Theoretical Analysis of the Demand for Money

Abstract

In any discussion of the demand for money it is important to be clear about the concept of money that is being utilized; otherwise, misunderstandings can arise because of the various possible meanings that readers could have in mind. Here the term will be taken to refer to an economy's medium of exchange, that is to a tangible asset that is generally accepted in payment for any commodity. Money thus conceived will also serve as a store of value, of course, but may be of minor importance to the economy in that capacity. The monetary asset will usually also serve as the economy's medium of account -- i.e., prices will be quoted in terms of money -- since additional accounting costs would be incurred if the unit of account were a quantity of some asset other than money. The medium-of-account role is, however, not logically tied to the medium of exchange (Wicksell, 1906; Niehans, 1978).