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How to Solve the Price Puzzle? A Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

The short-run increase in prices following an unexpected tightening of monetary policy represents a frequently reported puzzle. Yet the puzzle is easy to explain away when all published models are quantitatively reviewed. We collect and examine about 1,000 point estimates of impulse responses from 70 articles using vector autoregressive models to study monetary transmission in various countries. We find some evidence of publication selection against the price puzzle in the literature, but our results also suggest that the reported puzzle is mostly caused by model misspecifications. Finally, the long-run response of prices to monetary policy shocks depends on the characteristics of the economy.

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  • Marek Rusnák & Tomáš Havránek & Roman Horváth, 2011. "How to Solve the Price Puzzle? A Meta-Analysis," Working Papers IES 2011/24, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised Jul 2011.
    • Handle: RePEc:fau:wpaper:wp2011_24
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    Keywords

    Monetary policy transmission; Price puzzle; Meta-analysis; Publication selection bias;

    JEL classification:

    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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