Asymmetric incentives and the new politics of monetary policy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene Park ◽  
Gabrielle Cheung ◽  
Saori N Katada

Abstract This article develops and tests a theory of asymmetric incentives to explain why politicians might be less motivated to confront deflation than inflation. Leveraging Japan as a least-likely crucial case, we analyze the conditions that lead legislators to take advantage of their power to summon central bankers for questioning. We find that even moderate inflation makes it more likely that legislators will summon central bankers compared to periods when the inflation rate is near zero. By contrast, deflation has either no effect or reduces the likelihood of summonses. We also find some evidence that unconventional monetary policies to combat deflation, specifically quantitative easing, are likely to invite greater legislative scrutiny. These findings have important policy implications. While deflation is widely viewed as pernicious and more difficult to exit than inflation, there are weaker incentives for politicians to address it.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Young

Unconventional monetary policy was implemented as a result of the financial crisis and resulted in rising asset prices in the stock markets. While the increase in asset prices is not exclusively triggered by unconventional monetary policy, central bankers accept that unconventional monetary policy has resulted in distributional effects on wealth, and that these are not negligible. What is missing are studies analyzing whether these non-standard monetary policies have different distributional effects on women and men. The intent of the paper is to interrogate whether unconventional monetary policy of central banks has a gender bias that operates in favor of men as gender and against women as gender. Relying on insights from feminist economics, the paper uses the results of the ECB Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) of 62,000 household across 15 euro-area countries. While the results are tentative, they show an asymmetric distributional gendered impact. Since the rich own more assets than the poor, and since monetary easing works in part by raising asset prices, these unconventional policies may unintentionally benefit the wealthier quintile (on average more male) at the expense of the poorer strata of society (on average more female).


Author(s):  
Patterson C. Ekeocha ◽  
Elias A. Udeaja

This paper examines spillover effects of U.S monetary policy on macroeconomic fundamentals in Nigeria from January 1985 to December 2018. The study period is partitioned to account for conventional monetary policy (CMP) period, January 1985 to August 2007 and unconventional monetary policy (UMP) period, September 2007 to December 2018. Guided by relevant pre-tests, we find BEKK-VARMA-CCCMGARCH as the most appropriate model. The study finds significant spillover effects of U.S CMP and UMP on interest rate, exchange rate and inflation rate in Nigeria. We, however, observe that while CMP may be a significant accelerator of shocks persistence on interest rates and exchange rates, the extent to which the UMP accelerate shocks in inflation rate tends to vary for different measures of quantitative easing. Thus, in addition to past own shocks and past own conditional variance of these macro fundamentals, understanding their dynamics cannot be in isolation of their vulnerability to external shocks and volatility due to spillover effects of monetary actions in other economies. In formulating monetary policy, it is therefore, imperative for the Central Bank of Nigeria to monitor the monetary policy process of the US to hedge against shocks spillovers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Saraceno ◽  
Roberto Tamborini

Abstract The long season of unconventional monetary policies in advanced economies seems to be coming to an end. How can quantitative easing (QE) be effective where conventional monetary policy fails? How does it work in the peculiar environment of a monetary union? We study this latter case modelling a monetary union as the aggregate of two countries characterized by New Keynesian output and inflation relationships, with a Tobinian money market equation. QE is operated by the single central bank by expanding money supply in exchange for risky assets throughout the union. We assess the stabilization capacity of QE under different types of symmetric and asymmetric shocks, in which case fiscal accommodation at the country level should also intervene.


Author(s):  
Gene Park ◽  
Saori N. Katada ◽  
Giacomo Chiozza ◽  
Yoshiko Kojo

This chapter discusses deflation, monetary policy responses against deflation, and the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) reluctance to try bolder measures to reflate the economy. Deflation, when the price of goods and services declines, is attributable to a number of causes. It can result from supply-side improvements such as enhanced productivity and thus can coincide with economic growth. However, deflation can also occur through demand-side shocks. These shocks can be the result of policy mistakes. Under such circumstances, deflation can have potentially damaging economic consequences. Some of the monetary policy responses against deflation include forward guidance, quantitative easing (QE), interest rate targeting, negative interest rates, and helicopter money. There are several possible explanations for the BOJ Policy Board's resistance to adopting unconventional monetary policies. It could be that central bankers at the BOJ did not believe that they would be effective. Another explanation is that the BOJ was more hesitant to use QE because of the country's fiscal position.


