IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcr/ensayo/v1y2014i70p7-22.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using Interest Rates as the Instrument of Monetary Policy: Beware Real effects, Positive Feedbacks, and Discontinuities

Author

Listed:
  • Mark Setterfield

    (Trinity College, Hartford)

Abstract

This paper discusses central banks’ use of the interest rate as the instrument of monetary policy, in light of a reconsideration of macroeconomic theory induced by the financial crisis and Great Recession. Three main guiding principles for the future conduct of interest rate policy are identified: beware real effects; beware positive feedbacks; and beware discontinuities. The paper also reflects on the use of policy targets as a “quasi-instrument” of stabilization policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Setterfield, 2014. "Using Interest Rates as the Instrument of Monetary Policy: Beware Real effects, Positive Feedbacks, and Discontinuities," Ensayos Económicos, Central Bank of Argentina, Economic Research Department, vol. 1(70), pages 7-22, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcr:ensayo:v:1:y:2014:i:70:p:7-22
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.bcra.gov.ar/pdfs/investigaciones/70_Setterfield.pdf
    File Function: Spanish version (versión en Español)
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. L. Wray, 2007. "A Post Keynesian view of central bank independence, policy targets, and the rules versus discretion debate," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 119-141.
    2. Setterfield, Mark, 2007. "The rise, decline and rise of incomes policies in the US during the post-war era: an institutional-analytical explanation of inflation and the functional distribution of income," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 127-146, August.
    3. Barry Cynamon & Steven Fazzari & Mark Setterfield, 2013. "How the Great Moderation Became a (Contained) Depression and What to Do About It," Working Papers 1303, Trinity College, Department of Economics.
    4. Marc Lavoie & Mario Seccareccia (ed.), 2004. "Central Banking in the Modern World," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3297.
    5. Mark Gertler & Jordi Gali & Richard Clarida, 1999. "The Science of Monetary Policy: A New Keynesian Perspective," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 1661-1707, December.
    6. Setterfield, Mark & Kim, Yun K., 2016. "Debt servicing, aggregate consumption, and growth," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 22-33.
    7. Mercedes Marcó del Pont, 2013. "Introduction: the role of central banks in economic development with an emphasis on the recent Argentinean experience," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 1(3), pages 267-272, January.
    8. Cynamon,Barry Z. & Fazzari,Steven & Setterfield,Mark (ed.), 2013. "After the Great Recession," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107015890.
    9. Mark Gertler & Jordi Gali & Richard Clarida, 1999. "The Science of Monetary Policy: A New Keynesian Perspective," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 1661-1707, December.
    10. Olivier Coibion & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Dmitri Koustas, 2013. "Amerisclerosis? The Puzzle of Rising U.S. Unemployment Persistence," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 44(2 (Fall)), pages 193-260.
    11. Luca Gambetti & Jordi Galí, 2009. "On the Sources of the Great Moderation," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 26-57, January.
    12. Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Mark Setterfield, 2007. "Inflation Targeting And Macroeconomic Stability In A Post Keynesian Economy," Anais do XXXV Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 35th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 174, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    13. Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Mark Setterfield, 2008. "Inflation targeting and macroeconomic stability in a Post Keynesian economy," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., vol. 30(3), pages 435-461, April.
    14. Olivier Blanchard & Jordi Galí, 2007. "Real Wage Rigidities and the New Keynesian Model," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 39(s1), pages 35-65, February.
    15. Thomas I. Palley, 2002. "Economic contradictions coming home to roost? Does the U.S. economy face a long-term aggregate demand generation problem?," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 9-32.
    16. Eckhard Hein, 2012. "The Macroeconomics of Finance-Dominated Capitalism – and its Crisis," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14931.
    17. Esteban Pérez Caldentey & Matías Vernengo, 2013. "Is inflation targeting operative in an open economy setting?," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 1(3), pages 347-369, January.
    18. Cynamon Barry Z. & Fazzari Steven M., 2008. "Household Debt in the Consumer Age: Source of Growth--Risk of Collapse," Capitalism and Society, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 1-32, October.
    19. Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Mark Setterfield, 2011. "The Cost Channel of Monetary Policy in a Post Keynesian Macrodynamic Model of Inflation and Output Targeting," Working Papers 1102, Trinity College, Department of Economics.
    20. Jon D. Wisman, 2013. "Wage stagnation, rising inequality and the financial crisis of 2008," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 37(4), pages 921-945.
    21. Wynne Godley, Alex Izurieta, 2002. "The Case for a Severe Recession," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 27-51.
    22. Amitava Krishna Dutt, 2006. "Maturity, Stagnation And Consumer Debt: A Steindlian Approach," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 339-364, July.
