Title: A. Fiscal Policy
1 2The Keynesian View of Fiscal Policy
- Keynesian theory highlights the potential of
fiscal policy as a tool capable of reducing
fluctuations in demand.
- When an economy is operating below its potential
output, the Keynesian model suggests that the
government should institute expansionary fiscal
policy -- it should either
- increase the governments purchases of goods
services, and/or,
3Expansionary Fiscal Policy to Promote
Full-Employment
- We begin in the short run at Y1, below the
economys potential capacity (YF). There are 2
routes to long-run full-employment equilibrium.
- Policymakers could wait for both lower wages and
resource prices to reduce costs, increase supply
to SRAS3 and restore equilibrium at YF.
- Alternatively, expansionary fiscal policy could
stimulate aggregate demand (shift AD1 to AD2) and
guide the economy back to E2, at YF.
4The Keynesian View of Fiscal Policy
- When inflation is a potential problem, the
Keynesian analysis suggests a shift toward a more
restrictive fiscal policy
- reduce government spending, and/or,
- raise taxes.
- Keynesians challenged the view that the
governments should always be balance its budget.
- Rather than balancing the budget annually,
Keynesians argued that counter-cyclical policy
should be used to offset fluctuations in
aggregate demand.
5Restrictive Fiscal Policy to Combat Inflation
- Strong demand such as AD1 will temporarily lead
to an output rate beyond the economys long-run
potential (YF).
- If maintained, the high level of demand will lead
to the long-run equilibrium E3 at a higher price
level (as SRAS shifts back to SRAS3).
- However, restrictive fiscal policy could restrain
demand from expanding to AD2 in the first place
and guide the economy to a non-inflationary
equilibrium (E2).
6Fiscal Policy and the Crowding-out Effect
- The Crowding-out Effect -- indicates that
the increased borrowing to finance a
budget deficit will push real interest rates up
and thereby retard private spending,
reducing the stimulus effect of
expansionary fiscal policy.
- The implications of the crowding-out analysis are
symmetrical. - Restrictive fiscal policy will reduce real
interest rates and "crowd in" private spending. - Crowding-out Effect in an open economy --
Larger budget deficits and higher real interest
rates also lead to an inflow of capital,
appreciation in the dollar, and a decline
in net exports.
7A Visual Presentation of the Crowding-Out Effect
in an Open Economy
- An increase in govt. borrowing to finance an
enlarged budget deficit places upward pressure
on real interest rates.
- This retards private investment and thereby
Aggregate Demand.
- In an open economy, higher interest rates attract
capital from abroad.
- As foreigners buy more dollars to buy U.S. bonds
and other financial assets, the dollar
appreciates.
- In turn, the appreciation of the dollar causes
net exports to fall.
- Thus, as a result of increased budget deficits,
higher interest rates trigger reductions in both
private investment and net exports, which weaken
the expansionary impact of a budget deficit.
8The New Classical View of Fiscal Policy
- The New classical view stresses that
- debt financing merely substitutes higher future
taxes for lower current taxes, and thus, - budget deficits affect the timing of taxes, but
not their magnitude.
- New Classics argue that when debt is substituted
for taxes - people will save the increased income so they
will be able to pay the higher future taxes,
thus, - the budget deficit does not stimulate aggregate
demand.
9The New Classical View of Fiscal Policy
- Similarly, the real interest rate is unaffected
by deficits since people will save more in order
to pay the higher future taxes.
- According to the new classical view, fiscal
policy is completely impotent. It does not
effect output, employment, or real interest rates.
10New Classical View -- Higher Expected Future
Taxes Crowd-out Private Spending
- New Classical economists emphasize that budget
deficits merely substitute future taxes for
current taxes.
- If households did not anticipate the higher
future taxes, aggregate demand would increase
(from AD1 to AD2).
- However, demand remains unchanged at AD1 when
households fully anticipate the future increase
in taxes and, so, save for them.
11New Classical View -- Higher Expected Future
Taxes Crowd-out Private Spending
- In order to finance the budget deficit, the govt
borrows from the loanable funds market,
increasing the demand (from D1 to D2).
- According to the new classical view, people will
save more in order to pay the higher future taxes
implied by the increases in debt. This will
increase the supply of loanable funds to S2.
- This permits the government to borrow the funds
to finance the deficit without pushing up the
interest rate.
12Fiscal Policy -- Problems with Proper Timing
- Various time lags make proper timing of changes
in discretionary fiscal policy difficult.
