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How Flexible Can Inflation Targeting Be and Still Work?

Author

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  • Kenneth N. Kuttner

    (Oberlin College, Department of Economics)

  • Adam S. Posen

    (Peterson Institute for International Economics)

Abstract

This paper takes up the issue of the flexibility of inflation targeting regimes, with the specific goal of determining whether the monetary policy of the Bank of England, which has a formal inflation target, has been any less flexible than that of the Federal Reserve, which does not have such a target. The empirical analysis uses the speed of inflation forecast convergence, estimated from professional forecasters' predictions at successive forecast horizons, to gauge the perceived flexibility of the central bank's response to macroeconomic shocks. Based on this criterion, there is no evidence to suggest that the Bank of England's inflation target has compelled it to be more aggressive in pursuit of low inflation than the Federal Reserve.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth N. Kuttner & Adam S. Posen, 2011. "How Flexible Can Inflation Targeting Be and Still Work?," Working Paper Series WP11-15, Peterson Institute for International Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:iie:wpaper:wp11-15
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    3. Petreski, Marjan, 2013. "Inflation targeting at the crossroads: Evidence from post-communist economies during the crisis," MPRA Paper 47018, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Runchana Pongsaparn & Panda Ketruangroch & Dhanaporn Hirunwong, 2012. "Monetary Policy conduct in Review: The Appropriate Choice of Instruments," Working Papers 2012-05, Monetary Policy Group, Bank of Thailand.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inflation targeting; inflation expectations; monetary policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes

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