial-sector mechanisms beyond bank-failure-induced monetary contraction.
5
The paper examines non-monetary, primarily credit-related channels through which the 1930s financial crisis affected aggregate output.
Research Object
Financial disruptions of 1930–1933 (bank failures and credit-allocation breakdown) during the Great Depression
Research Subject
The non-monetary, primarily credit-related effects of financial disruptions on credit allocation, credit cost and availability, aggregate demand, and the duration and depth of the Great Depression
Publication Details
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1983-01-01
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