Democracy and Currency Legitimacy. Between Hyperinflation and Devaluation

Modern currency is not only the product of a process re lated to trade, but it is fundamentally a social institution. And as a public good, it must find the basis for its legitima cy in collective acceptance. What Argentina’s transition has demonstrated is the social role of currency in the consoli...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Quiroga, Hugo
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Universidad Nacional de Rosario 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://relasp.unr.edu.ar/index.php/revista/article/view/159
Aporte de:
Descripción
Sumario:Modern currency is not only the product of a process re lated to trade, but it is fundamentally a social institution. And as a public good, it must find the basis for its legitima cy in collective acceptance. What Argentina’s transition has demonstrated is the social role of currency in the consoli dation of democracy in the 90s. At that time, currency had clear institutionalizing capabilities; it was one of the pillars of democracy insofar as it formed part of the integrity of the social order. Just as in 1989 the hyperinflationary collap se destroyed the basic rules of the economy and annihilated the currency, today economic uncertainty, devaluation, and ongoing inflation have caused the peso to lose its status as a stable unit of reference. Both the hyperinflation of 1989 and the current crisis reveal a loss of confidence in the peso. Our experience has taught us that without currency, there is no public authority or social cohesion. Periods of monetary instability are times when society has serious difficulties in organizing the present and planning for the future.