How Important is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy?

Michael Woodford

No 13325, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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. 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 provides a compelling reason to assign a prominent role to monetary aggregates in the conduct of monetary policy.

JEL-codes: E52 E58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cba, nep-mac and nep-mon
Note: ME EFG
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (47)

Published as Michael Woodford, 2008. "How Important Is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 40(8), pages 1561-1598, December.

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Related works:
Journal Article: How Important Is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy? (2008)
Working Paper: How Important is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy? (2007)
Working Paper: How Important is Money in the Conduct of Monetary Policy? (2007)
Working Paper: How Important Is Money In The Conduct Of Monetary Policy? (2006)
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