- Discretionary fiscal policy is like a two-edged
sword it can both harm and help.
- If timed correctly, it may reduce economic
instability. - If timed incorrectly, however, it may increase
economic instability.
13Why Proper Timing of Fiscal Policy is Difficult
- We begin long-run equilibrium (E0) at the price
level P0 and output Y0. At this output, only
the natural rate of unemployment is present.
- An investment slump and business pessimism result
in an unanticipated decline in AD (to AD1).
Output falls and unemployment increases.
- After a time, policymakers institute expansionary
fiscal policy seeking to shift AD back to AD0,
but by the time fiscal policy begins to exert its
primary effect, private investment has recovered
and decision makers have become increasingly
optimistic about the future.
14Why Proper Timing of Fiscal Policy is Difficult
Price level
SRAS
AD1
Goods Services(real GDP)
- Thus, just as AD begins shifting back to AD0 by
its own means, the effects of fiscal policy
over-shift AD to AD2.
- The price level in the economy rises as the
economy is now overheated.
- Unless the expansionary fiscal policy is
reversed, wages and other resource prices will
eventually increase, shifting SRAS back to SRAS2
(driving the price level up to P3).
15Fiscal Policy -- Problems with Proper Timing
- Automatic Stabilizers -- without any new
legislative action, they tend to increase
the budget deficit (or reduce the surplus)
during a recession and increase the
surplus (or reduce the deficit) during an
economic boom.
- Examples of Automatic Stabilizers
- Unemployment Compensation
- Corporate Profit Tax
- A Progressive Income Tax
16Fiscal Policy as a Tool -- A Modern Synthesis
- The proper timing of discretionary fiscal policy
is both difficult to achieve and of crucial
importance.
- Automatic stabilizers reduce the fluctuation of
aggregate demand and help to direct the economy
toward full-employment. - Fiscal policy is much less potent than the early
Keynesian view implied.
17Supply-side Effects of Fiscal Policy
- From a supply-side viewpoint, the marginal tax
rate is of crucial importance
- A reduction in marginal tax rates increases the
reward derived from added work, investment,
saving, and other activities that become less
heavily taxed.
- High marginal tax rates will tend to retard total
output because they will
- Discourage work effort and reduce the productive
efficiency of labor, - Adversely affect the rate of capital formation
and the efficiency of its use, and, - Encourage individuals to substitute less desired
tax-deductible goods for more desired
non-deductible goods.
18Supply-side Effects of Fiscal Policy
- Thus, changes in marginal tax rates, particularly
high marginal rates, may exert an impact on
aggregate supply because the changes will
influence the relative attractiveness of
productive activity in comparison to leisure and
tax avoidance.
- Impact of supply-side effects
- Are likely to take place over a lengthy time
period. - There is some evidence that countries with high
taxes grow more slowlyFrance and Germany versus
United Kingdom. - While the significance of supply-side effects are
controversial, there is evidence they are
important for taxpayers facing extremely high
rate, say rates of 40 percent and above.
19Tax Rate Effects and Supply-Side Economics
- What are the supply-side effects of a reduction
in marginal tax rates?
- The lower marginal tax rates increase the
incentive to earn and use resources efficiently.
AD1 shifts out to AD2, and as the effects of the
tax cut are long-run as well as short-run, both
SRAS and LRAS shift out.
- If the lower tax rates are financed by budget
deficits, aggregate demand may expand by a larger
amount than aggregate supply, leading to an
increase in the price level.
20- B. Money and the Banking System
21What Is Money?
- A Medium of Exchange-- An asset that is used to
buy and sell goods services.
- A Store of Value-- An asset that will allow
people to transfer purchasing power from one
period to another. - A Unit of Account-- The units of measurement
used by people to post prices and keep track
of revenues and costs.
22The Supply of Money
- The components of the M1 money supply are
- Currency
- Checking Deposits (including demand deposits and
interest-earning checking deposits) - Traveler's checks
- The M2 money supply is a broader measure that
includes
- M1,
- Savings,
- Time deposits, and,
- Money mutual funds.
23The Business of Banking
- The banking industry includes
- savings and loans,
- credit unions, and,
- commercial banks.
- Banks accept deposits and use part ofthem to
extend loans and make investments.
- Banks are profit-seeking institutions.
- Banks play a central role in the capital
(loanable funds) market
- They help to bring together people who want to
save for the future with those who want to borrow
in order to undertake investment projects.
