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Monetary policy arithmetic: some recent contributions

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  • Joydeep Bhattacharya
  • Joseph H. Haslag

Abstract

Sargent and Wallace (1981) study the feasibility of a bond-financed increase in government spending. In their \"unpleasant monetarist arithmetic,\" Sargent and Wallace show how using bonds to finance a permanent deficit today may necessitate faster money growth in the future, yielding higher inflation today. The logic behind this spectacular result is predicated on the satisfaction of one crucial condition: the real interest rate offered on bonds has to exceed the real growth rate of the economy. Joydeep Bhattacharya and Joseph Haslag review some recent contributions to the literature on the subject in light of the contentious nature of this stricture. The authors derive the unpleasant monetarist arithmetic result by employing a weaker set of necessary conditions than those Sargent-Wallace use. In addition, the authors consider the possibility of financing the deficit by changing reserve requirements instead of raising money growth rates. Interestingly, a pleasant version of the financing arithmetic emerges.

Suggested Citation

  • Joydeep Bhattacharya & Joseph H. Haslag, 1999. "Monetary policy arithmetic: some recent contributions," Economic and Financial Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Q III, pages 26-36.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedder:y:1999:i:qiii:p:26-36
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jan Libich & Petr Stehlik, 2008. "Fiscal Rigidity In A Monetary Union: The Calvo Timing And Beyond," CAMA Working Papers 2008-22, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    2. Joydeep Bhattacharya & Joseph H. Haslag, 2000. "Reliance, composition, and inflation," Economic and Financial Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Q IV, pages 20-28.
    3. Jan Libich & Andrew Hughes Hallett & Petr Stehlik, 2007. "Monetary And Fiscal Policy Interaction With Various Degrees And Types Of Commitment," CAMA Working Papers 2007-21, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    4. Prasad, A & Khundrakpam, Jeevan Kumar, 2003. "Government Deficit and Inflation in India," MPRA Paper 51106, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2003.
    5. Atsumasa Kondo & Koji Kitaura, 2009. "Does Deflation Impinge On A Government'S Fiscal Standing?," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(5), pages 651-656, December.
    6. Jan Libich & Petr Stehlík, 2012. "Monetary Policy Facing Fiscal Indiscipline under Generalized Timing of Actions," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 168(3), pages 393-431, September.
    7. Andrew HUGHES HALLETT & Jan LIBICH & Petr STEHLÍK, 2014. "Monetary and Fiscal Policy Interaction with Various Degrees of Commitment," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 64(1), pages 2-29, February.
    8. Michal Jurek & Pawel Marszalek, 2015. "Policy alternatives for the relationship between ECB monetary and financial policies and new member states," Working papers wpaper112, Financialisation, Economy, Society & Sustainable Development (FESSUD) Project.
    9. Kudoh, Noritaka, 2005. "Monetary policy arithmetic for a deflationary economy," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 161-167, May.

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