In this episode of the Saturday Morning Muse, Andrew Temte discusses the evolution of money, emphasizing the critical role of trust and confidence in economic systems. He explores how governments have historically been involved in issuing money to enhance trust, referencing the Code of Hammurabi as an early legal framework. The conversation also touches on the U.S. dollar's status as a reserve currency and the implications of the US national debt on global trust in the currency.

You might be curious why we’re spending so much time on the history of trade, money, and other economic concepts at the outset of this financial literacy series. In finance and economics, having a basic understanding of the evolution and history of money and financial tools is key because “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” as Winston Churchill famously wrote.