Money: It’s Even More Important Than You Think (Zoom)
Winter (4 - 8.5 hours) | Registration opens 11/23/2026 12:00 AM EDT
The end of Reconstruction in the post-Civil War South. The Great Depression. Hitler’s political rise. The deep recession of 1981-82. Surging inflation in 2022, which had a substantial impact on the 2024 election. These political and economic shocks were fueled by monetary policy. This course explores how the government’s control of money, which usually does not get the headlines, played a central role in such significant historical events. Our goal is not simply to recount some of history’s biggest monetary policy stories. Rather, when voters understand this history, it’s less likely that the list of shocks will get longer.
This course will combine lecture with class discussion.
- There are no required books for this course.
Robert Grafstein
Robert Grafstein is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, where he also served as associate dean and interim dean. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD from the University of Chicago. Specializing in political economy, he is the author of two books, co-editor of one, and author of numerous articles in leading political science journals. He has taught numerous OLLI courses at Osher at Dartmouth and UGA.