Empirical evidence shows that federal budget deficits have historically tended to increase stock market prices. Because deficits rose to unprecedented levels in the 1980s, however, increasing concern about their impact on interest rates and inflation may have contributed to the October 1987...

It is generally believed that monetary policy actions are transmitted to the economy through their effect on market interest rates. According to this standard view, a restrictive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve pushes up both short-term and long-term interest rates, leading to less...