Example financial crisis and recession dissertation topic 3:

The growth in speculative markets: To what extent did the embracing of an international monetary system based on floating exchange rates lead to loss of control?

The historic decline of the gold standard and other forms of fixed exchange rate heralded the tentative beginnings of a system of floating exchange rates. This latter approach would, with the liberalisation of markets in the Reagan-Thatcher era usher in a new wave of currency speculators. As shown through the ERM debacle of the early 1990s and contemporary developments within the single currency there is concern as to the effect that ‘unchecked and unregulated’ speculators have not only on the currency markets but also the entirety of the economies upon which they are speculating. This dissertation addresses both the historic trends that have led to this situation as well as reviewing suggested contemporary legislation aimed at curbing the avarice of speculators.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Russell, A.  (2005) ‘Trade, money and markets’, in White, D., Issues in world politics. Palgrave: Basingstoke, pp. 39-57.
• Strange, S. (1998) Mad money. Manchester: Manchester University Press.