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Inflation Targeting and Liquidity Traps Under Endogenous Credibility

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  • Cars Hommes
  • Joep Lustenhouwer

Abstract

Policy implications are derived for an inflation-targeting central bank, whose credibility is endogenous and depends on its past ability to achieve its targets. This is done in a New Keynesian framework with heterogeneous and boundedly rational expectations. We find that the region of allowed policy parameters is strictly larger than under rational expectations. However, when the zero lower bound on the nominal interest rate is accounted for, self-fulfilling deflationary spirals can occur, depending on the credibility of the central bank. Deflationary spirals can be prevented with a high inflation target and aggressive monetary easing.

Suggested Citation

  • Cars Hommes & Joep Lustenhouwer, 2019. "Inflation Targeting and Liquidity Traps Under Endogenous Credibility," Staff Working Papers 19-9, Bank of Canada.
    • Handle: RePEc:bca:bocawp:19-9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business fluctuations and cycles; Credibility; Monetary policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • C62 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Existence and Stability Conditions of Equilibrium

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