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Discretion Rather Than Rules? When Is Discretionary Policymaking Better Than the Timeless Perspective?

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  • Stephan Sauer

    (European Central Bank)

Abstract

Discretionary monetary policy produces a dynamic loss in the New Keynesian model in the presence of cost-push shocks. The possibility to commit to a specific policy rule can increase welfare. A number of authors since Woodford (1999) have argued in favor of a timeless-perspective rule as an optimal policy. The short-run costs associated with the timeless perspective are neglected in general, however. Rigid prices, relatively impatient households, a high preference of policymakers for output stabilization, and a deviation from the steady state all worsen the performance of the timeless-perspective rule and can make it inferior to discretion.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephan Sauer, 2010. "Discretion Rather Than Rules? When Is Discretionary Policymaking Better Than the Timeless Perspective?," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 6(2), pages 1-29, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ijc:ijcjou:y:2010:q:2:a:1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Paez-Farrell, Juan, 2011. "Timeless perspective versus discretionary policymaking when the degree of inflation persistence is unknown," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 2432-2438.
    2. Petrella, Ivan & Rossi, Raffaele & Santoro, Emiliano, 2014. "Discretion vs. timeless perspective under model-consistent stabilization objectives," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 122(1), pages 84-88.
    3. Sunakawa, Takeki, 2015. "A quantitative analysis of optimal sustainable monetary policies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 119-135.
    4. Azar HASANLI, 2016. "A New Era of Monetary Policymaking in the Light of the Post-Crisis Challenges," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 3(3), pages 473-494, September.
    5. Fujiwara, Ippei & Kam, Timothy & Sunakawa, Takeki, 2019. "Sustainable international monetary policy cooperation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 1-1.
    6. Bask, Mikael & Proaño, Christian R, 2012. "Optimal Monetary Policy under Learning in a New Keynesian Model with Cost Channel and Inflation Inertia," Working Paper Series 2012:7, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    7. Ida, Daisuke, 2020. "Sectoral inflation persistence and optimal monetary policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    8. Bask, Mikael & Proaño, Christian R., 2016. "Optimal monetary policy under learning and structural uncertainty in a New Keynesian model with a cost channel and inflation inertia," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 112-126.
    9. Marcelo de C. Griebeler & Ronald Otto Hillbrecht, 2014. "Convexity of the central bank's loss function and dependence between monetary instruments," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(4), pages 2275-2291.
    10. Paez-Farrell, Juan, 2012. "Should central bankers discount the future? A note," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 114(1), pages 20-22.

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    JEL classification:

    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit

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