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Inflation Targeting: What Inflation to Target?

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Author Info
Kevin X.D. Huang
Zheng Liu ()

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Abstract

Although CPI inflation and PPI inflation are both readily observable, the latter has received much less attention in the design of optimal monetary policy, despite the apparent difference in the cyclical behaviors of the two price indices. This paper constructs a sticky-price DSGE model, in which final consumption goods are produced through two stages of processing, and thus a natural distinction between PPI and CPI arises. We derive a utility-based objective function for a benevolent central bank, and, under this objective, we characterize optimal monetary policy and compare the welfare implications of several simple interest rate rules. Under the optimal monetary policy, the central bank should care not only about variations in CPI inflation and output gap, but also about variations in PPI inflation and the gap of the real marginal cost in the intermediate good sector. In general, the central bank faces a tradeoff between stabilizing the gaps and the two measures of inflation and cannot attain the Pareto optimal allocation. Although implementing the optimal policy requires excessive information, a simple hybrid rule under which the short-term interest rate responds to CPI inflation and PPI inflation results in a welfare level close to the optimum, while simple rules that ignore PPI inflation result in significant welfare losses.

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Paper provided by Department of Economics, Emory University (Atlanta) in its series Emory Economics with number 0318.

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Date of creation: Sep 2003
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Handle: RePEc:emo:wp2003:0318

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  1. Woodford, Michael, 1999. "Optimal Monetary Policy Inertia," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 67(0), pages 1-35, Supplemen. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. 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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  3. Marvin Goodfriend & Robert G. King, 2001. "The case for price stability," Working Paper 01-02, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Taylor, John B., 1999. "Staggered price and wage setting in macroeconomics," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 15, pages 1009-1050 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. 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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  6. Gregory Mankiw & Ricardo Reis, 2002. "What measure of inflation should a central bank target?," Working Paper Series 170, European Central Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Richard Clarida & Jordi Gali & Mark Gertler, 2002. "A Simple Framework for International Monetary Policy Analysis," NBER Working Papers 8870, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Erceg, Christopher J. & Henderson, Dale W. & Levin, Andrew T., 2000. "Optimal monetary policy with staggered wage and price contracts," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 281-313, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Huang, Kevin X. D. & Liu, Zheng, 2001. "Production chains and general equilibrium aggregate dynamics," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 437-462, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Michael Woodford, 2003. "Optimal Interest-Rate Smoothing," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 70(4), pages 861-886, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Amato, Jeffery D. & Laubach, Thomas, 2003. "Estimation and control of an optimization-based model with sticky prices and wages," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1181-1215, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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