"This book is about how the rise of democracy has transformed economics over the past 150 years. As voting was expanded to the masses in the late 19th Century, political leaders faced new pressures to deliver prosperity to their newly enfranchised populations. This led to the rise of the guardian state: a state whose prime directive is to protect economic growth and employment. Domestic economic goals now became the prime directive and if that meant a failure on the international stage to construct solutions to problems in monetary or trade relations, so be it. The book traces the history of international monetary diplomacy during this period to show how the guardian state has manifested itself, and how it has shaped the course of international monetary relations. Each of the most important international monetary conferences in history are scrutinized with respect to how nations sought to protect the prosperity within their national economies. The historical narratives give a bird's eye view into how domestic political priorities have intruded on and shaped economic relations among nations. This book clearly demonstrates the advantages of an interdisciplinary understanding of how politics shapes economics. It will be invaluable reading for students and scholars of international economics, politics and economic history. Giulio M. Gallarotti is Professor of Government and a Tutor in the College of Social Studies - as well as member of the faculty of the College of the Environment - at Wesleyan University, USA. He is also Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, USA (2018-present), and was a Visiting Professor in the Department of Economic Theory at the University of Rome, Italy (1994)"--