Paul Volcker

American Economist

Paul Volcker was born in Cape May, New Jersey, United States on September 5th, 1927 and is the American Economist. At the age of 96, Paul Volcker biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

  Report
Date of Birth
September 5, 1927
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
Cape May, New Jersey, United States
Age
96 years old
Zodiac Sign
Virgo
Profession
Banker, Economist, Politician
Paul Volcker Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 96 years old, Paul Volcker physical status not available right now. We will update Paul Volcker's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Height
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Weight
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Hair Color
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Eye Color
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Paul Volcker Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Not Available
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Princeton University (AB), Harvard University (AM), London School of Economics
Paul Volcker Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Barbara Bahnson, ​ ​(m. 1954; died 1998)​, Anke Dening ​(m. 2010)​
Children
2 (with Bahnson)
Dating / Affair
Not Available
Parents
Not Available
Paul Volcker Career

In 1952 Volcker joined the staff of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a full-time economist. He left that position in 1957 to become a financial economist with the Chase Manhattan Bank. In 1962, Robert Roosa, who had been his mentor at the Federal Reserve, hired him at the Treasury Department as director of financial analysis. In 1963, he became deputy under secretary for monetary affairs. He returned to Chase Manhattan Bank as vice president and director of planning in 1965.

Appointed by the Nixon Administration, Volcker served as under secretary of the Treasury for international monetary affairs from 1969 to 1974. He played an important role in President Richard Nixon's decision to suspend gold convertibility of the dollar on August 15, 1971, which resulted in the collapse of the Bretton Woods system. Volcker considered the suspension of gold convertibility "the single most important event of his career." Because of his position as under secretary, Volcker served as a board member for OPIC and Fannie Mae. Across the policies he worked on, he acted as a moderating influence on policy, advocating the pursuit of an international solution to monetary problems and acting as a negotiator with other nations' policymakers. After leaving the U.S. Treasury, he spent a year as a senior fellow at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School (his alma mater). In 1975, he became President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and he retained that role until he became Federal Reserve Chairman in August 1979.

After G. William Miller's confirmation as Secretary of the Treasury, President Jimmy Carter's confirmation of Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Frederick H. Schultz's role as Acting Chairman sent markets panicking. Carter resultingly sought a reassuring, qualified nominee who would confront inflation head-on, and nominated Paul Volcker to serve as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on July 25, 1979. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 2, 1979, and took office on August 6, 1979. President Ronald Reagan renominated Volcker to a second term in 1983.

Inflation emerged as an economic and political challenge in the United States during the 1970s. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve board, led by Volcker, were widely credited with curbing the rate of inflation and expectations that inflation would continue. US inflation, which peaked at 14.8 percent in March 1980, fell below 3 percent by 1983. The Federal Reserve board led by Volcker raised the federal funds rate, which had averaged 11.2% in 1979, to a peak of 20% in June 1981. The prime rate rose to 21.5% in 1981 as well, which helped lead to the 1980–1982 recession, in which the national unemployment rate rose to over 10%. Volcker's Federal Reserve board elicited the strongest political attacks and most widespread protests in the history of the Federal Reserve (unlike any protests experienced since 1922), due to the effects of high interest rates on the construction, farming, and industrial sectors, culminating in indebted farmers driving their tractors onto C Street NW in Washington, D.C. and blockading the Eccles Building. US monetary policy eased in 1982, helping lead to a resumption of economic growth.

The US current account was in permanent deficit by the 1990s. Volcker himself tried to remedy the situation by the Plaza Accord in 1986, which called for Germany and Japan to revalue relative to the US dollar.

The combination of the Fed's tight money policies and the expansive fiscal policy of the Reagan Administration (large tax cuts and a major increase in military spending) produced large federal budget deficits and significant macroeconomic imbalances in the U.S. economy. The combination of growing federal debt and high interest rates led to a substantial rise in federal net interest costs. The sharp rise of interest costs and large deficits led Congress to take some steps towards fiscal constraint.

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz said about him in an interview:

He is also blamed for removing gold standard in early 1970, which created record inflation in the US History.

Congressman Ron Paul, well known as a harsh critic of the Federal Reserve, offered qualified praise of Volcker:

In 1983, Volcker received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.

In 2011, Volcker and George P. Shultz authored an article in the Wall Street Journal voicing their opinion that the War on Drugs had failed. They did not advocate for the legalization of drugs, but rather for a reexamination of the costs of drug prohibition in the United States.

In 2015, Volcker donated his public service papers to Princeton University's Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.

Source

According to HAMISH MCRAE, the fear behind gold's recent surge is that the region is suffering significant political and social unrest

www.dailymail.co.uk, April 6, 2024
See the explanation for gold's recent surge as three parts, all related to fear. People are concerned that the current bull market has pushed a bit too far, and that a little diversification could be beneficial. Two, they are worried that this may be their second bout of inflation, just as in the 1980s. And three, it is not yet clear how western societies will fare well in the face of significant social and economic turmoil. I'm secure on this last point, but the gold market insists that many people aren't aware of it.

ALEX BRUMMER: Time for a Bank of England rethink

www.dailymail.co.uk, May 30, 2023
Governments are seen fiddling with central bank autonomy at their own risk, according to some. However, with the current crisis in financial markets causing turmoil, perhaps it is time for a rethink.

When the Fed moves forward with rate increases, the rampant dollar stomps on the pound

www.dailymail.co.uk, September 7, 2022
In afternoon trading, the pound fell to just $1.1403 against the dollar, the lowest level since 1985, and the Japanese yen was also crushed, with the greenback bringing the Japanese yen to a 24-year high of nearly 145 yen to the dollar. The changes came as the Federal Reserve maintains its tough rate hike policy in an attempt to push inflation back to its 2% target.