 The quasi-inflation of 2021–2022: a case of bad analysis and worse responseJames K. Galbraith Review of Keynesian Economics, 2023, vol. 11, issue 2, 172-182 Abstract: The theoretical construct of pure inflation is of no use in understanding the price events of 2021 and 2022 in the United States. By extension, the conventional tools of the Phillips Curve, NAIRU, potential output and money–supply growth are equally useless. By further extension, the ‘anti-inflation’ policies of the Federal Reserve have acted on asset markets (which are not part of theoretical inflation) while taking credit for the end to a price process in produced goods that was transitory in any event. The Federal Reserve is now stuck in a posture guaranteed to destabilize economic activity sooner or later, while the economy remains vulnerable to additional potential price shocks emanating from the same sources already seen, including real resources, supply chains, wars, pandemics and the policies of the Federal Reserve itself. These can be dealt with, if at all, only by policies in each specific area. Keywords: inflation; prices; costs; Phillips Curve; NAIRU; output gap (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:rokejn:v:11:y:2023:i:2:p172-182 Access Statistics for this article Review of Keynesian Economics is currently edited by Thomas Palley, MatÃas Vernengo and Esteban Pérez Caldentey More articles in Review of Keynesian Economics from Edward Elgar Publishing |
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