Today, we are pleased to present a guest contribution written by Alex Nikolsko-Rzhevskyy, Associate Professor of Economics at Lehigh University, David Papell and Ruxandra Prodan, respectively Professor and Clinical Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Houston.
Category Archives: Federal Reserve
Manufacturing Employment and Three Episodes of Dollar Appreciation
Mark Thoma comments on the impact of the likely dollar appreciation:
A stronger dollar will make imports cheaper for American consumers…The U.S. economy is now strengthening and approaching full employment, but it’s not quite there yet. So I expect the stronger dollar to have some employment effects, but I don’t expect them to be substantial…
Factors in low real interest rates
The real return on long-term government bonds has dropped steadily over the last 30 years, falling from values around 4% to something closer to zero or even negative for many countries today. What accounts for this remarkable development, and what are the prospects for this situation to continue?
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Guest Contribution: “Shadow Rates, Forward Guidance, and Unconventional Monetary Policy”
Today we are pleased to present a guest contribution by Yi Zhang, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This post draws upon this paper.
Mr. Trump and the markets
I was astounded not only by the outcome of the U.S. presidential election but also by the response of financial markets.
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Implications for the Agricultural Economy of Fiscal Policies Proposed by President Elect-Trump
In short: Rural areas will not like what they get from a combination of expansionary fiscal/counter-cyclical monetary policy.
Guest Contribution: “The Fed and Inequality”
Today, we present a guest post written by Jeffrey Frankel, Harpel Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and formerly a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. A shorter version appeared on October 25th in Project Syndicate.
Donald J. Trump on Fed Policy
From the Monday debate:
The Dollar, Tradables, and Monetary Policy
One argument for tightening monetary policy is derived from the argument the Fed needs to raise rates to close a “confidence gap”. Instead of psycho-analyzing the markets, I think it better to focus on data.
Term Spreads Today
A couple months ago, we were worrying about a yield curve inversion signalling recession. Now there are anxieties about surging long yields, as — apparently — inflation fears loom. It seems to me a little perspective is necessary.