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Is Optimal Monetary Policy Always Optimal?

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  • Gürkaynak, Refet

Abstract

No. And not only for the reason you think. In a world with multiple inefficiencies the single policy tool the central bank has control over will not undo all inefficiencies; this is well understood. We argue that the world is better characterized by multiple inefficiencies and multiple policy makers with various objectives. Asking the policy question only in terms of optimal monetary policy effectively turns the central bank into the residual claimant of all policy and gives the other policymakers a free hand in pursuing their own goals. This further worsens the tradeoffs faced by the central bank. The optimal monetary policy literature and the optimal simple rules often labeled flexible inflation targeting assign all of the cyclical policymaking duties to central banks. This distorts the policy discussion and narrows the policy choices to a suboptimal set. We highlight this issue and call for a broader thinking of optimal policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Gürkaynak, Refet, 2015. "Is Optimal Monetary Policy Always Optimal?," CEPR Discussion Papers 10767, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:10767
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    1. Bank centralny to zły decydent ostatniej instancji
      by k.mokrzycka in Obserwator Finansowy on 2016-01-13 08:00:17

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    Cited by:

    1. Alan Blinder & Michael Ehrmann & Jakob de Haan & David-Jan Jansen, 2017. "Necessity as the mother of invention: monetary policy after the crisis," Economic Policy, CEPR;CES;MSH, vol. 32(92), pages 707-755.
    2. Delano S. Villanueva, 2015. "Challenges for Inflation Targeting," Working Papers wp10, South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre.
    3. Olivier Blanchard, 2018. "Distortions in Macroeconomics," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(1), pages 547-554.
    4. Pasquale Foresti, 2018. "Monetary And Fiscal Policies Interaction In Monetary Unions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 226-248, February.
    5. Eric Schaling & Kgotso Morema, 2022. "Optimalinterestrategapsforflexibleinflationtargeting," Working Papers 11037, South African Reserve Bank.
    6. Kantur, Zeynep & Özcan, Gülserim, 2019. "Optimal Policy Implications of Financial Uncertainty," MPRA Paper 95920, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Yıldırım-Karaman, Secil, 2017. "Uncertainty shocks, central bank characteristics and business cycles," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 379-388.
    8. Jong Ku Kang, 2016. "The Relation Between Monetary and Macroprudential Policy," Working Papers 2016-8, Economic Research Institute, Bank of Korea.
    9. K. Kývanc Karaman & Seçil Yýldýrým-Karaman, 2017. "The Monetary Policy Change in Turkey in 2009 and Its Implications for Inflation and Growth," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 31(1), pages 1-21.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Central banking; Fiscal policy; Monetary policy; Optimal policy; Optimal policy mix;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • 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
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination

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