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Optimal interest-rate rules and inflation stabilization versus price-level stabilization

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Listed author(s):
  • Giannoni, Marc P.

Abstract

This paper compares the properties of interest-rate rules such as simple Taylor rules and rules that respond to price-level fluctuations (called Wicksellian rules) in a basic forward-looking model. By introducing appropriate history dependence in policy, Wicksellian rules perform better than optimal Taylor rules in terms of welfare, robustness to alternative shock processes, and are less prone to equilibrium indeterminacy. A simple Wicksellian rule augmented with a high degree of interest rate inertia resembles a robustly optimal rule, i.e., a monetary policy rule that implements the optimal plan and that is also completely robust to the specification of exogenous shock processes.

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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control.

Volume (Year): 41 (2014)
Issue (Month): C ()
Pages: 110-129

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Handle: RePEc:eee:dyncon:v:41:y:2014:i:c:p:110-129
DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2014.01.013
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jedc

Keywords: Optimal monetary policy; Taylor rule; Robust policy;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
  • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation

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Cited by:

  1. Fujiwara, Ippei & Teranishi, Yuki, 2017. "Financial frictions and policy cooperation: A case with monopolistic banking and staggered loan contracts," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 19-43.
  2. Daniel Kaufmann & Florian Huber, 2015. "Trend Fundamentals and Exchange Rate Dynamics," KOF Working papers 15-393, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
  3. Stephen McKnight, 2016. "Investment and forward-looking monetary policy: A Wicksellian solution to the problem of indeterminacy," Serie documentos de trabajo del Centro de Estudios Económicos 2016-02, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos.
  4. Ragna Alstadheim & Øistein Røisland, 2016. "When preferences for a stable interest rate become self-defeating," Working Paper 2016/8, Norges Bank.
  5. Seppo Honkapohja & Kaushik Mitra, 2015. "Comparing Inflation and Price-Level Targeting: The Role of Forward Guidance and Transparency," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83, pages 27-59, December.
  6. Cúrdia, Vasco & Ferrero, Andrea & Ng, Ging Cee & Tambalotti, Andrea, 2015. "Has U.S. monetary policy tracked the efficient interest rate?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 72-83.
  7. Mitra, Kaushik & Honkapohja, Seppo, 2014. "Targeting nominal GDP or prices: : Guidance and expectation dynamics," Research Discussion Papers 4/2014, Bank of Finland.
  8. Garín, Julio & Lester, Robert & Sims, Eric, 2016. "On the desirability of nominal GDP targeting," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 21-44.
  9. Kohei Hasui & Tomohiro Sugo & Yuki Teranishi, 2016. "Liquidity Trap and Optimal Monetary Policy Revisited," UTokyo Price Project Working Paper Series 061, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.

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