Optimal inflation and the identification of the Phillips Curve

Michael McLeay and Silvana Tenreyro

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: This note explains why inflation follows a seemingly exogenous statistical process, unrelated to the output gap. In other words, it explains why it is difficult to empirically identify a Phillips curve. We show why this result need not imply that the Phillips curve does not hold – on the contrary, our conceptual framework is built under the assumption that the Phillips curve always holds. The reason is simple: if monetary policy is set with the goal of minimising welfare losses (measured as the sum of deviations of inflation from its target and output from its potential), subject to a Phillips curve, a central bank will seek to increase inflation when output is below potential. This targeting rule will impart a negative correlation between inflation and the output gap, blurring the identification of the (positively sloped) Phillips curve.

JEL-codes: J1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-04-26
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cba, nep-mac and nep-mon
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/90373/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Optimal Inflation and the Identification of the Phillips Curve (2020)
Working Paper: Optimal inflation and the identification of the Phillips curve (2020)
Chapter: Optimal Inflation and the Identification of the Phillips Curve (2019)
Working Paper: Optimal Inflation and the Identification of the Phillips Curve (2019)
Working Paper: Optimal Inflation and the Identification of the Phillips Curve (2018)
Working Paper: Optimal Inflation and the Identification of the Phillips Curve (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:90373

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