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Capacity Constraints, Inflation and the Transmission Mechanism: Forward-Looking Versus Myopic Policy Rules

Author

Listed:
  • Mr. Peter B. Clark
  • Mr. Douglas Laxton
  • David Rose

Abstract

This paper develops a small model of the output-inflation process in the United States in order to examine the implications of alternative monetary policy rules. In particular, two types of policy rules are considered; a myopic rule where interest rates respond contemporaneously to output and inflation and a forward-looking policy rule that exploits information about the nature of transmission mechanism in the setting of interest rates. The model has two key features. First, there are significant lags between interest rates and aggregate demand conditions. Second, the model is based on an asymmetric model of inflation where positive deviations of aggregate demand from potential are more inflationary than negative deviations are disinflationary. As a consequence of this asymmetry, a policymaker that follows a myopic policy rule and allows the economy to overheat periodically will be forced to impose large recessions on the economy to keep inflation under control. The paper shows that the estimated degree of asymmetry implies that myopic policies can result in significant permanent losses in output. By contrast, policymakers that follow a forward-looking policy rule that avoids overheating will not only reduce the variance of output but also raise the mean level of output.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Peter B. Clark & Mr. Douglas Laxton & David Rose, 1995. "Capacity Constraints, Inflation and the Transmission Mechanism: Forward-Looking Versus Myopic Policy Rules," IMF Working Papers 1995/075, International Monetary Fund.
  • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:1995/075
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Haldane, 1997. "Some Issues in Inflation Targeting," Bank of England working papers 74, Bank of England.
    2. Schaling, E., 1998. "The Nonlinear Phillips Curve and Inflation Forecast Targeting - Symmetric Versus Asymmetric Monetary Policy Rules," Other publications TiSEM d6b03994-a406-4ac5-9c4d-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Svensson, Lars E. O., 1997. "Inflation forecast targeting: Implementing and monitoring inflation targets," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1111-1146, June.
    4. Nicoletta Batini & Andrew Haldane, 1999. "Forward-Looking Rules for Monetary Policy," NBER Chapters, in: Monetary Policy Rules, pages 157-202, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Schaling, Eric, 2004. "The Nonlinear Phillips Curve and Inflation Forecast Targeting: Symmetric versus Asymmetric Monetary Policy Rules," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 36(3), pages 361-386, June.
    6. Glenn D. Rudebusch, 2001. "Is The Fed Too Timid? Monetary Policy In An Uncertain World," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 83(2), pages 203-217, May.
    7. Baghli, Mustapha & Cahn, Christophe & Fraisse, Henri, 2007. "Is the inflation-output Nexus asymmetric in the Euro area?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 1-6, January.
    8. Alistair Dieppe & Jerome Henry & Peter Mc Adam, "undated". "Labour market dynamics in the euro area: A model-based sensitivity analysis," Modeling, Computing, and Mastering Complexity 2003 09, Society for Computational Economics.
    9. Dolado Juan & Pedrero Ramón María-Dolores & Ruge-Murcia Francisco J., 2004. "Nonlinear Monetary Policy Rules: Some New Evidence for the U.S," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 8(3), pages 1-34, September.
    10. Dany Brouillette & Madigan Dockrill & Helen Lao & Laurence Savoie-Chabot, 2018. "Bending the Curves: Wages and Inflation," Staff Analytical Notes 2018-15, Bank of Canada.
    11. Camila Figueroa & Pablo García, 2017. "Desafíos de la Política Monetaria Sistemática," Economic Policy Papers Central Bank of Chile 64, Central Bank of Chile.
    12. Guy Debelle & James Vickery, 1998. "Is the Phillips Curve A Curve? Some Evidence and Implications for Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 74(227), pages 384-398, December.
    13. Corrado, Luisa & Holly, Sean, 2003. "Nonlinear Phillips curves, mixing feedback rules and the distribution of inflation and output," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 467-492, December.
    14. Richard T. Freeman & Jonathan L. Willis, 1995. "Targeting inflation in the 1990s: recent challenges," International Finance Discussion Papers 525, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    15. Corrado, L. & Holly, S., 2000. "Piecewise Linear Feedback Rules in a Non Linear Model of the Phillips Curve: Evidence from the US and the UK," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0019, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    16. Alastair Cunningham & Andrew G. Haldane, 2000. "The Monetary Transmission Mechanism in The United Kingdom: Pass-Through & Policy Ru," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 83, Central Bank of Chile.
    17. Mokhtar Benlamine & Mr. Ales Bulir & Meryem Farouki & Ágnes Horváth & Faical Hossaini & Hasnae El Idrissi & Zineb Iraoui & Mihály Kovács & Mr. Douglas Laxton & Anass Maaroufi & Katalin Szilágyi & Moha, 2018. "Morocco: A Practical Approach to Monetary Policy Analysis in a Country with Capital Controls," IMF Working Papers 2018/027, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Chantal Dupasquier & Nicholas Ricketts, 1998. "Non-Linearities in the Output-Inflation Relationship: Some Empirical Results for Canada," Staff Working Papers 98-14, Bank of Canada.
    19. Demertzis, Maria & Hallett, Andrew Hughes, 1998. "Asymmetric transmission mechanisms and the rise in European unemployment: A case of structural differences or of policy failures?," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 869-886, June.
    20. Eric Schaling, 1999. "The non-linear Phillips curve and inflation forecast targeting," Bank of England working papers 98, Bank of England.
    21. Marco Gross & Willi Semmler, 2019. "Mind the Output Gap: The Disconnect of Growth and Inflation during Recessions and Convex Phillips Curves in the Euro Area," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 81(4), pages 817-848, August.
    22. Ali Alichi & Rania A. Al-Mashat & Hayk Avetisyan & Mr. Jaromir Benes & Olivier Bizimana & Aram Butavyan & Mr. Robert Ford & Narek Ghazaryan & Vahagn Grigoryan & Mane Harutyunyan & Anahit Hovhannisyan , 2018. "Estimates of Potential Output and the Neutral Rate for the U.S. Economy," IMF Working Papers 2018/152, International Monetary Fund.

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