The Capitalism and Freedom in the Twenty-First Century Podcast

Former Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida Talks Pandemic Monetary Policy and Inflation

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Oct 10, 2024
Richard Clarida, former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve and a professor at Columbia University, shares his insights on pandemic monetary policy and inflation. He discusses the challenges of rising inflation and the Fed's shift to flexible average inflation targeting under his leadership. The conversation covers the importance of economic models like nowcasting, and the evolution of macroeconomic thought from Keynesian economics to more pragmatic approaches in today's complex landscape. Clarida reflects on lessons learned during critical economic moments, including the COVID-19 crisis.
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ANECDOTE

Early Academic Influences

  • Clarida was influenced by economists like Tom Sargent, Olivier Blanchard, and Mark Watson during his Harvard PhD in the 1980s.
  • This era was formative due to high inflation and economic turmoil, stimulating macroeconomic research.
INSIGHT

New Keynesian Economics Advances

  • New Keynesian economics incorporated nominal rigidities and monetary policy reaction functions to improve on Real Business Cycle models.
  • The Taylor rule was the key missing link to close these models realistically.
INSIGHT

DSGE Models vs. Traditional Models

  • DSGE models’ qualitative responses mirror those of the older dynamic IS-LM models.
  • Central banks use DSGE models for scenario analysis but do not mechanically follow them; simpler models can be more useful.
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