Productivity growth in the U.S. economy jumped during the second half of the 1990s, a resurgence that many analysts linked to developments in information technology (IT). However, shortly after this consensus emerged, demand for IT products fell sharply, leading to a debate about the connection...

Using data for the U.S. manufacturing sector, we test for the existence of a broad credit channel for monetary policy, which operates through the total supply of loans. Our test focuses on the relationship between internal funds and business investment. After a monetary tightening, we find that...

Using data for the U.S. manufacturing sector, we investigate the existence of a credit channel for monetary policy that operates through bank lending. Our test is based on the behavior of the mix of bank and nonbank debt after a shift in monetary policy. We allow for a differential response to...

Following the 1995-2000 period of more rapid output growth and lower inflation in the United States, economists have strenuously debated whether improvements in economic performance can be sustained. The recession that began in March 2001 intensified the debate, and the economic impacts of the...