Macroeconomics is moving toward a New Neoclassical Synthesis, which like the synthesis of the 1960s melds Classical with Keynesian ideas. This paper describes the key features of the new synthesis and its implications for the role of monetary policy. We find that the New Neoclassical Synthesis...

In the classical macroeconomic models constructed by Lucas (1972, 1975) and Barro (1976), monetary aggregates are assumed to be generated by a logarithmic random walk. This specification implies that all monetary growth is (a) unanticipated and (b) permanent.