I published this glossary entry on chartalism yesterday.

It will be noted that this theory provides much of the underpinnings of modern monetary theory. Chartalism heavily influenced Keynes' work on money and has influenced much of post-Keynesian thought. 

Chartalism is the theory that money derives its value because the state creates demand for it, most obviously by requiring taxes to be paid in that currency. The term comes from the Latin charta, meaning token or ticket, and was most closely associated with the German economist Georg Friedrich Knapp in his 1905 book The State Theory of Money. It is one of the intellectual foundations of Modern Monetary Theory.

Chartalist theory has several distinct characteristics.

First, chartalism rejects the idea that money emerged primarily from barter. The familiar story, promoted by the likes of Adam Smith, suggests people swapped goods until they discovered that precious metals made exchange easier. Chartalism argues that this account is historically weak. In many societies, money emerged because states imposed obligations as taxes, fines, fees, and tribute that were payable in a unit of account that the state defined.

Second, chartalism explains why otherwise worthless tokens can become valuable. A £20 note costs very little to produce. A digital bank reserve entry is simply an accounting record. Their value exists because the state accepts them in payment of tax and requires others to do so. Tax obligations create a continuous demand for the currency a state declares to be legal tender in its jurisdiction.

Third, chartalism helps explain how governments fund their spending. A currency-issuing government must spend its currency into existence before taxpayers can use it to settle liabilities. This reverses the conventional story that governments need tax revenue before they can spend. Tax does not fund spending in the household sense; it helps create demand for the currency, manage inflation, and redistribute income and power.

Fourth, chartalism does not mean governments face no limits. The real constraints on public spending are inflation, resource availability, environmental limits, and productive capacity. If governments spend beyond what the real economy can supply, inflation may result. The lesson is not that spending is costless, but that the constraints are real rather than financial.

Fifth, chartalism highlights the political nature of money. Money is not a neutral commodity. It is a public institution shaped by law, taxation, accounting systems, and central banking arrangements. Questions about money are, therefore, questions about democracy and power.

Finally, chartalism helps expose myths such as the household analogy and “taxpayer's money”. Once we understand that the state creates the currency it taxes, much conventional political rhetoric about public finance begins to collapse.

Chartalism, therefore, suggests that money has value because the state creates the legal and tax obligations that make people need it. Understanding that changes how we think about taxation, public spending, democracy, and the purpose of the economy itself.

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