- The banking system is a fractional reserve
system -- Banks maintain only a fraction of
their assets in reserves to meet the
requirements of depositors.
24How Banks Create Money by Extending Loans
- Under a fractional reserve system, an increase in
reserves will permit banks to extend additional
loans and thereby expand the money supply (create
additional checking deposits).
1,000.00
200.00
160.00
128.00
102.40
81.92
65.54
52.43
209.71
- When banks are required to maintain 20 reserves
against demand deposits, the creation of 1,000
of new reserves will potentially increase the
supply of money by 5,000.
25How Banks Create Money by Extending Loans
- The lower the percentage of the reserve
requirement, the greater is the potential
expansion in the money supply resulting from the
creation of new reserves.
- The fractional reserve requirement places a
ceiling on potential money creation from new
reserves.
- The actual deposit multiplier will be less than
the potential because - Some persons will hold currency rather than bank
deposits. - Some banks may not use all their excess reserves
to extend loans.
26The Three Tools the Fed Uses to Control
the Money Supply
- Reserve requirements-- a of a specified
liability category (for example transaction
accounts) that banking institutions are
required to hold as reserves against that type
of liability.
- When the Fed lowers the required reserve ratio,
it creates excess reserves and allows banks to
extend additional loans, expanding the money
supply. - Raising the reserve requirements has the opposite
effect.
27The Three Tools the Fed Uses to Control
the Money Supply
- Open Market Operations-- the buying and selling
of U.S. Government securities (national debt
in the form of bonds) by the Fed.
- This is the primary tool used by Fed.
- When the Fed buys bonds the money supply will
expand, because - the bond buyers will acquire money, and,
- bank reserves will increase, placing banks in a
position to expand the money supply through the
extension of additional loans. - When the Fed sells bonds the money supply will
contract because - bond buyers are giving up money in exchange for
securities, and, - the reserves available to banks will decline,
causing them to extend fewer loans.
28The Three Tools the Fed Uses to Control
the Money Supply
- Discount Rate-- the interest rate the Fed
charges banking institutions for borrowed
funds.
- An increase in the discount rate is restrictive
(decreases the money supply) because it
discourages banks from borrowing from the Federal
Reserve to extend new loans. - A reduction in the discount rate is expansionary
(increases the money supply) because it makes
borrowing from the Federal Reserve less costly.
29Monetary Base and Money Supply
a Travelers checks are included in this category.
- The monetary base (currency plus bank reserves)
provides the foundation for the money supply.
- Currency in circulation contributes directly to
the money supply . . .
while bank reserves provide the
underpinnings for checking deposits.
- Fed actions that alter the monetary base will
affect the money supply
- By increasing reserve requirements, buying bonds,
or increasing the discount rate, the Fed can
reduce the money supply.
- By decreasing reserve requirements, selling
bonds, or decreasing the discount rate, the Fed
can increase the money supply.
30Ambiguities in the Meaning and Measurement of
the Money Supply
- Interest earning checking deposits
- Less costly to hold than currency and demand
deposits. - Their introduction in the early 1980s changed
the nature of the M1 money supply.
- Widespread use of the U.S. dollar outside of the
United States
- More than one-half and perhaps as much as
two-thirds of U.S. currency is held overseas. - This reduces the reliability of the M1 money
supply measure.
31Ambiguities in the Meaning and Measurement of
the Money Supply
- Sweeping of various interest-earning checking
accounts into Money Market Deposit Accounts
- The increasing availability of low-fee stock and
bond mutual funds
- Debit Cards and Electronic Money
- Recent financial innovations and other structural
changes have blurred the meaning of money and
reduced the reliability of the various money
supply measures. - In the Computer-Age, continued change in this
area is likely.
32 33The Demand and Supply of Money
- The quantity of money people want to hold (the
demand for money) is inversely related to the
money rate of interest, because higher interest
rates make it more costly to hold money instead
of interest-earnings assets like bonds.
34The Demand and Supply of Money
- The supply of money is vertical because it is
determined by the Fed.
35The Demand and Supply of Money
- Equilibrium -- The money interest rate will
gravitate toward the rate where the quantity
of money people want to hold (the demand) is
just equal to the stock of money the Fed has
supplied (the supply).
Quantity of money
36Transmission of Monetary Policy
- When the Fed shifts to a more expansionary
monetary policy, it will generally buy additional
bonds thereby expanding the money supply.
- This increase in the money supply (shifting S1 to
S2 in the market for money) will supply the
banking system with additional reserves.
