Federal Reserve System

About: Federal Reserve System is a other organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Monetary policy & Inflation. The organization has 2373 authors who have published 10301 publications receiving 511979 citations.

How Wide is the Border

Abstract: Failures of the law of one price explain much of the variation in real C.P.I. exchange rates. We use C.P.I. data for U.S. cities and Canadian cities for 14 categories of consumer prices to examine the nature of the deviations from the law of one price. The distance between cities explains a significant amount of the variation in the prices of similar goods in different cities. But, the variation of the price is much higher for two cities located in different countries than for two equidistant cities in the same country. By our most conservative measure, crossing the border adds as much to the volatility of prices as adding 2500 miles between cities.

Political Uncertainty and Corporate Investment Cycles

Abstract: We document cycles in corporate investment corresponding with the timing of national elections around the world. During election years, firms reduce investment expenditures by an average of 4.8% relative to non-election years, controlling for growth opportunities and economic conditions. The magnitude of the investment cycles varies with different country and election characteristics. We investigate several potential explanations and find evidence supporting the hypothesis that political uncertainty leads firms to reduce investment expenditures until the electoral uncertainty is resolved. These findings suggest that political uncertainty is an important channel through which the political process affects real economic outcomes.

Bargains and Ripoffs: A Model of Monopolistically Competitive Price Dispersion

Abstract: Bargains and Ripoffs: A Model of Monopolistically Competitive Price DispersionAuthor(s): Steven Salop and Joseph StiglitzSource: The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Oct., 1977), pp. 493-510Published by: The Review of Economic Studies Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2296903Accessed: 15/09/2009 15:43

A Unified Framework for Monetary Theory and Policy Analysis

Abstract: Search-theoretic models of monetary exchange are based on explicit descriptions of the frictions that make money essential. However, tractable versions of these models typically make strong assumptions that render them ill suited for monetary policy analysis. We propose a new framework, based on explicit micro foundations, within which macro policy can be studied. The framework is analytically tractable and easily quantifiable. We calibrate the model to standard observations and use it to measure the cost of inflation. We find that going from 10 percent to 0 percent inflation is worth between 3 and 5 percent of consumption—much higher than previous estimates.

Optimal Choice of Monetary Policy Instruments in a Simple Stochastic Macro Model

Abstract: I. Introduction, 197. — II. The instrument problem, 199. — III. A static stochastic model, 203.— IV. The combination policy, 208. — V. A dynamic model, 209. — VI. Concluding observations, 214. — Appendix, 215.