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Would households understand average inflation targeting?

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  • Hoffmann, Mathias
  • Moench, Emanuel
  • Pavlova, Lora
  • Schultefrankenfeld, Guido

Abstract

Yes, they would. In a randomized control trial, we provide groups of respondents from the Bundesbank Online Panel Households with information about a hypothetical alternative ECB monetary policy regime akin to the Federal Reserve’s flexible average inflation targeting (AIT). Inflation expectations significantly increase for the treated individuals. When we provide additional information about near-term inflation, for low levels of trust in the ECB the adjustment of inflation expectations tends to be negative while it is positive for intermediate and higher levels of trust. We assess the economic significance of our findings by comparing two model economies under different monetary policy strategies, calibrated to match the difference in medium-term inflation expectations from our survey results. Under AIT, inflation is substantially less volatile and the frequency of hitting the lower bound on interest rates is considerably reduced.

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  • Hoffmann, Mathias & Moench, Emanuel & Pavlova, Lora & Schultefrankenfeld, Guido, 2022. "Would households understand average inflation targeting?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(S), pages 52-66.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:129:y:2022:i:s:p:s52-s66
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2022.02.006
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    1. Kyriazis, Nikolaos & Papadamou, Stephanos & Tzeremes, Panayiotis & Corbet, Shaen, 2024. "Examining spillovers and connectedness among commodities, inflation, and uncertainty: A quantile-VAR framework," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    2. Yamin Ahmad & James Murray, 2023. "Implications for determinacy with average inflation targeting," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 43(1), pages 510-517.
    3. Lena Dräger & Michael J. Lamla, 2024. "Consumers' macroeconomic expectations," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 427-451, April.
    4. Joris Wauters & Zivile Zekaite & Garo Garabedian, 2024. "Owner-occupied housing costs, policy communication, and inflation expectations," Working Paper Research 449, National Bank of Belgium.
    5. Dräger, Lena, 2023. "Central Bank Communication with the General Public," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-713, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    6. Moritz Grebe & Peter Tillmann, 2022. "Household Expectations and Dissent Among Policymakers," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202226, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    7. Grebe, Moritz & Tillmann, Peter, 2022. "Household expectations and dissent among policymakers," IMFS Working Paper Series 169, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    8. Stéphane Dupraz & Hervé Le Bihan & Julien Matheron, 2022. "Make-up Strategies with Finite Planning Horizons but Forward-Looking Asset Prices," Working papers 862, Banque de France.
    9. Dräger, Lena & Dalloul, Ami & Nghiem, Giang, 2024. "Anchoring Household's Inflation Expectations when Inflation is High," VfS Annual Conference 2024 (Berlin): Upcoming Labor Market Challenges 302397, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Dräger, Lena & Lamla, Michael J. & Pfajfar, Damjan, 2024. "How to limit the spillover from an inflation surge to inflation expectations?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    11. Gabriele Galati & Richhild Moessner & Maarten van Rooij, 2022. "Reactions of household inflation expectations to a symmetric inflation target and high inflation (August 2022 update)," Working Papers 743, DNB.
    12. Szwacka-Mokrzycka Joanna & Marzena Lemanowicz, 2023. "The Influence of Inflation on the Economic Situation of Households in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 119-132.
    13. Muhammed Bulutay, 2024. "Better than Perceived? Correcting Misperceptions about Central Bank Inflation Forecasts," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0034, Berlin School of Economics.
    14. Coleman, Winnie & Nautz, Dieter, 2023. "Inflation target credibility in times of high inflation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    15. Hoffmann, Mathias & Mönch, Emanuel & Pavlova, Lora & Schultefrankenfeld, Guido, 2023. "Forceful or persistent: Wow the ECB's new inflation target affects households' inflation expectations," Discussion Papers 27/2023, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    16. Dobrew, Michael & Gerke, Rafael & Kienzler, Daniel & Schwemmer, Alexander, 2023. "Monetary policy rules under bounded rationality," Discussion Papers 18/2023, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    17. Ehrmann, Michael & Georgarakos, Dimitris & Kenny, Geoff, 2023. "Credibility gains from communicating with the public: evidence from the ECB’s new monetary policy strategy," Working Paper Series 2785, European Central Bank.
    18. Ahmad, Yamin & Murray, James, 2022. "Implications for Determinacy with Average Inflation Targeting," MPRA Paper 113119, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Niizeki, Takeshi, 2023. "Trust in the central bank and inflation expectations: Experimental evidence," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy strategy; Household inflation expectations; Randomized control trial; Survey data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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