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Preaching to the agnostic: Inflation reporting can increase trust in the central bank but only among people with weak priors

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  • Bernd Hayo
  • Pierre-Guillaume Méon

Abstract

Using a randomized controlled trial, we study whether showing German respondents a graph plotting the European Central Bank’s inflation target alongside inflation in the euro area from 1999 to 2017 affects respondents’ trust in the ECB. The treatment has, on average, no significant effect on the level of trust in the ECB respondents report, but trust increases among respondents who report no preference for any political party. Within this group, the information about the actual development of the inflation rate, and not information about the inflation target itself, appears to be the main driving force.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernd Hayo & Pierre-Guillaume Méon, 2023. "Preaching to the agnostic: Inflation reporting can increase trust in the central bank but only among people with weak priors," Working Papers CEB 23-007, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/362503
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    Cited by:

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    2. de Haan, Jakob & Hoogduin, Lex, 2024. "ECB communication policies: An overview and comparison with the Federal Reserve," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    3. Carolina Guerini & Donato Masciandaro & Alessia Papini, 2024. "Literacy and Financial Education: Private Providers, Public Certification and Political Preferences," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 24223, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Central bank trust; European Central Bank; Central bank communication; Monetary policy; Germany; Household survey; RCT;
    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
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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