Governments use money as a weapon — in war, in diplomacy, and in domestic politics. Use these questions to discuss the relationship between financial power and political power.
How does a government pay for a war when it cannot raise taxes fast enough? What are the long-term economic consequences of sustained military spending on ordinary citizens?
Try to use: war bonds, deficit spending, money printing, inflation tax, national debt
Economic sanctions cut countries off from the global financial system. Are they an effective and ethical alternative to military force — or do they primarily hurt ordinary people rather than governments?
Try to use: financial sanctions, SWIFT exclusion, asset freeze, civilian impact, leverage
Throughout history, governments have debased their currencies — reducing the gold or silver content of coins — to pay their debts. Is modern quantitative easing a form of the same thing?
Try to use: currency debasement, money printing, inflation, purchasing power, historical parallel
What is a sovereign wealth fund? Name a country that has one. How does it give that government long-term economic and political power that others lack?
Try to use: resource wealth, long-term investment, Norway, Abu Dhabi, strategic asset, intergenerational
The petrodollar system — oil priced in US dollars — gives the United States enormous global power. What would happen to American power if oil were priced in a different currency?
Try to use: dollar demand, reserve currency, petrodollar recycling, geopolitical leverage, dollar hegemony
Can a country go bankrupt? What actually happens when a government defaults on its debt — name a real example. Who loses, who gains, and what comes next?
Try to use: sovereign default, debt restructuring, Argentina, Greece, IMF bailout, austerity