On Price Stability and Welfare

On Price Stability and Welfare PDF Author: Mr.Etienne B. Yehoue
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 147550537X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
The financial crisis in the advanced countries that began in 2007 has led central bankers to adopt unconventional policy measures as policy interest rates neared the zero bound. One suggestion (Blanchard, Dell’Ariccia, and Mauro, 2010) has been to raise inflation targets to provide more room for policy rate easing during crises. This paper addresses a different issue: the relationship between inflation and welfare. The literature is surveyed and a model is developed. A key conclusion is that an increase in inflation targets gives rise to additional welfare costs, even after the extra room to maneuver above the zero lower bound for nominal policy rates is taken into account. Based on parameter values that fit U.S. data, the additional welfare costs of raising inflation targets from 2 to 4 percent are estimated at about 0.3 percent of annual real income. A rise to 10 percent would yield additional welfare costs of about 1 percent of real income. Other parameter values yield welfare costs as high as 7 (respectively 30) percent of real income for raising inflation targets from 2 to 4 (respectively from 2 to 10) percent. The full costs of raising inflation targets are likely to be higher because the model used to generate these estimates does not account for higher inflation-induced volatility.

On Price Stability and Welfare

On Price Stability and Welfare PDF Author: Mr.Etienne B. Yehoue
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 147550537X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
The financial crisis in the advanced countries that began in 2007 has led central bankers to adopt unconventional policy measures as policy interest rates neared the zero bound. One suggestion (Blanchard, Dell’Ariccia, and Mauro, 2010) has been to raise inflation targets to provide more room for policy rate easing during crises. This paper addresses a different issue: the relationship between inflation and welfare. The literature is surveyed and a model is developed. A key conclusion is that an increase in inflation targets gives rise to additional welfare costs, even after the extra room to maneuver above the zero lower bound for nominal policy rates is taken into account. Based on parameter values that fit U.S. data, the additional welfare costs of raising inflation targets from 2 to 4 percent are estimated at about 0.3 percent of annual real income. A rise to 10 percent would yield additional welfare costs of about 1 percent of real income. Other parameter values yield welfare costs as high as 7 (respectively 30) percent of real income for raising inflation targets from 2 to 4 (respectively from 2 to 10) percent. The full costs of raising inflation targets are likely to be higher because the model used to generate these estimates does not account for higher inflation-induced volatility.

Welfare Cost of (Low) Inflation

Welfare Cost of (Low) Inflation PDF Author: Mr.Howell H. Zee
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1451853440
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Book Description
This paper provides general equilibrium estimates of the steady-state welfare gains of lowering inflation from a low level to close to price stability, using an overlapping-generations growth model. Money demand is modeled on the basis that real money balances are a factor of production. Assuming a standard Fisher equation modified by the presence of an income tax, it is found that inflation unambiguously reduces capital intensity, drives up the before-tax real rate of return to capital, and unambiguously imposes a life-time welfare cost. This welfare cost is, however, quantitatively very modest (under 0.2 percent of GDP annually) within reasonable ranges of all parameter values.

Welfare Costs of Inflation, Seigniorage, and Financial innovation

Welfare Costs of Inflation, Seigniorage, and Financial innovation PDF Author: Mr.Jose De Gregorio
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 145193128X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description
This paper examines the welfare effects of mitigating the costs of inflation. In a simple model where money reduces transaction costs, a fall in the costs of inflation is equivalent to financial innovation. This can be caused by paying interest on deposits, indexing money, or “dollarizing.” Results indicate that financial innovation raises welfare in low inflation economies while reducing it in high inflation economies, due to the offsetting indirect effect of higher inflation to finance the budget.

A Transitional Analysis of the Welfare Cost of Inflation

A Transitional Analysis of the Welfare Cost of Inflation PDF Author: Clark A. Burdick
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Inflation (Finance)
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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The Welfare Effects of Inflation

The Welfare Effects of Inflation PDF Author: Karl-Heinz Tödter
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783865583666
Category :
Languages : de
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Inflation and Welfare

Inflation and Welfare PDF Author: Hans-Werner Sinn
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Income distribution
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description


Inflation Theory in Economics

Inflation Theory in Economics PDF Author: Max Gillman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134021739
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 420

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Book Description
These essays bring together a progression in monetary theory. The major theme that runs through all of the chapters is that in order to do monetary economics well in general equilibrium, it helps to have a good money demand underlying the theory. A proper underlying money demand sets up arguably the best foundation from which to make extensions of monetary economics from the basic model. At the same time that money demand is modelled, this also “endogenizes” the velocity of money. This has been a challenge in the literature that these essays solve and then use to extend basic neoclassical growth and business cycle theory. Solving this problem, in a way that is a natural, direct, and “micro-founded” extension of the standard monetary theory is the first major contribution of the collection. The second major contribution is the extension of the neoclassical monetary models, using this solution, to reinvigorate classic issues of monetary economics and take them to the frontier.

The Welfare Cost of Permanent Inflation and Optimal Short-run Economic Policy

The Welfare Cost of Permanent Inflation and Optimal Short-run Economic Policy PDF Author: Martin Feldstein
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Phillips curve
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
At a minimum, this paper should serve as a warning against too easy an acceptance of the view that the costs of sustained inflation are small relative to the costs of unemployment. If a temporary reduction in unemployment causes a permanent increase in inflation, the present value of the resulting future welfare costs may well exceed the temporary short-run gain. Previous analyses have underestimated the cost of a permanent increase in the inflation rate because they have ignored the growth of the economy and therefore the growth of the future instantaneous welfare costs. In the important case in which the growth of aggregate income exceeds the social discount rate, no reduction in unemployment can justify any permanent increase in the rate of inflation. Quite the contrary, if the inflation rate is above its optimal level, the economy should then be deflated to reduce the inflation rate regardless of the temporary consequences for unemployment.

The Welfare Effects of Inflation

The Welfare Effects of Inflation PDF Author: Karl-Heinz Tödter
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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Book Description
This paper reviews theory and evidence of the welfare effects of inflation from a costbenefit perspective. Basic models and selected empirical results are discussed. Historically, in assessing the welfare effects of inflation, the distortion of money demand played a prominent role. More recently, interactions of inflation and taxation came into focus. Growth effects of inflation as well as welfare effects of unanticipated inflation and of inflation uncertainty are also addressed. To assess the policy question whether inflation should be reduced or eliminated, the costs of disinflation play a role. Finally, the trade-off between the benefits of reducing inflation and the costs of disinflation is discussed and an overall assessment of the net welfare effects of achieving price stability is provided.

Wages, Welfare Costs, and Inflation in Classical Athens

Wages, Welfare Costs, and Inflation in Classical Athens PDF Author: William T. Loomis
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 9780472108039
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
A seminal reference and analysis of wages and costs in Athens