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Optimal simple and implementable monetary and fiscal rules

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Author Info
Stephanie Schmitt-Grohé
Martín Uribe
Abstract

This paper computes welfare-maximizing monetary and fiscal policy rules in a real business cycle model augmented with sticky prices, a demand for money, taxation, and stochastic government consumption. We consider simple feedback rules whereby the nominal interest rate is set as a function of output and inflation and taxes are set as a function of total government liabilities. We implement a second-order accurate solution to the model. We have several main findings. First, the size of the inflation coefficient in the interest rate rule plays a minor role for welfare. It matters only insofar as it affects the determinacy of equilibrium. Second, optimal monetary policy features a muted response to output. More importantly, interest rate rules that feature a positive response to output can lead to significant welfare losses. Third, the welfare gains from interest rate smoothing are negligible. Fourth, optimal fiscal policy is passive. Finally, the optimal monetary and fiscal rule combination attains virtually the same level of welfare as the Ramsey optimal policy.

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Paper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in its series Working Paper with number 2007-24.

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Date of creation: 2007
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Handle: RePEc:fip:fedawp:2007-24

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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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  5. Schmitt-Grohé, Stephanie & Uribe, Martín, 2004. "Optimal Simple and Implementable Monetary and Fiscal Rules," CEPR Discussion Papers 4334, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  25. Schmitt-Grohe, Stephanie & Uribe, Martin, 2004. "Optimal fiscal and monetary policy under imperfect competition," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 183-209, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  26. Altig, David E & Christiano, Lawrence J. & Eichenbaum, Martin & Lindé, Jesper, 2005. "Firm-Specific Capital, Nominal Rigidities and the Business Cycle," CEPR Discussion Papers 4858, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, 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.)

  1. Guido Ascari & Tiziano Ropele, 2009. "Trend inflation, Taylor principle and indeterminacy," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 708, Bank of Italy, Economic Research Department. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Piergallini, Alessandro & Rodano, Giorgio, 2009. "Public Debt, Distortionary Taxation, and Monetary Policy," MPRA Paper 15348, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  3. Michael Kumhof & Douglas Laxton, 2009. "Simple, Implementable Fiscal Policy Rules," IMF Working Papers 09/76, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  4. Dimitris Christopoulos & Miguel A. León-Ledesma, 2009. "On causal Relationships Between Exchange Rates and Fundamentals: Better Than You Think," Studies in Economics 0909, Department of Economics, University of Kent. [Downloadable!]
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    Other versions:
  6. Danny Leung, 2008. "Markups in Canada: Have They Changed and Why?," Working Papers 08-8, Bank of Canada. [Downloadable!]
  7. Klaus Adam & Roberto M. Billi, 2007. "Monetary conservatism and fiscal policy," Research Working Paper RWP 07-01, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Barbara Annicchiarico & Luisa Corrado & Alessandra Pelloni, 2008. " Long-Term Growth and Short-Term Volatility: The Labour Market Nexus," CDMA Working Paper Series 0806, Centre for Dynamic Macroeconomic Analysis. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. S. Gnocchi, 2007. "Discretionary Fiscal Policy and Optimal Monetary Policy in a Currency Area ," Working Papers 602, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna. [Downloadable!]
  10. Eric M. Leeper, 2009. "Anchoring Fiscal Expectations," NBER Working Papers 15269, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  11. Konstantinos Angelopoulos & Jim Malley & Apostolis Philippopoulos, 2008. "Welfare implications of public education spending rules," Working Papers 2008_37, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Stephanie Schmitt-Grohé & Martín Uribe, 2008. "Policy implications of the new Keynesian Phillips curve," Economic Quarterly, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, issue Fall, pages 435-465. [Downloadable!]
  13. Faia, Ester & Lechthaler, Wolfgang & Merkl, Christian, 2009. "Labor Turnover Costs, Workers' Heterogeneity, and Optimal Monetary Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 4322, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  14. Fabian Eser & Campbell Leith & Simon Wren-Lewis, 2009. "When is monetary policy all we need?," Working Papers 2009_18, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  15. Rossi Lorenza & Guido Ascari, 2008. "Long-run Phillips Curve and Disinfation Dynamics: Calvo vs. Rotemberg Price Setting," DISCE - Quaderni dell'Istituto di Economia e Finanza ief0082, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE). [Downloadable!]
  16. Campbell Leith & Ioana Moldovan & Raffaele Rossi, 2009. "Monetary and fiscal policy under deep habits," Working Papers 2009_32, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow. [Downloadable!]
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  17. Konstantinos Angelopoulos & Jim Malley & Apostolis Philippopoulos, 2008. "Tax Structure, Growth and Welfare in the UK," Working Papers 2008_05, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow, revised Apr 2008. [Downloadable!]
  18. Arato, Hiroki, 2008. "Optimal operational monetary policy rules in an endogenous growth model: a calibrated analysis," MPRA Paper 8547, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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  19. Ryu-ichiro Murota & Yoshiyasu Ono, 2009. "Zero Nominal Interest Rates, Unemployment, Excess Reserves and Deflation in a Liquidity Trap," ISER Discussion Paper 0748, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University. [Downloadable!]
  20. Tatiana Damjanovic & Vladislav Damjanovic & Charles Nolan, 2007. " Unconditionally Optimal Monetary Policy," CDMA Working Paper Series 0721, Centre for Dynamic Macroeconomic Analysis. [Downloadable!]
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  21. Roberto M. Billi, 2007. "Optimal inflation for the U.S," Research Working Paper RWP 07-03, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. [Downloadable!]
  22. Campbell Leith & Ioana Moldovan & Raffaele Rossi, 2008. "Optimal monetary policy in a new Keynesian model with habits in consumption," Working Papers 2008_30, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow, revised Dec 2008. [Downloadable!]
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