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Managing Expectations: Instruments Versus Targets

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  • George-Marios Angeletos
  • Karthik A Sastry

Abstract

Should policy communications aim at anchoring expectations of the policy instrument (“keep interest rates at zero until date τ”) or of the targeted outcome (“do whatever it takes to bring unemployment down to $y\%$”)? We study how the optimal approach depends on a departure from rational expectations. People have limited depth of knowledge and rationality, or form otherwise distorted beliefs about the behavior of others and the general equilibrium (GE) effects of policy. The bite of this distortion on implementability and welfare is minimized by target-based guidance if and only if GE feedback is strong enough. This offers a rationale for why central banks should shine the spotlight on unemployment when faced with a prolonged liquidity trap, a steep Keynesian cross, or a large financial accelerator.

Suggested Citation

  • George-Marios Angeletos & Karthik A Sastry, 2021. "Managing Expectations: Instruments Versus Targets," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(4), pages 2467-2532.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:qjecon:v:136:y:2021:i:4:p:2467-2532.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/qje/qjaa045
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    Cited by:

    1. Dobrew, Michael & Gerke, Rafael & Giesen, Sebastian & Röttger, Joost, 2025. "Make-up strategies with incomplete markets and bounded rationality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Michael Ehrmann & Sarah Holton & Danielle Kedan & Gillian Phelan, 2024. "Monetary Policy Communication: Perspectives from Former Policymakers at the ECB," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 56(4), pages 837-864, June.
    3. Michael D Bauer & Carolin E Pflueger & Adi Sunderam, 2024. "Perceptions About Monetary Policy," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 139(4), pages 2227-2278.
    4. Born, Benjamin & Enders, Zeno & Müller, Gernot, 2023. "On FIRE, news, and expectations," CEPR Discussion Papers 18259, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
      • Born, Benjamin & Enders, Zeno & Müller, Gernot J., 2023. "On FIRE, news, and expectations," Working Papers 42, German Research Foundation's Priority Programme 1859 "Experience and Expectation. Historical Foundations of Economic Behaviour", Humboldt University Berlin.
    5. Dimitris Georgarakos & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Olivier Coibion & Geoff Kenny, 2024. "The Causal Effects of Inflation Uncertainty on Households' Beliefs and Actions," NBER Working Papers 33014, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Prasanna Gai & Cameron Haworth, 2024. "Alternative Monetary Policy Commitments and the Yield Curve," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 100(329), pages 137-159, June.
    7. Christopher Gibbs & Nigel McClung, 2023. "Does my model predict a forward guidance puzzle?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 51, pages 393-423, December.

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