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Stability First: Reflections Inspired by Otmar Issing's Success as the ECB's Chief Economist

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  • Vitor Gaspar
  • Anil K. Kashyap

Abstract

In this paper, we review Otmar Issing's career as the ECB's inaugural chief economist and we document many notable successes. We try to infer some general principles that contributed to these successes and draw some lessons. In doing so, we review the evidence using Woodford's (2003) recent revival of the Wicksellian approach to monetary policy making. Suitably interpreted the baseline model can rationalize Issing's three guiding principles for successful policymaking. This baseline model, however, fails to account for the important role that monetary and financial analysis played in the conduct of policy during Issing's tenure. We propose an extension of the model to account for financial developments and show that this extended model substantially improves our understanding of ECB practice. We conclude by listing six open questions, relevant for the future of central banking in Europe that Issing may want to consider in case leisure allows.

Suggested Citation

  • Vitor Gaspar & Anil K. Kashyap, 2006. "Stability First: Reflections Inspired by Otmar Issing's Success as the ECB's Chief Economist," NBER Working Papers 12277, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12277
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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen G. Cecchetti & Kermit L. Schoenholtz, 2008. "How Central Bankers See It: The First Decade of ECB Policy and Beyond," NBER Working Papers 14489, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Lucas Papademos, 2013. "Panel Session II remarks, The Great Inflation: Lessons for Central Banks," NBER Chapters, in: The Great Inflation: The Rebirth of Modern Central Banking, pages 503-511, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Andreas Beyer & Vitor Gaspar & Christina Gerberding & Otmar Issing, 2013. "Opting Out of the Great Inflation: German Monetary Policy after the Breakdown of Bretton Woods," NBER Chapters, in: The Great Inflation: The Rebirth of Modern Central Banking, pages 301-346, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Michael Woodford, 2011. "Pośrednictwo finansowe i analiza makroekonomiczna," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 11-12, pages 109-139.
    5. Stephen G. Cecchetti & Kermit L. Schoenholtz, 2010. "How Central Bankers See It: The First Decade of European Central Bank Policy and Beyond," NBER Chapters, in: Europe and the Euro, pages 327-374, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • 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
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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