As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled "Payments As a Tool for Policy" by Brookings senior fellow in economic studies, Aaron Klein.

What are the implications of using payment systems to enforce foreign policy (against Russia, Iran, Cuba, etc...) and domestic policy (on-line poker, cannabis, etc..)? What are the long-term ramifications for the United States, with its dominant status as a global financial system and home to the world reserve currency, using payment systems to achieve its political objectives? In this lecture, Brookings Institution scholar and former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the Department of Treasury, Aaron Klein discusses the pros, cons, and intended and unintended consequences of our current system. He proposes a path forward to maximize economic growth while using America's influence over financial institutions to promote freedom and prosperity throughout the world.