We determine optimal discretionary monetary policy in a New-Keynesian model when nominal interest rates are bounded below by zero. Nominal interest rates should be lowered faster in response to adverse shocks than in the case without bound. Such ‘preemptive easing’ is optimal because expectations of a possibly binding bound in the future amplify the e ects of adverse shocks. Calibrating the mod...

This paper studies the monetary transmission mechanism in the U.S. It proposes a mixed-frequency version of the factor-augmented vector autoregressive regression (FAVAR) model, which is used to construct a coincident index to measure the monetary transmission mechanism. The model divides the transmission of changes in monetary policy to the economy into three stages according to the timing and ...

This paper evaluates quantitatively the effect of real money balances in a New Keynesian framework. Money in our model facilitates transactions and is introduced through a transactions cost technology. This technology acts like a distortionary consumption tax which varies endogenously with the nominal interest rate. In this setup the resultant Phillips curve becomes a function of the nominal in...

We examine the linear-quadratic (LQ) approximation of non-linear stochastic dynamic optimization problems in macroeconomics, in particular for monetary policy. We make four main contributions: first, we draw attention to a general Hamiltonian framework for LQ approximation due to Magill (1977). We show that the procedure for the ‘large distortions’ case of Benigno and Woodford (2003, 2005) is e...

I study optimal monetary policy in an expectational Phillips Curve environment in which private agents optimally choose their amount of information pertinent to predicting policy. ARCH shocks produce interesting information acquisition (IA) dynamics. Under discretion, IA dynamics cause time-varying effectiveness of policy because of the expectational Phillips Curve; policy may be rendered compl...

We explore two popular approaches to empirical analysis of monetary policy: the New Keynesian and the identified vector autoregression approaches. Stylized models of private behavior coupled with simple rules describing policy behavior characterize New Keynesian work. Vector autoregressions consist of minimally identified dynamic descriptions of private behavior coupled with a detailed rule for...

The optimal weights on indicators in models with partial information about the state of the economy and forward-looking variables are derived and interpreted, both for equilibria under discretion and under commitment. An example of optimal monetary policy with a partially observable potential output and a forward-looking indicator is examined. The optimal response to the optimal estimate of pot...

The discussion about country-specific influence on the interest rate decisions of the European Central Bank does not cease. To investigate the possibility of regional influence on the determination of the policy rate, we estimate Taylor-type reaction functions for the period from 1999 to 2005 and include country-specific variables of the euro zone member states. We do not find convincing eviden...

We analyze the impact of news (information shocks) in economies where liquidity plays a role. While we also consider news about real factors, like productivity, one motivation is that central bank announcements evidently affect markets, as taken for granted by advocates of forward guidance policy. The dynamic effects can be complicated, with information about monetary policy or real factors aff...

We consider inflation and debt dynamics under a global interest rate rule when private agents forecast using adaptive learning. Given the zero lower bound on interest rates, active interest rate rules are known to imply the existence of a second, low-inflation steady state. Under learning the economy can slip below this low-inflation steady state and be driven to an even lower inflation floor s...