Economic security

IT’S BACK. The prime sign of American supremacy has rebounded over the past year, much to the consternation of its detractors. The dollar, left for dead only a short while ago, is on a roll, and it looks unstoppable for the foreseeable future.

The greenback’s long rise to premier status says much about the nature of a global reserve currency and its own remarkable staying power in that role. U.S. currency first began to acquire this position in the 1920s, largely because the First World War had crippled Europe economically and brought the United Kingdom, whose pound sterling had held the role for much of the previous century, to the brink of bankruptcy. 

Why the Dollar Is Still King