    23. Mark Setterfield, 2006. "Balancing the Macroeconomic Books on the Backs of Workers: A Simple Analytical Political Economy Model of Contemporary U.S. Capitalism," International Journal of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 46-63.
    24. Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Mark Setterfield, 2010. "Pricing Behaviour and the Cost-Push Channel of Monetary Policy," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 19-40.
    25. Mark Setterfield, 2006. "Is inflation targeting compatible with Post Keynesian economics?," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 653-671.
    26. C. A. E. Goodhart, 2009. "The Continuing Muddles of Monetary Theory: A Steadfast Refusal to Face Facts," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 76(s1), pages 821-830, October.
    27. Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Mark Setterfield & Jaylson Jair da Silveira, 2014. "Inflation Targeting and Macroeconomic Stability with Heterogeneous Inflation Expectations," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 255-279, December.
    28. Aldo Barba & Massimo Pivetti, 2009. "Rising household debt: Its causes and macroeconomic implications--a long-period analysis," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 33(1), pages 113-137, January.
    29. Barry Cynamon & Steven Fazzari, 2013. "Rising inequality, recession and slow recovery: A sad American tale," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 48(6), pages 379-380, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark Setterfield, 2015. "Won’t Get Fooled Again – Or Will We? Monetary Policy, Model Uncertainty, and ‘Policy Model Complacency’," Working Papers 1516, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2016.
    2. Mark Setterfield & Yun K. Kim & Jeremy Rees, 2016. "Inequality, Debt Servicing and the Sustainability of Steady State Growth," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 45-63, January.
    3. Eckhard Hein, 2017. "Post-Keynesian macroeconomics since the mid 1990s: main developments," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(2), pages 131-172, September.
    4. Mark Setterfield, 2022. "Neoliberalism: An Entrenched but Exhausted Growth Regime," Ensayos Económicos, Central Bank of Argentina, Economic Research Department, vol. 1(79), pages 131-146, May.
    5. Setterfield, Mark & Kim, Yun K., 2016. "Debt servicing, aggregate consumption, and growth," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 22-33.
    6. Pintu Parui, 2023. "Worker household debt, functional income distribution and growth: A neo‐Kaleckian perspective," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 446-476, May.
    7. Mark Setterfield & Yun K Kim, 2020. "Varieties of capitalism, increasing income inequality and the sustainability of long-run growth," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 559-582.
    8. Yun K. Kim & Mark Setterfield & Yuan Mei, 2014. "A theory of aggregate consumption," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 11(1), pages 31-49, April.
    9. Yun K. Kim, 2020. "Household Debt Accumulation and the Great Recession of the United States: A Comparative Perspective," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 52(1), pages 26-49, March.
    10. Mark Setterfield & Kurt von Seekamm, 2012. "Stabilization Policy with an Endogenous Commercial Bank," Chapters, in: Louis-Philippe Rochon & Salewa ‘Yinka Olawoye (ed.), Monetary Policy and Central Banking, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Eckhard Hein & Christian Schoder, 2011. "Interest rates, distribution and capital accumulation -- A post-Kaleckian perspective on the US and Germany," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 693-723, November.
    12. Peter Flaschel & Sigrid Luchtenberg & Hagen Kramer & Christian Proano & Mark Setterfield, 2021. "Contemporary Macroeconomic Outcomes: A Tragedy in Three Acts," Working Papers 2105, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    13. Yun K. Kim, 2017. "Rise of Household Debt and the Great Recession in the US: Comparative Perspectives," Working Papers 2017_03, University of Massachusetts Boston, Economics Department.
    14. Mark Setterfield, 2020. "Managing the discontent of the losers," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 78(1), pages 77-97, January.
    15. Hein, Eckhard, 2011. "Distribution, 'financialisation' and the financial and economic crisis: Implications for post-crisis economic policies," IPE Working Papers 09/2011, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    16. Eckhard Hein, 2012. "The Macroeconomics of Finance-Dominated Capitalism – and its Crisis," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14931.
    17. Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Mark Setterfield, 2014. "The Cost Channel of Monetary Transmission and Stabilization Policy in a Post-Keynesian Macrodynamic Model," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 258-281, April.
    18. Mark Setterfield, 2019. "Long-run variation in capacity utilization in the presence of a fixed normal rate," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 443-463.
    19. Joana David Avritzer & Lídia Brochier, 2022. "Household credit-financed consumption and the debt service ratio: tackling endogenous autonomous demand in the Supermultiplier model," Working Papers PKWP2219, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    20. Mark Setterfield, 2017. "Modern (American) Capitalism: A Three Act Tragedy," Working Papers 1722, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    central banks; interest rates; monetary policy; New Consensus; Post-Keynesian economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcr:ensayo:v:1:y:2014:i:70:p:7-22. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Federico Grillo (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/bcraaar.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.