Tuesday, July 9, 2013

stig:"the Federal Reserve should aggressively pursue low unemployment, until it is shown that inflation is rising. "

 "inflation “hawks” argue that inflation must be attacked preemptively. While most central banks are inflation hawks, this stance is a matter of religion, not economic science. There is simply little or no empirical evidence that inflation, at the low to moderate rates that have prevailed in recent decades, has any significant harmful real effects on output, employment, growth, or the distribution of income. Nor is there evidence that inflation, should it increase slightly, cannot be reversed at a relatively minor cost – comparable to the benefits of additional employment and growth enjoyed in the excessive expansion of the economy that led to the increase in inflation. "