Credible Commitment to Optimal Escape from a Liquidity Trap: The Role of the Balance Sheet of an Independent Central Bank

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2007
Volume: 97
Issue: 1
Pages: 474-490

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Central banks target CPI inflation; independent central banks are concerned about their balance sheet and the level of their capital. The first fact makes it difficult for a central bank to implement the optimal escape from a liquidity trap, because it undermines a commitment to overshoot the inflation target. We show that the second fact provides a solution. Capital concerns provide a mechanism for an independent central bank to commit to inflate ex post. The optimal policy can take the form of a currency depreciation combined with a crawling peg, a policy advocated by Svensson as the "Foolproof Way" to escape from a liquidity trap. (JEL E31, E52, E58, E62)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:97:y:2007:i:1:p:474-490
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25