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The Zero Lower Bound, ECB Interest Rate Policy and the Financial Crisis

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Listed:
  • Stefan Gerlach
  • John Lewis

Abstract

This paper estimates a monetary policy reaction function for the ECB over the period 1999-2009. To allow for a potential shift in interest rate setting during the financial crisis, we permit a smooth transition from one set of parameters to another. The estimates show a swift change in the months following the collapse of Lehman brothers. They suggest that the ECB cut rates more aggressively than expected solely on the basis of the worsening of macroeconomic conditions, consistent with the theoretical literature on optimal monetary policy in the vicinity of the zero bound.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Gerlach & John Lewis, 2010. "The Zero Lower Bound, ECB Interest Rate Policy and the Financial Crisis," DNB Working Papers 254, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:dnb:dnbwpp:254
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    File URL: https://www.dnb.nl/binaries/WP%20254_tcm46-237507.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adam, Klaus & Billi, Roberto M., 2006. "Optimal Monetary Policy under Commitment with a Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(7), pages 1877-1905, October.
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    7. Gerlach, Stefan & Schnabel, Gert, 2000. "The Taylor rule and interest rates in the EMU area," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 165-171, May.
    8. John P. Judd & Glenn D. Rudebusch, 1998. "Taylor's rule and the Fed, 1970-1997," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, pages 3-16.
    9. Peersman, Gert & Smets, Frank, 1999. "The Taylor Rule: A Useful Monetary Policy Benchmark for the Euro Area?," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(1), pages 85-116, April.
    10. Günter Coenen & Volker W. Wieland, 2004. "Exchange-Rate Policy and the Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(2), pages 80-84, May.
    11. Coenen, Gunter & Wieland, Volker, 2003. "The zero-interest-rate bound and the role of the exchange rate for monetary policy in Japan," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(5), pages 1071-1101, July.
    12. Assenmacher-Wesche, Katrin, 2006. "Estimating Central Banks' preferences from a time-varying empirical reaction function," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(8), pages 1951-1974, November.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Beckmann, Joscha & Belke, Ansgar & Dreger, Christian, 2017. "The relevance of international spillovers and asymmetric effects in the Taylor rule," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 162-170.
    2. Nikolay Markov, 2010. "A Regime Switching Model for the European Central Bank," Research Papers by the Institute of Economics and Econometrics, Geneva School of Economics and Management, University of Geneva 10091, Institut d'Economie et Econométrie, Université de Genève.
    3. Merola, Rossana, 2015. "The role of financial frictions during the crisis: An estimated DSGE model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 70-82.
    4. Rossana Merola, 2013. "The role of financial frictions in the 2007-2008 crisis: an estimated DSGE model," Working Papers Department of Economics 2013/08, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.
    5. repec:kap:empiri:v:44:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s10663-016-9339-1 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Stefan Gerlach & John Lewis, 2014. "ECB Reaction Functions and the Crisis of 2008," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 10(1), pages 137-158, March.
    7. Aastrup, Morten & Jensen, Henrik, 2010. "What Drives the European Central Bank's Interest-Rate Changes?," CEPR Discussion Papers 8160, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Wolfram Berger & Friedrich Kissmer, 2013. "Monetary Policy and Asset Prices: When Cleaning Up Hits the Zero Lower Bound," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 149(III), pages 291-312, September.
    9. Yüksel, Ebru & Metin-Ozcan, Kivilcim & Hatipoglu, Ozan, 2013. "A survey on time-varying parameter Taylor rule: A model modified with interest rate pass-through," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 122-134.
    10. Alexius, Annika & Birenstam, Helene & Eklund, Johanna, 2014. "The interbank market risk premium, central bank interventions, and measures of market liquidity," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(PA), pages 202-217.
    11. Belke, Ansgar & Beckmann, Joscha & Dreger, Christian, 2014. "Does the foreign interest rate matter for monetary policy? Evidence from nonlinear Taylor rules," Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100450, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Andrew Hughes Hallett & John Lewis, 2015. "Monetary policy and sovereign debt: Does the ECB take the eurozone’s fiscal risks into account?," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 499-520, August.
    13. Nikolay Markov & Thomas Nitschka, 2013. "Estimating Taylor Rules for Switzerland: Evidence from 2000 to 2012," Working Papers 2013-08, Swiss National Bank.
    14. He, Xiaoli & Jacobs, Jan & Kuper, Gerard & Ligthart, Jenny, 2013. "On the impact of the global financial crisis on the euro area," Research Report 13011-EEF, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    15. Nikolay Markov & Carlos de Porres, 2011. "Is the Taylor Rule Nonlinear? Empirical Evidence from a Semi-Parametric Modeling Approach," Research Papers by the Institute of Economics and Econometrics, Geneva School of Economics and Management, University of Geneva 11052, Institut d'Economie et Econométrie, Université de Genève.
    16. repec:ksa:szemle:1744 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. repec:dgr:rugsom:13011-eef is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Ma, Yong, 2014. "Monetary policy based on nonlinear quantity rule: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 89-104.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ECB; reaction functions; zero lower bound; smooth transition;

    JEL classification:

    • C2 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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