IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/0528.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Capitalization of Income Streams and the Effects of Open Market Policy under Fixed Exchange Rates

Author

Listed:
  • Maurice Obstfeld

Abstract

This paper investigates the long- and short-run neutrality of open-market monetary policy in a world of fixed exchange rates and imperfect substitutability between bonds denominated in different currencies. Using an illustrative portfolio-balance model, it shows that when the public discounts the future tax liabilities associated with the national debt and the central bank supports the exchange rate by trading non-interest-bearing foreign assets, open-market policy has a short-run effect, but no long-run effect, on the domestic price level and interest rate. When the foreign-exchange intervention assets earn interest that is rebated to and capitalized by the public, open-market policy loses even its short-run efficacy -- the capital-account offset to monetary policy is complete.

Suggested Citation

  • Maurice Obstfeld, 1980. "The Capitalization of Income Streams and the Effects of Open Market Policy under Fixed Exchange Rates," NBER Working Papers 0528, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:0528
    Note: ITI IFM
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w0528.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barro, Robert J, 1974. "Are Government Bonds Net Wealth?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(6), pages 1095-1117, Nov.-Dec..
    2. Girton, Lance & Henderson, Dale W., 1976. "Financial capital movements and central bank behavior in a two-country, short-run portfolio balance model," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 33-61, January.
    3. Frenkel, Jacob A & Rodriguez, Carlos Alfredo, 1975. "Portfolio Equilibrium and the Balance of Payments: A Monetary Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 65(4), pages 674-688, September.
    4. Boyer, Russel S., 1979. "Sterilization and the monetary approach to balance of payments analysis," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 295-300, April.
    5. Kouri, Pentti J K & Porter, Michael G, 1974. "International Capital Flows and Portfolio Equilibrium," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(3), pages 443-467, May/June.
    6. Obstfeld, Maurice, 1980. "Imperfect asset substitutability and monetary policy under fixed exchange rates," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 177-200, May.
    7. Robert A. Mundell, 1960. "The Public Debt, Corporate Income Taxes, and the Rate of Interest," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 68(6), pages 622-622.
    8. Henderson, Dale W, 1977. "Modeling the Interdependence of National Money and Capital Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(1), pages 190-199, February.
    9. Russell S. Boyer, 1975. "Commodity Markets and Bond Markets in a Small, Fixed-Exchange-Rate Economy," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 8(1), pages 1-23, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Vincent Reinhart, 2010. "Monetary Policy in a Low-Interest-Rate Environment," NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(1), pages 346-353.
    2. Obstfeld, Maurice, 1983. "Exchange rates, inflation, and the sterilization problem: Germany, 1975-1981," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1-2), pages 161-189.
    3. Backus, David K. & Kehoe, Patrick J., 1989. "On the denomination of government debt : A critique of the portfolio balance approach," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 359-376, May.
    4. Kumhof, Michael, 2018. "On the theory of international currency portfolios," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 376-396.
    5. Maurice Obstfeld, 1990. "The Effectiveness of Foreign-Exchange Intervention: Recent Experience, 1985- 1988," NBER Chapters, in: International Policy Coordination and Exchange Rate Fluctuations, pages 197-246, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Obstfeld, Maurice, 1980. "Imperfect asset substitutability and monetary policy under fixed exchange rates," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 177-200, May.
    7. Dale Henderson, 1984. "Exchange Market Intervention Operations: Their Role in Financial Policy and Their Effects," NBER Chapters, in: Exchange Rate Theory and Practice, pages 359-406, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Mr. Michael Kumhof, 2009. "International Currency Portfolios," IMF Working Papers 2009/048, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Patrick Artus, 1988. "Dynamique des actifs financiers et dévaluations avec endettement extérieur," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 39(5), pages 973-998.
    10. Benjamin Carton, 2011. "The Impossible Trinity Revised: An Application to China," Working Papers 2011-27, CEPII research center.
