Working Paper

Using a long-term interest rate as the monetary policy instrument


Abstract: Using a short-term interest rate as the monetary policy instrument can be problematic near its zero bound constraint. An alternative strategy is to use a long-term interest rate as the policy instrument. We find when Taylor-type policy rules are used to set the long rate in a standard New Keynesian model, indeterminacy--that is, multiple rational expectations equilibria--may often result. However, a policy rule with a long rate policy instrument that responds in a \"forward-looking\" fashion to inflation expectations can avoid the problem of indeterminacy.

Keywords: Monetary policy; Interest rates;

Status: Published in Journal of Monetary Economics, v. 52, no. 5 (July 2005) pp. 855-879

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Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Part of Series: Working Paper Series

Publication Date: 2004

Number: 2004-22