The paper reviews issues related to the zero lower bound (ZLB) on interest rates and argues that all of the following propositions are invalid: (1) in a ZLB situation, gshaping interest rate expectations is essentially the only tool that central bankers haveh (Bernanke, Reinhart, and Sack...

In analyses of "liquidity trap" problems associated with the zero lower bound (ZLB) on nominal interest rates, it is important to emphasize the difference between policy rule changes, intended to help escape an existing ZLB situation, and maintained policy rules designed so as to avoid ZLB...

The new open-economy macroeconomics seeks to provide an improved basis for monetary and exchange-rate policy through the construction of open-economy models that feature rational expectations, optimising agents, and slowly adjusting prices of goods. This paper promotes an alternative approach...

The fiscal theory of the price level (FTPL) has attracted much attention but disagreement remains concerning its defining characteristics. Some writers have emphasized implications regarding interest-rate pegging and determinacy of RE solutions, whereas others have stressed its capacity to...

This paper assesses the performance of a simple monetary policy rule - McCallum's rule. This rule targets nominal income using the monetary base as its instrument whilst making an allowance for any on-going changes in money velocity. The paper conducts a range of historical counterfactual...

This chapter begins with a number of important preliminary issues including the distinction between rules and discretion in monetary policy; the feasibility of committed rule-like behavior by an independent central bank; and optimal control vs. robustness strategies for conducting research. It...

We consider what, if any, relationship there is between monetary aggregates and inflation, and whether there is any substantial reason for modifying the current mainstream mode of policy analysis, which frequently does not consider monetary aggregates at all. We begin by considering the body of...

There are three main alternatives to the Federal Reserve that need to be discussed. These are the gold standard, private competitive supply of money, and the Yeager-Greenfield plan for an automatically stabilized unit of account. I will attempt to provide some relevant considerations in this article