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How Important is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy?

Author

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  • Woodford, Michael
Abstract
I consider some of the leading arguments for assigning an important role to tracking the growth of monetary aggregates when making decisions about monetary policy. First, I consider whether ignoring money means returning to the conceptual framework that allowed the high inflation of the 1970s. Second, I consider whether models of inflation determination with no role for money are incomplete, or inconsistent with elementary economic principles. Third, I consider the implications for monetary policy strategy of the empirical evidence for a long-run relationship between money growth and inflation. (Here I give particular attention to the implications of ``two-pillar Phillips curves'' of the kind proposed by Gerlach (2004).) And fourth, I consider reasons why a monetary policy strategy based solely on short-run inflation forecasts derived from a Phillips curve may not be a reliable way of controlling inflation. I argue that none of these considerations provide a compelling reason to assign a prominent role to monetary aggregates in the conduct of monetary policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Woodford, Michael, 2007. "How Important is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy?," CEPR Discussion Papers 6211, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6211
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetarism; Monetary targeting; New keynesian model; Two-pillar strategy;
    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

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