- Both the Feds bond purchases and the banks use
of the additional reserves to extend new loans
will increase the supply of loanable funds
(shifting S1 to S2 in the loanable funds market)
. . .
and put downward pressure on the
real rate of interest (reduction to r2).
Qb
Q2
37Transmission of Monetary Policy
- As the real rate of interest falls, aggregate
demand increases (to AD2).
- Since the effects of the monetary expansion were
unanticipated, the expansion in AD leads to a
short-run increase in current output (from Y1 to
Y2) . . .
and increase in prices (from P1 to
P2) inflation.
- The path that monetary policy takes through the
macroeconomic system is called the Transmission
of Monetary Policy.
- The impact of a shift in monetary policy is
generally transmitted through interest rates,
exchange rates, and asset prices.
Real Interest Rate
Price Level
D
Quantity of Loanable Funds
Goods Services (Real GDP)
Q2
Y1
Y2
38A Shift to a More Expansionary Monetary Policy
- During expansionary monetary policy the Fed may
buy bonds, reduce the discount rate, or reduce
the reserve requirements for deposits.
- The Fed generally buys bonds, which
- increases bond prices, and,
- creates additional bank reserves, while it,
- places downward pressure on real interest rates.
- As a result, an unanticipated shift to a more
expansionary policy will stimulate aggregate
demand and thereby increase both output and
employment.
39The Effects ofExpansionary Monetary Policy
- If the impact of an increase in aggregate demand
accompanying expansionary monetary policy is felt
when the economy is operating below capacity, the
policy will help direct the economy back to a
long-run full-employment output equilibrium (YF).
- In this case, the increase in output from Y1 to
YF will be long term.
40The Effects ofExpansionary Monetary Policy
- In contrast, if the demand-stimulus effects are
imposed on an economy already at full-employment
(YF), they will lead to excess demand, higher
product prices, and temporarily higher output
(Y2).
- In the long-run, the strong demand will push up
resource prices, shifting short run aggregate
supply (from SRAS to SRAS2).
- The price level rises to P3 (from P2) and output
falls back to full-employment output once again
(YF from it temporary high,Y2).
41Monetary Policy in the Long Run
- The Quantity Theory of Money
Y
M
V
P
- If V and Y are constant, than an increase in M
would lead to a proportional increase in P.
42Monetary Policy in the Long Run
- The Long-Run Implications of Modern Analysis
- In the long run, the primary impact will be on
prices rather than on real output. - When expansionary monetary policy leads to rising
prices, decision makers eventually anticipate the
higher inflation rate and build it into their
choices. - As this happens, money interest rates, wages, and
incomes will reflect the expectation of
inflation, and so real interest rates, wages, and
output will return to their long-run normal
levels.
43The Long-run Effects of More Rapid Expansion in
the Money Supply
- Here we illustrate the long-term impact of an
increase in the annual growth rate of the money
supply from 3 to 8 percent.
- Initially, prices are stable (P100) when the
money supply is expanding by 3 annually.
- The acceleration in the growth rate of the money
supply increases aggregate demand (shifting to
AD2).
- At first, real output may expand beyond the
economys potential (YF), however low
unemployment and strong demand create upward
pressure on wages and other resource prices,
shifting AS to AS2.
3 growth
44The Long-run Effects of More Rapid Expansion in
the Money Supply
- Output returns to its long-run potential (YF),
and the price level increases to P105 (e2).
- If more rapid monetary growth continues in
subsequent periods, AD and AS will continue to
shift upward, leading to still higher prices (e3
and points beyond).
- The net result of this process is sustained
inflation.
8 growth
3 growth
45The Long-run Effects of More Rapid Expansion in
the Money Supply
Q
- When prices are stable, supply and demand in the
loanable funds market are in balance at a real
and nominal interest rate of 4.
- If more rapid monetary expansion leads to a
long-term 5 inflation rate, borrowers and
lenders will build the higher inflation rate into
their decision making.
- As a result, the nominal interest rate ( i ) will
rise to 9 -- the 4 real rate plus the 5
inflationary premium.
46Monetary Policy When Effects Are Anticipated
- When the effects of policy are anticipated prior
to their occurrence, the short-run impact of an
increase in the money supply is similar to its
impact in the long run.
- Nominal prices and interest rates rise, but real
output remains unchanged.
47The Short-run Effects of AnAnticipated Monetary
Expansion
- When decision makers fully anticipate the effects
of a monetary expansion, the expansion does not
alter real output even in the short-run.
