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Changes in Federal Reserve preferences

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  • Lakdawala, Aeimit

Abstract

Using a model of optimizing central bank behavior, I estimate the dynamic behavior of preferences, which are captured by the relative weight put on stabilizing inflation versus minimizing the output gap. Unlike previous work, I let this parameter vary continuously over time. There is a drastic but steady rise in the weight on inflation around the appointment of Paul Volcker; however, I find variation in preferences throughout the sample period. The results suggest that preference changes have been more complex than typically assumed in the literature. The estimated preference series is used to perform counterfactual experiments and to construct a new measure of monetary shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Lakdawala, Aeimit, 2016. "Changes in Federal Reserve preferences," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 124-143.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:dyncon:v:70:y:2016:i:c:p:124-143
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2016.07.003
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    1. Michael D. Bauer & Eric T. Swanson, 2023. "A Reassessment of Monetary Policy Surprises and High-Frequency Identification," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(1), pages 87-155.
    2. Makram El-Shagi, 2024. "Does the Fed Adhere to its Mandate? Estimating the Federal Reserve's Objective Function," CFDS Discussion Paper Series 2024/3, Center for Financial Development and Stability at Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China.
    3. Belongia, Michael T. & Ireland, Peter N., 2016. "The evolution of U.S. monetary policy: 2000–2007," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 78-93.
    4. Davide Debortoli & Aeimit Lakdawala, 2016. "How Credible Is the Federal Reserve? A Structural Estimation of Policy Re-optimizations," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 8(3), pages 42-76, July.
    5. Qureshi, Irfan, 2015. "Monetary Policy Shifts and Central Bank Independence," MPRA Paper 81646, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Sep 2017.
    6. Davide Debortoli & Ricardo Nunes, 2014. "Monetary Regime Switches and Central Bank Preferences," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(8), pages 1591-1626, December.
    7. Best, Gabriela & Hur, Joonyoung, 2019. "Bad luck, bad policy, and learning? A Markov-switching approach to understanding postwar U.S. macroeconomic dynamics," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 55-78.
    8. Farvaque, Etienne & Malan, Franck & Stanek, Piotr, 2020. "Misplaced childhood: When recession children grow up as central bankers," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    9. Samuel Addo, 2018. "Policy regime changes and central bank prefernces," Working Papers 752, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    10. Ramey, V.A., 2016. "Macroeconomic Shocks and Their Propagation," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & Harald Uhlig (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 71-162, Elsevier.
    11. Morrisy, Stephen D., 2017. "Efficient estimation of macroeconomic equations with unobservable states," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 408-423.
    12. Fabio Canova & Fernando J. Pérez Forero, 2012. "Estimating overidentified, nonrecursive, time-varying coefficients structural VARs," Economics Working Papers 1321, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    13. Cheolbeom Park & Sookyung Park, 2022. "Tracking a central banker's preference: A nonparametric regression approach," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(1), pages 291-307, January.
    14. Gai, Prasanna & Tong, Eric, 2022. "Information spillovers of US monetary policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    15. Cheolbeom Park & Sookyung Park, 2020. "Reading a central banker's preference: A non parametric regression approach," Discussion Paper Series 2007, Institute of Economic Research, Korea University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; Federal Reserve preferences; Monetary shocks; Time-varying parameter; Extended Kalman filter;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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