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Is inflation targeting a strategy past its sell-by date?

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto Locarno

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Alessandra Locarno

    (Libera Universita' Internazionale degli Studi Sociali "Guido Carli")

Abstract

In this paper we compare alternative monetary policy strategies to assess which one is best suited (1) to reduce output and inflation volatility and at the same time (2) minimise the frequency and costs of ZLB episodes. We consider only targeting rules, i.e. rules that minimise the loss function assigned by the Government to the monetary policymaker, who is assumed to set the policy rate under discretion. We run a horse race among eight different strategies. Our analysis confirms the theoretical findings by Svensson (1999) and Vestin (2006) that price-level targeting can guarantee a better performance than inflation targeting in terms of both of the criteria described above. These findings are valid regardless of whether interest-rate variability is included in the loss function or not and are robust to changes in model parameters. Nominal GDP-level targeting also performs well: though it is not uniformly superior to inflation targeting or average inflation targeting, it succeeds in ensuring better outcomes over a large range of model parameters and social preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Locarno & Alessandra Locarno, 2021. "Is inflation targeting a strategy past its sell-by date?," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1316, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
  • Handle: RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1316_21
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    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/temi-discussione/2021/2021-1316/en_tema_1316.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pierpaolo Benigno & Michael Woodford, 2005. "Inflation Stabilization And Welfare: The Case Of A Distorted Steady State," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(6), pages 1185-1236, December.
    2. Philippe Andrade & Jordi Gali & Hervé Le Bihan & Julien Matheron, 2021. "Should the ECB Adjust Its Strategy in the Face of a Lower r*?," Working Papers 22-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    3. Kosuke Aoki & Kalin Nikolov, 2006. "Rule-Based Monetary Policy under Central Bank Learning," NBER Chapters, in: NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics 2004, pages 145-195, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Marcin Bielecki & Michał Brzoza-Brzezina & Marcin Kolasa, 2018. "Demographics, monetary policy, and the zero lower bound," NBP Working Papers 284, Narodowy Bank Polski.
    5. Olivier Blanchard & Giovanni Dell'Ariccia & Paolo Mauro, 2010. "Rethinking Macroeconomic Policy," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(s1), pages 199-215, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Erceg, Christopher J. & Jakab, Zoltan & Lindé, Jesper, 2021. "Monetary policy strategies for the European Central Bank," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    E ective lower bound; infl ation targeting; price-level targeting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • 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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