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The inherent benefit of monetary unions

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  • Groll, Dominik
  • Monacelli, Tommaso

Abstract

The desirability of flexible exchange rates is a central tenet in international macroeconomics. We show that, with forward-looking staggered pricing, this result crucially depends on the monetary authority's ability to commit. Under full commitment, flexible exchange rates generally dominate a monetary union (or fixed exchange rate) regime. Under discretion, this result is overturned: a monetary union dominates flexible exchange rates. By fixing the nominal exchange rate, a benevolent monetary authority finds it welfare improving to trade off flexibility in the adjustment of the terms of trade in order to improve on its ability to manage the private sector's expectations. Thus, inertia in the terms of trade (induced by a fixed exchange rate) is a cost under commitment, whereas it is a benefit under discretion, for it acts like a commitment device.

Suggested Citation

  • Groll, Dominik & Monacelli, Tommaso, 2016. "The inherent benefit of monetary unions," Kiel Working Papers 2048, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:2048
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    Cited by:

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    2. Daeha Cho & Kwang Hwan & Sukjoon Kim, 2023. "The Paradox of Price Flexibility in an Open Economy," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 51, pages 370-392, December.
    3. Giancarlo Corsetti & Keith Kuester & Gernot J. Müller, 2017. "Fixed on Flexible: Rethinking Exchange Rate Regimes after the Great Recession," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 65(3), pages 586-632, August.
    4. Gandjon Fankem, Gislain Stéphane & Fouda Mbesa, Lucien Cédric, 2023. "Business cycle synchronization and African monetary union: A wavelet analysis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    5. Ida, Daisuke, 2023. "Liquidity-constrained consumers and optimal monetary policy in a currency union," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    6. Cem Gorgun, 2019. "Monetary Unions and National Welfare," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 1912, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    7. Hettig, Thomas & Müller, Gernot J., 2018. "Fiscal policy coordination in currency unions at the effective lower bound," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 80-98.
    8. Schmidt, Sebastian, 2018. "Time-consistent monetary policy, terms of trade manipulation and welfare in open economies," Working Paper Series 2128, European Central Bank.
    9. Cho, Daeha & Kim, Kwang Hwan & Kim, Suk Joon, 2023. "Inefficient international risk-sharing," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 31-49.
    10. Giancarlo Corsetti & Keith Kuester & Gernot J. Müller & Sebastian Schmidt, 2021. "The Exchange Rate Insulation Puzzle," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 060, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    11. Daisuke Ida & Mitsuhiro Okano, 2023. "International heterogeneity of nominal wages and optimal monetary policy," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 112-138, August.
    12. Timothy Hills & Taisuke Nakata & Takeki Sunakawa, 2021. "A Promised Value Approach to Optimal Monetary Policy," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(1), pages 176-198, February.
    13. Corsetti, Giancarlo & Kuester, Keith & Müller, Gernot J., 2017. "Fixed on flexible rethink exchange rate regimes after the Great Recession," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 86154, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Affuso, Ermanno & Buleca, Jan & Zhang, Dengjun & Zoricak, Martin, 2023. "The welfare impact of Euro on European consumers," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    15. Zuzana Rowland & George Lazaroiu & Ivana Podhorská, 2020. "Use of Neural Networks to Accommodate Seasonal Fluctuations When Equalizing Time Series for the CZK/RMB Exchange Rate," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    monetary union; flexible exchange rates; commitment; discretion; welfare losses; nominal rigidities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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