Hello everyone!
I've been learning more about the role of the Federal Reserve, I watched tons of videos on YouTube and even read Rep. Ron Paul's "End the Fed" book. I was wondering if someone could take the time and answer some of these questions that I can't seem to get a solid answer for.
1) What caused bank runs and panics prior to the creation of the Federal Reserve? Did the Federal Reserve solve the problems of preventing future bank runs?
2) Was there fractional reserve banking when the US was on the gold standard, prior to the creation of the Federal Reserve? Can fractional reserve banking be sustainable or is full reserve banking the best option for a sound monetary policy?
3) If the Federal Reserve is really a private bank ran stockbrokers and private bankers aren't they aware of the inflation caused by their policies? Aren't they hurting their own agenda?
4) If our currency is considered fiat does that mean our 17 trillion dollar + is fake and shouldn't exist?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!