    11. Christelle Lecourt & Helene Raymond, 2006. "Central bank interventions in industrialized countries: a characterization based on survey results," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(2), pages 123-138.
    12. Stijn van Nieuwerburgh & Michael Kumhof, 2005. "Monetary Policy in an Equilibrium Portfolio Balance Model," 2005 Meeting Papers 851, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    13. Kumhof, Michael, 2010. "On the theory of sterilized foreign exchange intervention," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1403-1420, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frenkel, Jacob A. & Mussa, Michael L., 1985. "Asset markets, exchange rates and the balance of payments," Handbook of International Economics, in: R. W. Jones & P. B. Kenen (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 14, pages 679-747, Elsevier.
    2. Obstfeld, Maurice, 1980. "Imperfect asset substitutability and monetary policy under fixed exchange rates," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 177-200, May.
    3. Michael R. Darby & James R. Lothian, 1983. "Conclusions on the International Transmission of Inflation," NBER Chapters, in: The International Transmission of Inflation, pages 491-524, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Michael L. Mussa, 1986. "The Effects of Commercial, Fiscal, Monetary, and Exchange Rate Policies on the Real Exchange Rate," NBER Chapters, in: Economic Adjustment and Exchange Rates in Developing Countries, pages 43-88, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Maurice Obstfeld, 2014. "Never Say Never: Commentary on a Policymaker’s Reflections," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 62(4), pages 656-693, November.
    6. William Marois, 1981. "Les interactions entre les mouvements de capitaux et la politique monétaire en système de changes quasi fixes," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 32(2), pages 374-404.
    7. Aizenman, Joshua, 1985. "Adjustment to monetary policy and devaluation under two-tier and fixed exchange rate regimes," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 153-169.
    8. Anthony Cassese & James R. Lothian, 1983. "The Timing of Monetary and Price Changes and the International Transmission of Inflation," NBER Chapters, in: The International Transmission of Inflation, pages 58-82, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Michael Mussa, 1985. "The Real Exchange Rate as a Tool of Commercial Policy," NBER Working Papers 1577, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Enders, Walter & Lapan, Harvey, 1976. "Portfolio Balance and the Assignment Problem in an Interdependent World," ISU General Staff Papers 197601010800001026, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    11. Patrick Artus, 1988. "Dynamique des actifs financiers et dévaluations avec endettement extérieur," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 39(5), pages 973-998.
    12. Vincent Reinhart & Brian Sack, 2000. "The Economic Consequences of Disappearing Government Debt," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 31(2), pages 163-220.
    13. Gyuhan Kim, 1995. "Exchange rate constraints and money control in Korea," Working Papers 1995-011, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    14. Reiner Eichenberger & David Stadelmann, 2009. "Consequences of Debt Capitalization: Property Ownership and Debt/Tax Choice," CREMA Working Paper Series 2009-08, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    15. Francisco Alvarez-Cuadrado & Ngo Van Long, 2012. "Envy and Inequality," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 114(3), pages 949-973, September.
    16. Roozbeh Hosseini & Larry E. Jones & Ali Shourideh, 2009. "Risk Sharing, Inequality and Fertility," NBER Working Papers 15111, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Xinshen DIAO & Terry L. ROE & A. Erinç YELDAN, 1999. "How Fiscal Mismanagement May Impede Trade Reform: Lessons From An Intertemporal, Multi-Sector General Equilibrium Model For Turkey," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 37(1), pages 59-88, March.
    18. Fernando Broner & Daragh Clancy & Aitor Erce & Alberto Martin, 2022. "Fiscal Multipliers and Foreign Holdings of Public Debt," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 89(3), pages 1155-1204.
    19. Mengyuan Zhou, 2022. "Does the Source of Inheritance Matter in Bequest Attitudes? Evidence from Japan," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 867-887, December.
    20. Markku Ollikainen, 1998. "Sustainable Forestry: Timber Bequests, Future Generations and Optimal Tax Policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 12(3), pages 255-273, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:0528. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.