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Swiss Monetary Targeting 1974-1996: The Role of Internal Policy Analysis

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  • Georg Rich

Abstract

After the switch to a floating exchange rate in 1973, the Swiss National Bank at first adopted annual monetary targets and in the 1990s shifted to a medium-term targeting strategy. In this paper I review the SNB’s internal policy analysis, an aspect of Swiss monetary targeting that has received little attention in the existing literature. I show that money played a key role in setting monetary policy and in communicating the SNB's decisions to the public. Due to the adoption of monetary targets, the SNB was able to reduce the inflation trend to low levels. However, it was less successful in preserving price stability during business-cycle expansions because the monetary targets did not call for a sufficiently pre-emptive policy stance. At the end of 1999, the SNB abandoned monetary targeting in favour of an approach based on inflation forecasts.

Suggested Citation

  • Georg Rich, 2007. "Swiss Monetary Targeting 1974-1996: The Role of Internal Policy Analysis," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 143(III), pages 283-329, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ses:arsjes:2007-iii-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kurt Schiltknecht, 1977. "Die Geldpolitik der Schweiz unter dem System flexibler Wechselkurse," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 113(I), pages 1-26, March.
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    5. Hans Genberg & Ulrich Kohli & Georg Rich, 1997. "Recent Developments in Swiss Monetary Policy," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Philippe Bacchetta & Walter Wasserfallen (ed.), Economic Policy in Switzerland, chapter 2, pages 8-34, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    9. Peter Kugler & Georg Rich, 2002. "Monetary Policy Under Low Interest Rates: The Experience of Switzerland in the late 1970s," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 138(III), pages 241-269, September.
    10. Benjamin M. Friedman, 1977. "The Inefficiency of Short-Run Monetary Targets for Monetary Policy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 8(2), pages 293-346.
    11. Georg Rich, 2000. "Monetary Policy Without Central Bank Money: A Swiss Perspective," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 439-469, November.
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    14. René Capitelli & Peter Buomberger, 1990. "Zur Geldpolitik der achtziger Jahre: Einige Grundsätzliche Überlegungen," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 126(IV), pages 535-551, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marvin Goodfriend & Georg Rich, 2010. "Discussion: Ten Years' Experience with the Swiss National Bank's Monetary Policy Strategy," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 146(I), pages 91-105, March.
    2. Peter Kugler & Samuel Reynard, 2022. "Money and inflation in Switzerland," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 158(1), pages 1-13, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; monetary targets; policy rules; price stability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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