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Assessing the ECB's Performance since the Global Slowdown: A Structural Policy Bias Coming Home to Roost?

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  • Jorg Bibow

Abstract

This paper assesses the ECB's performance, which the author finds to be seriously lacking but which is of paramount importance to understanding euroland's ongoing stagnation and fragility. A main finding is that the series of policy blunders which characterized the bank's conduct features a bias. Institutions as well as personalities appear to be behind the bank's tendency to err systematically in one direction. Curiously, this bias is adverse not only to growth, but to price stability. The author shows that viewing the ECB through inflation-targeting lenses is very misleading, since that view does not reflect the bank's perspective at all, and that standard Taylor rule exercises are superfluous. The ECB's words and deeds may be far more consistent than is widely held, without making them any less detrimental to economic performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Jorg Bibow, 2004. "Assessing the ECB's Performance since the Global Slowdown: A Structural Policy Bias Coming Home to Roost?," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_409, Levy Economics Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:lev:wrkpap:wp_409
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Why a Dual Mandate is Essential
      by Mainly Macro in Mainly Macro on 2013-04-14 21:39:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Joreg Bibow, 2005. "Refocusing the ECB on Output Stabilization and Growth through Inflation Targeting?," Macroeconomics 0507017, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Jorg Bibow, 2005. "Bad for Euroland, Worse for Germany: The ECB's Record," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_429, Levy Economics Institute.
    3. Sergio Rossi, 2004. "Inflation Targeting and Sacrifice Ratios : The Case of the European Central Bank," International Journal of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(2), pages 69-85.
    4. Jörg Bibow, 2012. "The Euro and its Guardian of Stability: Fiction and Reality of the 10th Anniversary Blast," Chapters, in: Louis-Philippe Rochon & Salewa ‘Yinka Olawoye (ed.), Monetary Policy and Central Banking, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Joerg Bibow, 2005. "Liquidity Preference Theory Revisited—To Ditch or to Build on It?," Method and Hist of Econ Thought 0508003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Jörg Bibow, 2006. "Europe's Quest for Monetary Stability. Central Banking Gone Astray," International Journal of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 24-43.
    7. J�rg Bibow, 2013. "The Euroland crisis and Germany's euro trilemma," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 360-385, May.
    8. Joerg Bibow, 2006. "Inflation Persistence and Tax-Push Inflation in Germany and in the Euro Area: A Symptom of Macroeconomic Mismanagement?," IMK Studies 01-2006, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    9. Giuseppe Fontana & Alfonso Palacio‐Vera, 2007. "Are Long‐Run Price Stability And Short‐Run Output Stabilization All That Monetary Policy Can Aim For?," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 269-298, May.

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    More about this item

    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
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy

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