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The Evolving Core of Usable Macroeconomics for Policymakers

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We provide a brief primer on how the core of usable macroeconomic theory for monetary policymakers has evolved over the past 50 years. Today’s policy discussions center on the New Keynesian (NK) synthesis, which builds on the Neoclassical growth model and the AS-AD framework. It incorporates nominal and real rigidities, financial and labor market frictions, the importance of expectations, and inspired terms used by policymakers such as “anchored inflation expectations” and “forward guidance.” While essential for communication during the Great Recession and Covid-19 pandemic, these events also revealed the NK model’s limitations. Newer models incorporating heterogeneous agents potentially offer richer policy insights but add complexity and the challenge of distilling their main policy implications going forward.

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  • Jonas D. M. Fisher & Bart Hobijn & Alessandro Villa, 2025. "The Evolving Core of Usable Macroeconomics for Policymakers," Working Paper Series WP 2025-02, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedhwp:99676
    DOI: 10.21033/wp-2025-02
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    1. Lawrence J. Christiano & Martin Eichenbaum & Charles L. Evans, 2005. "Nominal Rigidities and the Dynamic Effects of a Shock to Monetary Policy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(1), pages 1-45, February.
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    3. Erceg, Christopher J. & Henderson, Dale W. & Levin, Andrew T., 2000. "Optimal monetary policy with staggered wage and price contracts," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 281-313, October.
    4. Calvo, Guillermo A., 1983. "Staggered prices in a utility-maximizing framework," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 383-398, September.
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    JEL classification:

    • B22 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Macroeconomics
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General

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