Helicopter money is a type of monetary policy that involves the central bank dropping large amounts of money from helicopters or other aircrafts into an economy in order to stimulate economic growth. Helicopter money was first proposed by Milton Friedman in 1969 as an alternative to traditional fiscal and monetary policies, such as quantitative easing and tax cuts.
The main idea behind helicopter money is that it allows the government to inject new spending power directly into the economy, thus stimulating consumer demand and putting more money into circulation. This can help jumpstart economic activity when businesses are struggling due to lack of demand for their products or services. By increasing consumer spending, it can also lead to job creation and higher wages, which boosts overall economic activity further still.
However, there are some potential drawbacks associated with helicopter money: First, since it does not require governments to raise taxes or borrow funds like traditional fiscal policies do, this could cause inflation if too much is printed without any corresponding increase in production capacity; second, some argue that helicopter money would be regressive because those who benefit most from increased spending tend to have higher incomes than those on lower incomes; thirdly, printing too much currency could lead to a rapid decline in its value over time due to hyperinflation. Lastly, there is always the risk that politicians will use helicopter money for non-economic purposes—such as buying votes—which could undermine public trust in government institutions and erode democratic values over time.
In conclusion: while many economists agree that helicopter money has the potentialto provide short-term stimulus for flagging economies during times of crisis or recessionary cycles – resulting in increased consumption and investment levels – they caution against using it excessively or inappropriately given its potentially negative impact on long-term macroeconomic stability