Chapter A6, Problem 10DQ

An important problem with the gold standard was that a. one country could easily manipulate the system to its advantage and the disadvantage of other countries. b. a country did not have control of its domestic monetary policy. c. exchange rates tended to fluctuate a great deal, making it difficult for businesses to make long-run plans. d. it was too complicated and restricted business activity.

In the 1990s, Russia was attempting to import more goods but had little to offer other countries in terms of potential exports. In addition, Russia’s inflation rate was high. Explain the type of pressure that these factors placed on the Russian currency.