- Suppliers, including resource suppliers, build
the expected price rise into their decisions.
The anticipated inflation leads to a rise in
nominal costs (including wages) causing aggregate
supply to decline (shifts to SRAS2).
- While nominal wages, prices, and interests rates
rise, their real counter-parts are unchanged
and so, inflation without any change in output.
48Interest Rates and Monetary Policy
- While the Fed can strongly influence short-term
interest rates, its impact on long-term rates is
much more limited.
- Interest rates can be a misleading indicator of
monetary policy
- In the long run, expansionary monetary policy
leads to inflation and high interest rates,
rather than low interest rates. - Similarly, restrictive monetary policy, when
pursued over a lengthy time period, leads to low
inflation and low interest rates.
49The Effects of Monetary Policy -- A Summary
- An unanticipated shift to a more expansionary
(restrictive) monetary policy will temporarily
stimulate (retard) output and employment.
- The stabilizing effects of a change in monetary
policy are dependent upon the state of the
economy when the effects of the policy change are
observed.
- Persistent growth of the money supply at a rapid
rate will cause inflation.
- Money interest rates and the inflation rate will
be directly related.
- There will be only a loose year-to-year
relationship between shifts in monetary policy
and changes in output and prices.
50- D. Stabilization Policy, Output and Employment
51Promoting Economic Stability -- Activist
and Non-activist Views
- Goals of Stabilization Policy
- A stable growth of real GDP,
- A relatively stable level of prices,
- A high level of employment (low unemployment).
- Activists' Views of Stabilization Policy
- The self corrective mechanism works slowly if at
all, - Policy-makers will be able to alter macro-policy,
injecting stimulus to help pull the economy out
of recession and implementing restraint to help
control inflation, - According to the activist s view, policy-makers
are more likely to keep the economy on track when
they are free to apply stimulus or restraint
based on forecasting devices and current economic
indicators.
52Promoting Economic Stability -- Activist
and Non-activist Views
- Non-activists' Views of Stabilization Policy
- The self-corrective mechanism of markets works
pretty well, - Greater stability would result if stable,
predictable policies based on predetermined rules
were followed, - Non-activists argue that the problems of proper
timing and political considerations undermine the
effectiveness of discretionary macro policy as a
stabilization tool.
53Practical Problems With Discretionary
Macro Policy
- Lags and the Problem of Timing
- After a change in policy has been undertaken,
there will be a time lag before it exerts a major
impact. - This means policy makers need to forecast
economic conditions several months in the future
in order to institute policy changes effectively.
- Politics and Timing of Policy Changes
- Policy changes may be driven by political
considerations rather than stabilization.
54How are Expectations Formed? -- Two Theories
- Adaptive Expectations-- individuals form their
expectations about the future on the basis
of data from the recent past.
- Rational Expectations-- Assumes that people use
all pertinent information, including data on
the conduct of current policy, in forming
their expectations about the future.
55Adaptive Expectations Hypothesis
Actual Rateof Inflation(percent)
Expected Rateof Inflation(percent)
- According to the adaptive expectations
hypothesis, what actually occurs during the most
recent period (or set of periods) determines
peoples future expectations.
- Thus, the expected future rate of inflation lags
behind the actual rate by one period as
expectations are altered over time.
56How Macro Policy Works The Implications of
Adaptive and Rational Expectations
- With adaptive expectations, an unanticipated
shift to a more expansionary policy will
temporarily stimulate output and employment.
- With rational expectations, expansionary policy
will not generate a systematic change in output.
- Both expectations theories indicate that
sustained expansionary policies will lead to
inflation without permanently increasing output
and employment.
57Expectations and the Short-run Effects of Demand
Stimulus
- Under adaptive expectations, anticipation of
inflation will lag behind its actual occurrence.
- Thus, a shift to a more expansionary policy would
increase aggregate demand (from AD1 to AD2) and
lead to a temporary increase in GDP (from YF to
Y2) accompanied by a modest increase in prices
(from P1 to P2).
58Expectations and the Short-run Effects of Demand
Stimulus
- In contrast, under rational expectations,
decision makers will quickly anticipate the
inflationary impact of a demand-stimulus policy.
- Thus, while a shift to a more expansionary policy
would increase aggregate demand (from AD1 to
AD2), resource prices and production costs would
rise just as rapidly (thereby shifting SRAS to
SRAS2).
