In previous work (Eggertsson and Woodford, 2003), we characterized the optimal conduct of monetary policy when a real disturbance causes the natural rate of interest to be temporarily negative, so that the zero lower bound on nominal interest rates binds, and showed that commitment to a history-dependent policy rule can greatly increase welfare relative to the outcome under a purely forward-loo...

This paper analyzes the effects of lower bound for interest rates on distributions inflation and rates. In a New Keynesian model with bound, two equilibria emerge: policy is mostly unconstrained in “target equilibrium,” whereas constrained “liquidity trap equilibrium.” Using options data inflation, we find forecast densities consistent target equilibrium no evidence favor liquidity equilibrium....

Guillermo Calvo Columbia University and NBER www.columbia.edu/~gc2286 July 23, 2012 Abstract. Fiat money contains the seeds of its own destruction. It has no intrinsic value and, yet, it can be exchanged for valuable consumption and production goods. As Hahn (1965) shows, this situation puts fiat money's market value or liquidity premium at the brink of collapse. In this paper I will argue th...

This paper investigates how monetary policy can help to avoid the liquidity trap by studying the experience of Japan. First, I analyze how the Bank of Japan conducted interest rate policy over the 1990s as the economy entered a deflationary slump. I use a new method of estimating the policy rule with a time-varying inflation target and a time-varying natural rate of interest. The estimation str...