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Testing the Opportunistic Approach to Monetary Policy

Author

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  • Christopher Martin

    (Brunel University)

  • Costas Milas

    (Keele University, Centre for Economic Research and School of Economic and Management Studies)

Abstract

The Opportunistic Approach to Monetary Policy is an influential but untested model of optimal monetary policy. We provide the first tests of the model, using US data from 1983Q1-2004Q1. Our results support the Opportunistic Approach. We find that policymakers respond to the gap between inflation and an intermediate target that reflects the recent history of inflation. We find that there is no response of interest rates to inflation when inflation is within 1intermediate target.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Martin & Costas Milas, 2007. "Testing the Opportunistic Approach to Monetary Policy," Keele Economics Research Papers KERP 2007/02, Centre for Economic Research, Keele University.
    • Handle: RePEc:kee:kerpuk:2007/02
    Note: We are also grateful to Kalvinder Shields for making the real-time output data used in the Garratt, Lee, Mise and Shields (2005) working paper available to us.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Naraidoo, Ruthira & Paya, Ivan, 2012. "Forecasting monetary policy rules in South Africa," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 446-455.
    3. Huang, Yu-Fan, 2015. "Time variation in U.S. monetary policy and credit spreads," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 205-215.
    4. Nguyen Anh D. M. & Pavlidis Efthymios G. & Peel David A., 2018. "Modeling changes in US monetary policy with a time-varying nonlinear Taylor rule," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(5), pages 1-17, December.
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    6. Anh Nguyen & Efthymios Pavlidis & David Alan Peel, 2016. "Modeling changes in U.S. monetary policy," Working Papers 127876159, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    7. Saad Ahmad, 2020. "Identifying a robust policy rule for the Fed's response to financial stress," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(4), pages 565-578, October.
    8. Hurn Stan & Johnson Nicholas & Silvennoinen Annastiina & Teräsvirta Timo, 2022. "Transition from the Taylor rule to the zero lower bound," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 26(5), pages 635-647, December.
    9. Ortiz, Marco, 2014. "Fat-Tailed Shocks and the Central Bank Reaction," Working Papers 2014-002, Banco Central de Reserva del Perú.
    10. Ahmad, Saad, 2016. "A multiple threshold analysis of the Fed's balancing act during the Great Moderation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 343-358.
    11. repec:lan:wpaper:2444 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Nobay, A. Robert & Paya, Ivan & Peel, David A., 2007. "Inflation dynamics in the US - a nonlinear perspective," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 24499, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Ruthira Naraidoo & Leroi Raputsoane, 2010. "Zone‐Targeting Monetary Policy Preferences And Financial Market Conditions: A Flexible Non‐Linear Policy Reaction Function Of The Sarb Monetary Policy," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 78(4), pages 400-417, December.
    14. Naveen Srinivasan & M. Ramachandran & Sudhanshu Kumar, 2010. "Monetary Policy in a Low Inflation Environment: Is There Evidence for Opportunistic Behaviour?," Journal of Quantitative Economics, The Indian Econometric Society, vol. 8(2), pages 4-19.
    15. Leigh, Daniel, 2008. "Estimating the Federal Reserve's implicit inflation target: A state space approach," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 2013-2030, June.
    16. Kasai, Ndahiriwe & Naraidoo, Ruthira, 2011. "Evaluating the forecasting performance of linear and nonlinear monetary policy rules for South Africa," MPRA Paper 40699, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. repec:lan:wpaper:2364 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Kurmaş Akdoğan, 2015. "Asymmetric Behaviour of Inflation around the Target in Inflation-Targeting Countries," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 62(5), pages 486-504, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; zone of discretion; intermediate inflation target.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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