- The net effect of demand-stimulus in the rational
expectations model is an increase in prices
without altering real output -- even in the short
run.
59The Phillips Curve Before the Inflation of the
1970s
- This exhibit is from the 1969 Economic Report of
the President. Each dot represents the inflation
and unemployment rate for that year. The report
stated clearly that the chart reveals a fairly
close association of more rapid price increases
with lower rates of unemployment. Economists
refer to this link as the Phillips Curve.
- In the 1960s it was widely believed that policy
makers could pursue expansionary macroeconomic
policies and thereby permanently reduce the
unemployment rate.
- More recent experience has caused most economists
to reject this view.
60Early Views About the Phillips Curve
- During the 1960s, most economists thought there
was an inverse relationship between inflation and
unemployment.
- This led to the belief that even though
expansionary policies would lead to some
inflation, they would also result in a
long-lasting lower rate of unemployment. - Stability of the inflation-unemployment
relationship proved to be an illusion.
- As the inflation rate rose from 3 in the late
1960s to double-digit levels during 1974-1975,
the rate of unemployment rose from less than 4
to more than 8. - As high rates of inflation continued in the
latter half of the 1970s, so too did the high
rates of unemployment.
61Early Views About the Phillips Curve
- The error of early Phillips Curve proponents--
Failure to consider expectations
- Integration of expectations into the Phillips
curve analysis indicates that any trade-off
between inflation and unemployment will be
short-lived. - An unanticipated shift to a more expansionary
policy may temporarily reduce the unemployment
rate, but when decision makers come to anticipate
the higher rate of inflation, unemployment will
return to its natural rate. - Even high rates of inflation will fail to reduce
unemployment once they are anticipated by
decision makers.
62The AD/AS Model, Adaptive Expectations, and the
Phillips Curve
- We begin at full-employment output YF (pt A in
both frames).
- With adaptive expectations, a shift to a more
expansionary policy will increase prices, expand
output beyond full-employment, and reduce the
unemployment rate below its natural level (a move
to pt B in both frames).
- Decision makers, though, will eventually
anticipate the rising prices and incorporate them
into their decision making (shifting SRAS to
SRAS2, returning output to its full-employment
level YF, and increasing unemployment back to
the natural rate a move to pt C in both frames).
- If the inflationary policy continues, and
decision makers anticipate it, the AD and SRAS
curves will shift upward without an increase in
output and employment this leads to the
vertical Long Run Phillips Curve.
63Expectations and Shifts in the Phillips Curve
- Point C illustrates the economy experiencing 4
inflation that was anticipated by decision
makers, and because the inflation was anticipated
the natural rate of unemployment is present.
- With adaptive expectations, demand stimulus
policies that result in a still higher rate of
inflation (8 for example) would once again
temporarily reduce the unemployment rate below
its long-run, normal rate (moving from C to D
along PC2).
- After a time, decision makers would come to
anticipate the higher inflation rate, and the
short-run Phillips curve would shift still
further to the right to PC3 (a movement from D to
E).
- Once the higher rate is anticipated, if macro
planners try to decelerate the rate of inflation,
unemployment will temporarily rise above its
long-run natural rate (for example from E to F).
64Expectations and the Modern View of the
Phillips Curve
- There is exists no permanent tradeoff between
inflation and unemployment.
- Demand stimulus will lead to inflation without
permanently reducing unemployment below the
natural rate. - Like LRAS, the Long-Run Phillips Curve is
vertical at the natural rate of unemployment. - When inflation is greater than anticipated,
unemployment falls below the natural rate.
- When the inflation rate is steady neither
rising nor falling the actual rate of
unemployment will equal the economys natural
rate of unemployment.
65The Phillips Curve and Macro-policy
- The early view that there was a trade-off between
inflation and unemployment helped promote the
more expansionary macro policy of the 1970s.
- Rejection of this view during the 1980s created
an environment more conducive to price stability.
- In turn, the increase in price level stability
contributed to the lower unemployment rates of
the 1990s.
- In the long-run, expansionary policy in pursuit
of lower unemployment leads to higher rates of
both inflation and unemployment.
66The Phillips Curve and Macro-policy
- There are two important lessons to be learned
from the Phillips curve era
- Expansionary macro policy will not reduce the
rate of unemployment, at least not for long. - Macro policy, particularly monetary policy, can
achieve persistently low rates of inflation,
which will help promote low rates of
unemployment.
- There is no inconsistency between low (and
stable) rates of inflation and low rates of
unemployment.