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The Value of Intermediate Targets in Implementing Monetary Policy

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  • Benjamin M. Friedman

Abstract

This paper reports empirical results indicating that there is no compelling evidence in favor of singling outany one variable as "the intermediate target" of monetary policy. Of the variables considered here - including money (M1), credit, a long-term interest rate, and whichever of either reserves or a short-term interest rate the Federal Reserve System does not set directly by open market operations -- most do contain at least some statistically significant information about the future growth of nominal income, real income, or prices. In most cases, however, this information is significant statistically but not economically. In other words, the reduction in forecasting error gained from using this information is typically too small to be of great moment in a policy context. The papers principal conclusion, therefore, is to cast doubt on the practice of designating specific financial variables as intermediate targets of monetary policy. To the extent that such targets are necessary for independent reasons, however, the strength of this conclusion varies from one potential intermediate target to another. Among the variables considered here, credit growth and the long-term interest rate appear to offer the best prospects of providing information that would be useful in formulating and implementing monetary policy. Although the empirical results reported here rely on an econometric model that is extremely compact and simple, the method of analysis suggested in this paper is more general. Its key contribution is to use a structural model to address questions for which the previous literature has relied on nonstructural methods. The application of this method of analysis to one small, simple model here need be no more than an illustration. Applying it to a larger and more complex model would be a straightforward extension of this research.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin M. Friedman, 1984. "The Value of Intermediate Targets in Implementing Monetary Policy," NBER Working Papers 1487, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:1487
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sims, Christopher A, 1980. "Comparison of Interwar and Postwar Business Cycles: Monetarism Reconsidered," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(2), pages 250-257, May.
    2. Richard H. Clarida & Benjamin M. Friedman, 1983. "Why Have Short-Term Interest Rates Been So High?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 14(2), pages 553-586.
    3. William Poole, 1969. "Optimal choice of monetary policy instruments in a simple stochastic macro model," Special Studies Papers 2, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Fair, Ray C, 1970. "The Estimation of Simultaneous Equation Models with Lagged Endogenous Variables and First Order Serially Correlated Errors," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 38(3), pages 507-516, May.
    5. James Tobin, 1970. "Money and Income: Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(2), pages 301-317.
    6. Kareken, John H & Muench, Thomas & Wallace, Neil, 1973. "Optimal Open Market Strategy: The Use of Information Variables," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(1), pages 156-172, March.
    7. Leonall C. Andersen & Jerry L. Jordan, 1968. "Monetary and fiscal actions: a test of their relative importance in economic stabilization," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 50(Nov), pages 11-23.
    8. Benjamin M. Friedman, 1977. "The Inefficiency of Short-Run Monetary Targets for Monetary Policy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 8(2), pages 293-346.
    9. William Poole, 1970. "Optimal Choice of Monetary Policy Instruments in a Simple Stochastic Macro Model," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(2), pages 197-216.
    10. Henry C. Wallich, 1984. "Recent techniques of monetary policy," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 69(May), pages 21-30.
    11. Sims, Christopher A, 1972. "Money, Income, and Causality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 540-552, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Altissimo, Filippo & Gaiotti, Eugenio & Locarno, Alberto, 2005. "Is money informative? Evidence from a large model used for policy analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 285-304, March.
    2. Friedman, Benjamin M. & Kuttner, Kenneth N., 1993. "Another look at the evidence on money-income causality," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1-3), pages 189-203.
    3. Stark, Tom & Croushore, Dean, 1998. "Evaluating McCallum's Rule When Monetary Policy Matters," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 451-485, July.
    4. John McDermott & Rebecca Williams, 2018. "Inflation Targeting in New Zealand: An Experience in Evolution," RBA Annual Conference Volume (Discontinued), in: John Simon & Maxwell Sutton (ed.),Central Bank Frameworks: Evolution or Revolution?, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    5. Benjamin M. Friedman & Kenneth N. Kuttner, 1989. "Money, Income and Prices After the 1980s," NBER Working Papers 2852, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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