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Inflation Stabilization and Welfare

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Author Info
Michael Woodford (Princeton University)

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Abstract

This paper derives loss functions for analyses of optimal monetary policy that are grounded in the welfare of private agents, in the case of explicit optimizing models of private-sector behavior in which the real effects of monetary policy result from nominal price rigidity. A quadratic approximation to the utility-based welfare criterion is developed that allows comparison between this criterion and the ad hoc quadratic loss functions typically assumed in the literature on monetary policy evaluation. It is shown that the goal of inflation stabilization, generally presumed to be an important (and perhaps the preeminent) goal of monetary policy, can in fact be justified in such a framework, insofar as variable inflation results in real distortions when prices are not adjusted throughout the economy in a perfectly synchronized fashion. The exact sense in which inflation variability matters for welfare, however, depends upon the details of price-setting behavior.Conditions are described under which optimal policy involves complete stabilization of the price level. It is shown that this may be optimal even in the presence of "supply shocks" of several possible sorts (including technology shocks and exogenous variation in preferences regarding labor supply), and even in the presence of distortions that imply that the optimal output gap is positive (and despite existence of a non-vertical long-run Phillips curve). At the same time, a variety of reasons are discussed why complete price-level stabilization is not optimal in more complicated (and probably more realistic) settings.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Berkeley Electronic Press in its journal Contributions to Macroeconomics.

Volume (Year): 2 (2002)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 1009-1009
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Handle: RePEc:bep:maccon:v:2:y:2002:i:1:p:1009-1009

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Related research
Keywords: Price Stability Loss Function Optimal Monetary Policy Taylor Series Approximation

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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  3. Andrew Levin & Christopher J. Erceg & Dale W. Henderson, 1999. "Optimal Monetary Policy with Staggered Wage and Price Contracts," Computing in Economics and Finance 1999 1151, Society for Computational Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Rotemberg, Julio J., 1996. "Prices, output, and hours: An empirical analysis based on a sticky price model," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 505-533, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Richard Clarida & Jordi Gali & Mark Gertler, 1999. "The Science of Monetary Policy: A New Keynesian Perspective," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 1661-1707, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. West, Kenneth D, 1986. "Targeting Nominal Income: A Note," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 96(384), pages 1077-83, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Bennett T. McCallum & Edward Nelson, 2000. "Timeless Perspectives vs. Discretionary Monetary Policy In Forward-Looking Models," NBER Working Papers 7915, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Bean, Charles R, 1983. "Targeting Nominal Income: An Appraisal," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 93(372), pages 806-19, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Benigno, Pierpaolo, 2001. "Optimal Monetary Policy in a Currency Area," CEPR Discussion Papers 2755, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Aiyagari, S. Rao & Braun, R. Anton, 1998. "Some models to guide monetary policymakers," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 1-42, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Marvin Goodfriend & Robert G. King, 1998. "The new neoclassical synthesis and the role of monetary policy," Working Paper 98-05, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. [Downloadable!]
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  13. Jinill Kim & Sunghyun Henry Kim, 1999. "Spurious Welfare Reversals in International Business Cycle Models," Virginia Economics Online Papers 319, University of Virginia, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  14. Julio J. Rotemberg & Michael Woodford, 1998. "Interest-Rate Rules in an Estimated Sticky Price Model," NBER Working Papers 6618, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Calvo, Guillermo A., 1983. "Staggered prices in a utility-maximizing framework," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 383-398, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Amato, Jeffery D. & Laubach, Thomas, 2003. "Rule-of-thumb behaviour and monetary policy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(5), pages 791-831, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. William Poole, 1970. "Optimal choice of monetary policy instruments in a simple stochastic macro model," Staff Studies 57, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
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  18. Roberts, John M, 1995. "New Keynesian Economics and the Phillips Curve," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 27(4), pages 975-84, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  20. Ireland, Peter N, 1996. "The Role of Countercyclical Monetary Policy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(4), pages 704-23, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Collard, Fabrice & Dellas, Harris & Ertz, Guy, 1998. "Poole Revisited," Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES) Discussion Paper 1998023, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES). [Downloadable!]
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  22. Summers, Lawrence, 1991. "How Should Long-Term Monetary Policy Be Determined? Panel Discussion," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 23(3), pages 625-31, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  24. Jeffery D. Amato & Thomas Laubach, 2001. "Implications of habit formation for optimal monetary policy," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2001-58, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  25. Steinsson, Jon, 2003. "Optimal monetary policy in an economy with inflation persistence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(7), pages 1425-1456, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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