In this paper we show that the degree of central bank independence influences the optimal choice of monetary policy strategy during potentially unsustainable asset price booms. We assume that central bankers have to choose between a policy that preemptively raises short-term real interest rates...

This article presents new estimates of the Greek underground economy and explores the link between the underground economy and aggregate debt. We show that the Greek underground economy has been underestimated heavily and has been on a rising trend again since Greece adopted the Euro. We also...

We show that a policy of 'benign neglect' towards an asset price boom is not a sensible option when expectations are forward-looking. Policymakers choose between a policy that cuts real interest rates and one that raises them during asset price booms.

A stochastic sticky-price general-equilibrium model is employed to explore the welfare effects of optimal monetary policy and of a range of simple targeting rules. Idiosyncratic shocks to the traded and the non-traded goods sectors may make it impossible for monetary policy to achieve an...

Recently it has often been claimed that globalization eases the job of central banks as it helps to tame inflation. This is used to argue that central banks (particularly the ECB, referring to the objectives as laid down in the EU Treaty) could or should reduce their efforts in the fight against...

In this paper we analyze how the mutual interdependence of private sector expectations influences the stability offixed exchange rate regimes in different countries. When countries trade with one another, the crisis probabilities are interdependent because monetary policy in each country affects...