More than just the basis of the U.S. monetary system, the dollar has also been a catalyst for globalization and a symbol of American power. But with more dollars outside America than within its borders and a euro that’s steadily gaining respect in the global marketplace, is the day of the almighty dollar nearly done? This program provides the bedrock for building a stronger understanding of macroeconomics—and of the history of the United States—as it tracks the ascendency of the dollar from the country’s birth to the present day. Particular attention is given to major economic events of recent decades and their implications, beginning with the Bretton Woods Accord and the Marshall Plan. Timothy Geithner, Paul Volcker, George Soros, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss Kahn, and the Smithsonian’s Richard Doty are featured. (53 minutes)