Targeting nominal income growth or inflation?

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Within a simple New Keynesian model emphasizing forward-looking behavior of private agents, I evaluate optimal nominal income growth targeting versus optimal inflation targeting. When the economy is mainly subject to shocks that do not involve monetary policy trade-offs for society, inflation targeting is preferable. Otherwise, nominal income growth targeting may be superior because it induces inertial policy making, which improves the inflation-output-gap trade-off. Somewhat paradoxically, inflation targeting may be relatively less favorable the more society dislikes inflation, and the more persistent are the effects of inflation-generating shocks
Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Economic Review (Print Edition)
Volume92
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)928-956
ISSN0002-8282
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2002

ID: 136555