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Money, Fiscal Policy, and Interest Rates: A Critique of Modern Monetary Theory

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  • Thomas I. Palley

Abstract

This paper examines modern monetary theory (MMT). MMT is a restatement of established Keynesian monetary macroeconomics and so there is nothing new warranting a separate nomenclature. MMT over-simplifies the challenges of attaining non-inflationary full employment by ignoring dilemmas posed by the Phillips curve, maintaining real and financial sector stability, and an open economy. Its policy recommendations take little account of political economy difficulties, while its interest rate policy recommendation would likely generate instability. On the plus side, MMT's advocacy of expansionary fiscal policy is useful at a time when too many policymakers are being drawn toward mistaken fiscal austerity.

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  • Thomas I. Palley, 2015. "Money, Fiscal Policy, and Interest Rates: A Critique of Modern Monetary Theory," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 1-23, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:revpoe:v:27:y:2015:i:1:p:1-23
    DOI: 10.1080/09538259.2014.957466
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    Cited by:

    1. Brett Fiebiger, 2016. "Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy and the Mechanics of Modern Clearing and Settlement Systems," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 590-608, October.
    2. Kehrwald, Bernie, 2014. "The Interest Rate in a Monetary Economy," MPRA Paper 102388, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 12 Aug 2020.
    3. Thomas Palley, 2019. "Macroeconomics vs Modern Money Theory: Some unpleasant Keynesian arithmetic," Working Papers PKWP1910, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    4. Abel M. Agoba, 2021. "Minimising the inflationary impact of fiscal deficits in Africa: The role of monetary, financial and political institutions," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 724-740, January.
    5. Malte Dold & Tim Krieger, 2023. "The ideological use and abuse of Freiburg’s ordoliberalism," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 195(3), pages 341-361, June.
    6. Guglielmo Forges Davanzati, 2020. "The Italian Economic Decline and the Proposal of the State as Innovator of First Resort," Working Papers 0049, ASTRIL - Associazione Studi e Ricerche Interdisciplinari sul Lavoro.
    7. Cavalieri, Duccio, 2015. "Structural interdependence in monetary economics: theoretical assessment and policy implications," MPRA Paper 65528, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Phillip Anthony O’Hara, 2021. "Objectives of the Review of Evolutionary Political Economy’s ‘Manifesto’ and editorial proposals on world problems, complex systems, historico-institutional and corruption issues," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 359-387, July.
    9. Truong Hong Trinh, 2022. "Towards Money Market in General Equilibrium Framework," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, February.
    10. Eckhard Hein, 2018. "Autonomous government expenditure growth, deficits, debt, and distribution in a neo-Kaleckian growth model," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 316-338, April.
    11. Marc Audi & Amjad Ali, 2023. "Public Policy and Economic Misery Nexus: A Comparative Analysis of Developed and Developing World," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(3), pages 56-73, May.
    12. Nwaogwugwu, Chii & Evans, Olaniyi, 2019. "What are the Short-run and Long-run Drivers of Human Capital Development in Nigeria?," MPRA Paper 97130, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Cecilia Maigua & Gekara Mouni, 2016. "Influence of Interest Rates Determinants on the Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 6(2), pages 121-133, April.
    14. Eckhard Hein, 2017. "Post-Keynesian macroeconomics since the mid 1990s: main developments," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(2), pages 131-172, September.
    15. Biagio Bossone, 2020. "Why MMT can’t work: A Keynesian Perspective," Working Papers PKWP2020, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    16. Eric Tymoigne & L. Randall Wray, 2013. "Modern Money Theory 101: A Reply to Critics," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_778, Levy Economics Institute.
    17. Patrick Newman, 2020. "Modern Monetary Theory: An Austrian Interpretation of Recrudescent Keynesianism," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(1), pages 23-31, March.
    18. Cavalieri, Duccio, 2014. "Towards an integrated theory of value, capital and money," MPRA Paper 58198, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Biagio Bossone, 2021. "Why MMT can’t work," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 157-181, February.
    20. Jackson Mejia & Brian C. Albrecht, 2022. "On price stability with a job guarantee," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(4), pages 568-584, October.
    21. Cavalieri, Duccio, 2015. "On stock-flow consistent approaches and the like: the ‘rediscovery’ of model building," MPRA Paper 67050, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 02 Oct 2015.
    22. Pedro Leao, 2015. "Is a Very High Public Debt a Problem?," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_843, Levy Economics Institute.
    23. C. Sardoni, 2016. "A note on the sustainability of full employment in the presence of budget deficits," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 79-89, January.
    24. Arslan Razmi, 2023. "MMT and policy assignment in an open economy context: Simplicity is useful, oversimplification not so much," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 328-350, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E00 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - General
    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • E10 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - General
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy

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