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Optimal Monetary Policy for the Masses

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We study nominal GDP targeting as optimal monetary policy in a simple and stylized model with a credit market friction. The macroeconomy we study has considerable income inequality, which gives rise to a large private sector credit market. There is an important credit market friction because households participating in the credit market use non-state contingent nominal contracts (NSCNC). We extend previous results in this model by allowing for substantial intra-cohort heterogeneity. The heterogeneity is substantial enough that we can approach measured Gini coefficients for income, financial wealth, and consumption in the U.S. data. We show that nominal GDP targeting continues to characterize optimal monetary policy in this setting. Optimal monetary policy repairs the distortion caused by the credit market friction and so leaves heterogeneous households supplying their desired amount of labor, a type of "divine coincidence" result. We also further characterize monetary policy in terms of nominal interest rate adjustment.
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  • James B. Bullard, 2020. "Optimal Monetary Policy for the Masses," Speech 89139, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlps:89139
    Note: Presented at The Bank of Finland Monetary Policy Webinar: New Challenges to Monetary Policy Strategies.
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    1. Sterk, Vincent & Tenreyro, Silvana, 2018. "The transmission of monetary policy through redistributions and durable purchases," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 124-137.
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    7. James Bullard & Aarti Singh, 2020. "Nominal GDP Targeting with Heterogeneous Labor Supply," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(1), pages 37-77, February.
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    14. Azariadis, Costas & Bullard, James & Singh, Aarti & Suda, Jacek, 2019. "Incomplete credit markets and monetary policy," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 83-101.
    15. Congressional Budget Office, 2016. "The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2013," Reports 51361, Congressional Budget Office.
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    17. Evan F. Koenig, 2012. "All in the family: the close connection between nominal-GDP targeting and the Taylor Rule," Staff Papers, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Mar.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lars E.O. Svensson, 2020. "Monetary Policy Strategies for the Federal Reserve," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 16(1), pages 133-193, February.
    2. James B. Bullard, 2020. "How the World Achieved Partial Consensus on Monetary Policy," Speech 87939, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    3. Ivan Jaccard, 2024. "Monetary Asymmetries Without (And With) Price Stickiness," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 65(2), pages 1003-1047, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    monetary policy;

    JEL classification:

    • E4 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates
    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit

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