2007 monetary policy of Bernanke
On March 28th, 2007 the Fed Chairman Bernanke delivered his
monetary policy report to the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress. In
his remarks, he expressed his concern about the uncertainty of the recent
decline of the real estate market and its possible negative spillover effects
on consumption and investment in coming months. He also indicated that the real
GDP growth rate will stay at a moderate rate of 2% over the rest of the year
and inflation will continue to be rising at a steady pace of 2.7%. However, he
also reiterated his previous position in keeping the federal fund rate at its
present rate of 5.25%, which was not changed since last June 2006. His reason
for not reducing the federal fund rate from its present target was due to the
persistence of higher expected inflation. The full text of his remarks can be
read in this url
http://federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/monetary/2006/20060328/default.htm.
The primary objective of the Fed (led by Bernanke) is to
keep a balance between higher expected inflation and interest rates and their
impact on sustained economic growth in the long run.
In your opinion, briefly and critically describe possible
short run and long run macroeconomic effects of this policy prescription by the
Fed in controlling inflation and money supply growth in the economy. Your
response to this question should be focused on the effects on unemployment,
inflation, short term and long term yields on treasury securities, and economic
growth. Is this policy consistent with the discretionary monetary policy
implications of Keynesian monetary theory? If so, how does it differ from the
policy prescription of the monetarists under the similar economic situation
that US economy is currently facing? (Hint: Monetarists’ view of monetary
policy is to undertake the long term economic growth without any discretionary
action in controlling money supply in the short run. Keynesian monetary policy
is characterized by discretionary policy in controlling money supply as
warranted by business cycle fluctuation).