Author(s):  
Ioannis Tsakalos ◽  
Efthymios Roumpis

This chapter investigates the correlations between conventional and alternative investments during the quantitative easing (QE) programs launched by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Authors focus on different asset classes to examine the dynamics on their correlations and to highlight alternative investment options for rational investors and policy makers. Their analysis covers the period from January 3, 2005 to March 16, 2018. Research has significant policy implications and the empirical findings indicate a ripple effect of QE across conventional and alternative investments and suggest that their correlations differ by QE periods. Researchers also confirm the effectiveness of the portfolio rebalance channel pictured on specific assets' correlation sign, as well as the existence of specific patterns. UMP programs create portfolio rebalance since investors followed the required path set by the Fed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 3004-3032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efraim Benmelech ◽  
Nittai K Bergman

This paper studies the limitations of monetary policy in stimulating credit and investment. We show that, under certain circumstances, unconventional monetary policies fail in that liquidity injections into the banking sector are hoarded and not lent out. We use the term “credit traps” to describe such situations and show how they can arise due to the interplay between financing frictions, liquidity, and collateral values. We show that small contractions in monetary policy can lead to a collapse in lending. Our analysis demonstrates how quantitative easing may be useful in increasing collateral prices, bank lending, and aggregate investment. (JEL E44, E52, E58, G01)


2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (4II) ◽  
pp. 695-704
Author(s):  
Zubaria Andlib ◽  
Azra Khan ◽  
Ihtsham Ul Haq Ihtsham Ul Haq

Fiscal policy concerned with the government’s choice regarding the optimal use of taxation and government spending to control and adjust the aggregate demand in the economy. Monetary policy refers to the central bank’s control regarding the availability of credit in the economy to achieve the objective of price stability and this control can be exerted through money supply and interest rate channel. The ultimate objective of the both policies is to maximise the overall welfare of the society which can be achieved by keeping the inflation rate low and employment at its potential level. There are number of channels in which fiscal policy can impinge on monetary policy. An expansionary fiscal policy leads to an expansionary monetary policy, which may in turn fuel inflation and appreciate the domestic currency and that cause deterioration in the balance of payments. On the other hand if government finances the deficit through the markets (in a non-monetary way) then the fear of crowding out of the private sector arise in the economy. On external side when a country is depending on foreign funding of domestic debt, this results in deterioration in the exchange rate and balance of payment. Another more direct channel of fiscal policy is the impact of indirect taxes on price level. Besides this, perceptions and expectations of the general public about the large and on going budget deficits and resultant borrowings requirements may prompt a lack of confidence in the economic prospects. At the same time when people realise that government is borrowing for its own good, they will conclude that this can lead to higher taxation levels in future and consequently they consume less and save more, that is so called Recardian equivalence.


Author(s):  
Yilmaz Akyüz

The preceding chapters have examined the deepened integration of emerging and developing economies (EDEs) into the international financial system in the new millennium and their changing vulnerabilities to external financial shocks. They have discussed the role that policies in advanced economies played in this process, including those that culminated in the global financial crisis and the unconventional monetary policy of zero-bound interest rates and quantitative easing adopted in response to the crisis, as well as policies in EDEs themselves....


Open Physics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 985-998
Author(s):  
Meng Ran ◽  
Zhenpeng Tang ◽  
Weihong Chen

Abstract The paper adopts the financial physics approach to investigate influence of trading volume, market trend, as well as monetary policy on characteristics of the Chinese Stock Exchange. Utilizing 1-minute high-frequency data at various time intervals, the study examines the probability distribution density, autocorrelation and multi-fractal of the Shanghai Composite Index. Our study finds that the scale of trading volume, stock market trends, and monetary policy cycles all exert significant influences on micro characteristics of Shanghai Composite Index. More specifically, under the conditions of large trading volumes, loose monetary policies, and downward stock trends, the market possesses better fitting on Levy’s distribution, the volatility self-correlation is stronger, and multifractal trait is more salient. We hope our study could provide better guidance for investment decisions, and form the basis for policy formulation aiming for a healthy growth of the financial market.


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