The document discusses international monetary systems and exchange rates. It defines key terms like exchange rates, balance of trade, balance of payments, and structural imbalances. It discusses the history of international monetary systems, including the Nixon Shock in 1971 which ended the gold standard and the Plaza Accord in 1985 which saw major currencies devalued against the US dollar. It also examines structural trade surpluses and deficits between countries and the role of the US dollar as the dominant global reserve currency.

1. Y376 International Political Economy January 18, 2012

5. Figure 2-12. U.S. Balance of Trade in Goods and Services and Balance of Payments on Current Account, 1946-2006, in Billions of Current Dollars Source: Economic Report of the President 2008 , http://www.gpoaccess.gov/eop/tables08.html .

6. US Trade Balance, 1980-2009

9. Figure 2-6. The Dollar as Percent of Total Official Foreign Currency Holdings, 1978, 1986, 1996, and 2007 Source: International Monetary Fund, Annual Reports , various years.

12. Balance of Payments in the G-5 Countries, 1970-2010, in Billions of Current Dollars Source: OECD.

14. Nixon, Connally, and the Smithsonian Agreement

16. Yen-Dollar and DM-Dollar Exchange Rates, 1964-1993 Nixon Shock Plaza Accords

17. Shift in the Monetary Regime After 1971

20. DM-Dollar, Yen-Dollar, and Euro-Dollar Exchange Rates, 1985-2010 Source: Economic Report of the President , various years.

21. Volatility in Deutsche Mark (DM) and Yen Exchange Rates with the U.S. Dollar, 1965-1979, Percentage Changes from the Previous Month Source: International Financial Statistics CD-ROM (Washington, D.C.: IMF, January 2002.

22. Figure 2.14. US-China and US-Japan Bilateral Trade Deficits, in Billions of Dollars,1991-2010 Source: Economic Report of the President 2000 and 2008 .

23. US Trade Deficit vs. Deficit with China, 1990-2004

24. Yuan-Dollar Exchange Rate

25. Yuan-Dollar Exchange Rate, 2000-2010

26. Per Capita Income in China, 1960-2008

27. Yuan-Dollar Fight in Context Video on November 2010 G20 Meeting