There is a longstanding debate about whether banking panics and other financial crises always have fundamental causes or are sometimes the result of self-fulfilling beliefs. Disagreement on this point would seem to present a serious obstacle to designing policies that promote financial...

Remarks at United States Military Academy at West Point, West Point, New York.

Remarks at the Quarterly Regional Economic Press Briefing, New York City.

Remarks at Panel Discussion at 2012 U.S. Monetary Policy Forum, New York City.

Remarks at the New Jersey Bankers Association Economic Forum, Iselin, New Jersey.

Remarks at the 2011 Bretton Woods Committee International Council Meeting, Washington, D.C.>

Stabilization policies frequently aim to boost spending as a means to increase GDP. Spending does not necessarily translate into production, however, especially when inventories are involved. We look at the “cash-for-clunkers” program that helped finance the purchase of nearly 700,000...

We estimate the macroeconomic benefits and international spillovers of an increase in competition using a general-equilibrium simulation model with nominal rigidities and monopolistic competition in product and labor markets. We draw three conclusions after calibrating the model to the euro area...