Welcome!

“Over time, whoever controls the money system,

controls the nation.”

- Stephen Zarlenga, Director

The American Monetary Institute is a publicly supported charity founded in 1996. The real outcomes in society – whether there will be general economic justice or corrupt financial privileges for the few – are usually determined by the structure of a society’s monetary system.

Upcoming Events

-May 8-11: AMI oversees a session at the 39th Annual Eastern Economic Association meeting in New York City entitled The Need for Monetary Reform
Featured speakers include: Stephen Zarlenga, Dr. Michael Kumhof, Dr. Kaoru Yamaguchi, Jamie Walton, Robert Poteat, Greg Coleridge, and Joe Bongiovanni

-May 12: Fixing Our Broken Money System:
Click here to listen to a recent interview on the event given by Stephen Zarlenga.

Grand Auditorium, Cooper Union, New York City – Make Reservations at Eventbrite
Reserve your tickets ahead of time – tickets are $10 now and $20 at the door.

To help fund the event, see our Causes fundraising page.

-September 19-22: Ninth Annual AMI Monetary Reform Conference
University Center, 525 S State Street, Chicago, IL

AMI’s Cooper Union Event – Sunday, May 12
Fixing Our Broken Money System

Click to see the detailed flyer on the Cooper Union event, Sunday May 12 in New York City. Reserve tickets by clicking Eventbrite. To help fund the event, please see our “invitation” and fundraising note.

Congressman Kucinich’s Historic Monetary Reform Bill HR 2990

September 21, 2011 – Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced an employment bill reforming our money system: The NEED Act proposes a historic money reform, containing all the monetary provisions of the American Monetary Act including ending “fractional reserve” banking.

Registration for the 2013 AMI Conference Now Open

The 9th Annual AMI Monetary Reform Conference will be held September 19-22, 2013 at the University Center in Chicago. A registration discount of $110 is being offered for a limited time. See our conference page to sign up today!

AMI Evaluation of “Modern Monetary Theory”

The AMI evaluation of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) addresses some of the issues that come up when comparing MMT’s misguided views on monetary facts.

Zarlenga’s Speech at the US Treasury 12/4/03

Zarlenga’s address to the US Treasury entitled “Solution to the State’s Fiscal Crises”.

Zarlenga’s Speech at the 2007 Green Party Convention

For the first time, a major political party has a platform plank (2012) supporting real monetary reform, which includes the major provisions of the American Monetary Act. This momentous progress came as a direct result of director Stephen Zarlenga’s speech.

Green Party’s Historic Monetary Reform Plank

The necessary steps to fixing the monetary system established in HR 2990 were used as a guideline by the Green Party to create and approve this monetary reform plank.

Zarlenga’s Speech at the House of Lords 5/4/04

Zarlenga’s address to the House of Lords entitled “Monetary Justice Using Publicly Created Money to Fund Public Projects”.

Explaining Monetary Reform to Friends

Review the AMI’s Monetary Reform Brochure with explanations, historical background, the latest text of the American Monetary Act, answers to the 20 most frequently asked questions, and for information on what you can do to get involved. Also, please visit our Intro to Monetary Reform page for several articles to help students of monetary reform.

Professor Kaoru Yamaguchi’s Model of HR 2990

Professor Yamaguchi (Berkeley, Doshisha Universities) shows that Kucinich’s HR 2990 NEED Act: (1) Provides the funding for infrastructure repair (which solves the unemployment crisis) (2) Pays off the national debt as it comes due (3) Does this without inflation! Click here to watch a video of Professor Yamaguchi’s presentation to the 2010 AMI Conference. Wow!

Key Articles

Is the Federal Reserve System and Governmental or a Privately Controlled Organization?
The Chicago Plan Revisited. Michael Kumhof (Deputy Division Chief, Modeling Dept., IMF) applies modern computer modeling to the Chicago Plan, which support the monetary reforms of HR 2990 and dispel the widespread fears of inflation under a government money system.
A Program For Monetary Reform, from six notable American economists, is a 1939 proposal put forth to rebuild America’s economic system.
A Critique of Innes’ Credit Theory of Money, by Stephen Zarlenga, which explodes (or “discredits”) the prevailing economists notion that it is OK to use “debt” in place of “money.”
The Need for Monetary Reform is a brief summary of monetary reform.
Why States Going Into The Banking Business Would Be A Distraction, Not A Solution To Their Fiscal Problem, American Money Scene Bulletin 5. This article is a comprehensive critique of the notion that instead of fixing the problem, governments should go into the banking business.