The US Dollar's Reserve Status Grants the US Government the Power to Borrow at Low Rates
AC
Amara Callahan
Fed interest rate decision · Apr 14, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
Indian stock prices fall when the US Federal Reserve raises interest rates. This systematic chain reaction is triggered by institutional investors—mutual funds, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds—who benchmark their asset allocation models against the risk-free rate. When US Treasury bond yields rise, these institutions shift capital from equities into bonds, selling stocks in emerging markets to fund the purchase of higher-yielding US debt.
The interest rate on US Treasury bonds serves as the global risk-free rate. The US government issues these bonds to cover a fiscal deficit of 6% of GDP. The US can maintain this deficit without market punishment because the US Dollar is the world's reserve currency, which guarantees a global demand for US debt. This allows the US government to borrow whenever it wants at low interest rates.
Because the US borrows in its own currency, it possesses what economists call the "exorbitant privilege."