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Inflation Dynamics and the Great Recession

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  • Laurence Ball
  • Sandeep Mazumder

Abstract

This paper examines inflation dynamics in the United States since 1960, with a particular focus on the Great Recession. A puzzle emerges when Phillips curves estimated over 1960-2007 are ussed to predice inflation over 2008-2010: inflation should have fallen by more than it did. We resolve this puzzle with two modifications of the Phillips curve, both suggested by theories of costly price adjustment: we measure core inflation with the median CPI inflation rate, and we allow the slope of the Phillips curve to change with the level and vairance of inflation. We then examine the hypothesis of anchored inflation expectations. We find that expectations have been fully 'shock-anchored' since the 1980s, while 'level anchoring' has been gradual and partial, but significant. It is not clear whether expectations are sufficiently anchored to prevent deflation over the next few years. Finally, we show that the Great Recession provides fresh evidence against the New Keynesian Phillips curve with rational expectations.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution in its journal Brookings Papers on Economic Activity.

Volume (Year): 42 (2011)
Issue (Month): 1 (Spring) ()
Pages: 337-405

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Handle: RePEc:bin:bpeajo:v:42:y:2011:i:2011-01:p:337-405

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Keywords: Great Recession; inflation; Phillips curve;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Cassou, Steven P. & Vázquez Pérez, Jesús, 2012. "Time Variation in an Optimal Asymmetric Preference Monetary Policy Model," DFAEII Working Papers 2012-08, University of the Basque Country - Department of Foundations of Economic Analysis II.
  2. Brent Meyer & Saeed Zaman, 2013. "It’s not just for inflation: The usefulness of the median CPI in BVAR forecasting," Working Paper 1303, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
  3. Bermingham, Colin & Coates, Dermot & Larkin, John & O'Brien, Derry & O'Reilly, Gerard, 2012. "Explaining Irish Inflation During the Financial Crisis," Research Technical Papers 09/RT/12, Central Bank of Ireland.
  4. Antonia López-Villavicencio & Valérie Mignon, 2013. "Nonlinearity of the inflation-output trade-off and time-varying price rigidity," EconomiX Working Papers 2013-1, University of Paris West - Nanterre la Défense, EconomiX.
  5. Emmanuel De Veirman & Andrew T. Levin, 2011. "Cyclical Changes in Firm Volatility," CAMA Working Papers 2011-29, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
  6. Sudhanshu Kumar & Naveen Srinivasan & Muthiah Ramachandran, 2012. "A time-varying parameter model of inflation in India," Indian Growth and Development Review, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 5(1), pages 25-50, April.
  7. Fröhling, Annette & Lommatzsch, Kirsten, 2011. "Output sensitivity of inflation in the euro area: Indirect evidence from disaggregated consumer prices," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2011,25, Deutsche Bundesbank, Research Centre.
  8. David Norman & Anthony Richards, 2012. "The Forecasting Performance of Single Equation Models of Inflation," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 88(280), pages 64-78, 03.
  9. Andrea Stella & James H. Stock, 2012. "A state-dependent model for inflation forecasting," International Finance Discussion Papers 1062, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
  10. Olivier Coibion & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Gee Hee Hong, 2012. "The Cyclicality of Sales, Regular and Effective Prices: Business Cycle and Policy Implications," IMF Working Papers 12/207, International Monetary Fund.

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