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Testing the Effectiveness of Unconventional Monetary Policy in Japan and the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Daisuke Ikeda

    (Director and Senior Economist, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan (E-mail: daisuke.ikeda@boj.or.jp))

  • Shangshang Li

    (Department of Economics, University of Oxford (E-mail: shangshang.li@economics.ox.ac.uk))

  • Sophocles Mavroeidis

    (Professor, Department of Economics, University of Oxford and INET (E-mail: sophocles.mavroeidis@economics.ox.ac.uk))

  • Francesco Zanetti

    (Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Oxford (E-mail: francesco.zanetti@economics.ox.ac.uk))

Abstract

The effective lower bound (ELB) on a short term interest rate may not constrain a central bank's capacity to achieve its objectives if unconventional monetary policy (UMP) is powerful enough. We formalize this 'irrelevance hypothesis' using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with UMP and test it empirically for the United States and Japan using a structural vector autoregressive model that includes variables subject to occasionally binding constraints. The hypothesis is strongly rejected for both countries. However, a comparison of the impulse responses to a monetary policy shock across regimes shows that UMP has had strong delayed effects in each country.

Suggested Citation

  • Daisuke Ikeda & Shangshang Li & Sophocles Mavroeidis & Francesco Zanetti, 2020. "Testing the Effectiveness of Unconventional Monetary Policy in Japan and the United States," IMES Discussion Paper Series 20-E-10, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    • Handle: RePEc:ime:imedps:20-e-10
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    Cited by:

    1. Sophocles Mavroeidis, 2021. "Identification at the Zero Lower Bound," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(6), pages 2855-2885, November.
    2. Qazi Haque & Leandro M. Magnusson & Kazuki Tomioka, 2021. "Empirical Evidence on the Dynamics of Investment Under Uncertainty in the U.S," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(5), pages 1193-1217, October.
    3. Leonardo Melosi & Francesco Zanetti, 2022. "The Signaling Effects of Fiscal Announcements," Working Paper Series WP 2022-38, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    4. Ichiro Muto & Nao Sudo & Shunichi Yoneyama, 2023. "Productivity Slowdown in Japan's Lost Decades: How Much of It Can Be Attributed to Damaged Balance Sheets?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 85(1), pages 159-207, February.
    5. Aruoba, S. Borağan & Mlikota, Marko & Schorfheide, Frank & Villalvazo, Sergio, 2022. "SVARs with occasionally-binding constraints," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 231(2), pages 477-499.
    6. Abhishek Kumar & Sushanta Mallick & Madhusudan Mohanty & Fabrizio Zampolli, 2023. "Market Volatility, Monetary Policy and the Term Premium," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 85(1), pages 208-237, February.
    7. Ascari, Guido & Mavroeidis, Sophocles, 2022. "The unbearable lightness of equilibria in a low interest rate environment," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 1-17.
    8. R. Anton Braun & Daisuke Ikeda, 2021. "Monetary Policy over the Lifecycle," IMES Discussion Paper Series 21-E-09, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    9. Hamano, Masashige & Zanetti, Francesco, 2022. "Monetary policy, firm heterogeneity, and product variety," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    10. Gabriel Arce‐Alfaro & Boris Blagov, 2023. "Monetary Policy Uncertainty and Inflation Expectations," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 85(1), pages 70-94, February.
    11. Hiroyuki Kubota & Mototsugu Shintani, 2023. "Macroeconomic Effects of Monetary Policy in Japan: An Analysis Using Interest Rate Futures Surprises," CARF F-Series CARF-F-555, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    12. Hiroyuki Kubota & Mototsugu Shintani, 2020. "High-frequency Identification of Unconventional Monetary Policy Shocks in Japan," CARF F-Series CARF-F-502, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    13. Kento Tango & Yoshiyuki Nakazono, 2023. "Subjective Monetary Policy Shocks," TUPD Discussion Papers 34, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University.
    14. Swaminathan, Anthony, 2021. "Macroeconomic volatility at the zero lower bound: Evidence from the OECD," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    15. Firmin Doko Tchatoka & Qazi Haque, 2024. "Revisiting the Macroeconomic Effects of Monetary Policy Shocks," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 100(329), pages 234-259, June.
    16. Casares, Miguel & Khan, Hashmat & Poutineau, Jean-Christophe, 2020. "The extensive margin and US aggregate fluctuations: A quantitative assessment," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    17. R. Anton Braun & Daisuke Ikeda, 2022. "Why Aging Induces Deflation and Secular Stagnation," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2022-12, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    18. Clara De Luigi & Martin Feldkircher & Philipp Poyntner & Helene Schuberth, 2023. "Quantitative Easing and Wealth Inequality: The Asset Price Channel," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 85(3), pages 638-670, June.
    19. James A. Duffy & Sophocles Mavroeidis & Sam Wycherley, 2022. "Cointegration with Occasionally Binding Constraints," Papers 2211.09604, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Effective lower bound; unconventional monetary policy; structural VAR;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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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