Interpretations of inflation targeting (IT) have ranged widely, from "inflation-only targeting" without regard for output, to cheap talk without effect, to transparency increasing flexibility without cost. We characterize five interpretations of the adoption of IT as shifts between strategies in...

There is a tension between pre-float instincts that a more disciplined monetary policy should diminish exchange rate volatility with the apparent reality that macroeconomic fundamentals do not drive G3 exchange rates in the short-run. The recent movement towards greater transparency in monetary...

Recently, great attention has been focused on the impact of exchange rate regimes, just as previous empirical research examined central bank autonomy and announced targets for domestic monetary policy. To date, however, these three elements of monetary frameworks have been assessed in isolation...

Observers have relied increasingly on simple reaction functions, such as the Taylor rule, to assess the conduct of monetary policy. Applying this approach to deflationary or near-zero inflation environments is problematic, however, and this paper examines two shortcomings of particular relevance...

The effectiveness of fiscal policy in Japan over the past decade has been a matter of great controversy. We investigate the effectiveness of Japanese fiscal policy over the 1976-1999 period using a structural VAR analysis of real GDP, tax revenues, and public expenditures. We find that...

This paper assesses the impact of central bank governor appointments on exchange rates and bond yields using a new data set of announcements spanning 15 countries and 30 years. The results show that exchange rates exhibit a statistically significant response to the announcement of a new...

Interpretations of inflation targeting (IT) have ranged widely, from “inflation-only targeting” without regard for output, to cheap talk without effect, to transparency increasing flexibility without cost. We characterize five interpretations of the adoption if IT as shifts between...

Active accommodation of fiscal consolidations by monetary policy is controversial, as can be seen in current euro area discussions. While many observers acknowledge that there is usually a place for monetary accommodation in response to fiscal consolidation, a sequencing argument is often heard...

As the United States emerges from the Great Recession, concern is rising over the issues of income inequality, stagnation of wages, and especially the struggles of lower-skilled workers at the bottom end of the wage scale. A number of major American employers—for example, Aetna and...