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Term structure and forward guidance as instruments of monetary policy

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  • Michael Magill
  • Martine Quinzii

Abstract

This paper studies a simple monetary model with a Ricardian fiscal policy in which equilibria are indeterminate if monetary policy consists solely of a rule for fixing the short-term interest rate. We introduce explicitly into the model the agents’ expectations of inflation which create the indeterminacy and show that there are two types of policies—a term structure rule or a forward guidance rule for the short rate—which lead to determinacy. The first consists in fixing the interest rates on a family of bonds of different maturities as function of realized inflation; the second consists in fixing the short-term interest rate and the expected values of the short-term interest rate for a sequence of periods into the future as a function of realized inflation. If the monetary authority chooses an inflation process that satisfies conditions derived in the paper and applies one of these rules, it anchors agents’ expectations to this process, in the sense that it is the unique inflation process compatible with equilibrium when the interest rates or expected future values of the short rate are those specified by the term structure or forward guidance rule. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Magill & Martine Quinzii, 2014. "Term structure and forward guidance as instruments of monetary policy," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 56(1), pages 1-32, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:56:y:2014:i:1:p:1-32
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-013-0773-z
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    Cited by:

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    2. Hoelle, Matthew, 2015. "On the Pareto efficiency of term structure targeting policies," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 62-69.
    3. Hommes, Cars & Makarewicz, Tomasz, 2021. "Price level versus inflation targeting under heterogeneous expectations: a laboratory experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 39-82.
    4. Emilian DOBRESCU, 2020. "Self-fulfillment degree of economic expectations within an integrated space: The European Union case study," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(4), pages 5-32, December.
    5. McMahon, Michael & Peiris, M. Udara & Polemarchakis, Herakles, 2018. "Perils of unconventional monetary policy," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 92-114.
    6. Matthew Hoelle, 2018. "Stationary inflation and Pareto efficiency with incomplete markets and a large open economy," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 6(1), pages 115-128, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Determinacy of equilibrium; Monetary policy; Anchoring expectations of inflation; Term structure rule; Forward guidance rule; E43; E44; E52; E58;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • 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

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