Hosted by David Beckworth of the Mercatus Center, Macro Musings is a podcast which pulls back the curtain on the important macroeconomic issues of the past, present, and future.
Bill Nelson on the Using the Discount Window for Liquidity Requirements and Its Implications for the Fed’s Balance Sheet
Bill Nelson is the chief economist and an executive vice president at the Bank Policy Institute. Bill previously was a deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board, where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and financial institution supervision. Bill also worked closely with the BIS working groups in the design of liquidity regulations. As a returning guest to Macro Musings, he rejoins David to talk about the recent proposals to improve the Fed’s lender of last resort role via the discount window, as well as recent developments related to the Fed’s balance sheet. Transcript for this week’s episode. Bill’s BPI profile BPI’s Twitter: @bankpolicy David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Comment on the New G30 Report* by Bill Nelson *Bank Failures and Contagion: Lenders of Last Resort, Liquidity, and Risk Management* by the Group of Thirty
2/26/2024 • 51 minutes, 53 seconds
Eric Leeper on *A Fiscal Account of COVID Inflation*
Eric Leeper is a professor of economics at the University of Virginia, a former advisor to central banks around the world, and a distinguished visiting scholar at the Mercatus Center. Eric is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his work on the fiscal accounting of the COVID inflation surge. Specifically, David and Eric discuss fiscal dominance during the pandemic period, how the fiscal theory of the price level explains inflationary trends, the backward and forward-looking fiscal accounting exercises, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Eric’s Twitter: @EricMLeeper Eric’s UVA profile Eric’s Mercatus profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *A Fiscal Account of COVID Inflation* by Eric Leeper and Joe Anderson *Fiscal Dominance—What It Is and How It Threatens Inflation Control* by Eric Leeper *Three World Wars: Fiscal-Monetary Consequences* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent *The Fiscal Theory of the Price Level With a Bubble* by Markus Brunnermeier, Sebastian Merkel, and Yuliy Sannikov *George Hall on the History of the U.S. National Debt and Government Financing* by Macro Musings
2/19/2024 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 12 seconds
Jeffrey Lacker on Governance at the Federal Reserve
Jeffrey Lacker is a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, where he served as its head from 2004 to 2017. Jeffrey is now a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center and is also a returning guest to the podcast. He rejoins David on Macro Musings to talk about a wide range of Fed governance issues, including the evolving nature of governance at the Fed, the increasing politicization of the central bank, its continuing relationship with Congress, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Jeffrey’s Mercatus profile Jeffrey’s website Jeffrey’s Richmond Fed archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Related Links: *Governance and Diversity at the Federal Reserve* by Jeffrey Lacker *Some Questions About the Fed’s Monetary Policy Operating Regime* by Jeffrey Lacker *The Legacy of Bennett McCallum and Lessons for Monetary Policy Today* an event hosted by the Mercatus Center *Ed Nelson on the Life, Work, and Legacy of Bennett McCallum* by Macro Musings *What Can the Fed Do About the Deficit? Nothing* by Greg Ip
2/12/2024 • 56 minutes, 46 seconds
Mark Koyama on *How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth*
Mark Koyama is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and is a senior fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center. Mark is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his recent book that he co-authored with Jared Rubin titled, *How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth.* Specifically, David and Mark discuss the key drivers of long-run economic growth throughout history and what we might be able to expect in the future. Transcript for this week’s episode. Mark’s Twitter: @MarkKoyama Mark’s GMU profile Mark’s Mercatus profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth* by Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin
2/5/2024 • 55 minutes, 49 seconds
Gauti Eggertsson on the Post-Pandemic Inflation Surge and its Implications for Monetary Policy
Gauti Eggertsson is a professor of economics at Brown University and is the author of several recent papers on the causes of the 2021-22 inflation surge and the lessons to be drawn from it for monetary policy going forward. Gauti is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins the show to talk about these papers and their findings. Specifically, David and Gauti discuss the role of the Fed’s FAIT framework in the post-pandemic inflation surge, the return of the non-linear Phillips curve, the merits of nominal GDP targeting and average nominal output targeting, Gauti’s policy suggestions for the Fed, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Gauti’s Twitter: @GautiEggertsson Gauti’s website Gauti’s Brown University profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Inflation Surge of the 2020s: The Role of Monetary Policy* by Gauti Eggertsson and Donald Kohn *It’s Baaack: The Surge in Inflation in the 2020s and the Return of the Non-Linear Phillips Curve* by Pierpaolo Benigno and Gauti Eggertsson *The Slanted-L Phillips Curve* by Pierpaolo Benigno and Gauti Eggertsson *A Toolkit for Solving Models with a Lower Bound on Interest Rates of Stochastic Duration* by Gauti Eggertsson, Sergey Egiev, Alessandro Lin, Josef Platzer, and Luca Riva *The Fed’s New Policy Framework: A Major Improvement but More Can Be Done* by Gauti Eggertsson, Sergey Egiev, Alessandro Lin, Josef Platzer, and Luca Riva *The Princeton School and the Zero Lower Bound* by Scott Sumner *Temporary Price-Level Targeting: An Alternative Framework for Monetary Policy* by Ben Bernanke
1/29/2024 • 59 minutes, 39 seconds
Jonathon Hazell on Phillips Curves, Wage Rigidity, and How to Measure R-Star
Jonathon Hazell is an assistant professor of economics at the London School of Economics. Jonathon joins Macro Musings to talk about Phillips curves, R-stars, and nominal wage rigidity. Specifically, Jonathon and David also discuss the how to view the recent inflation experience, how to measure the natural rate using natural experiments, the downward nature of wage rigidity, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Jonathon’s Twitter: @JADHazell Jonathon’s website Jonathon’s LSE profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Natural Rate of Return on Capital: Replication Package* by Jonathon Hazell, Veronica Backer-Peral, and Atif Mian *The Slope of the Phillips Curve: Evidence From US States* by Jonathon Hazell, Juan Herreno, Emi Nakamura, and Jon Steinsson *Measuring the Natural Rate Using Natural Experiments* by Veronica Backer-Peral, Jonathon Hazell, and Atif Mian *Downward Rigidity in the Wage for New Hires* by Jonathon Hazell and Bledi Taska *National Wage Setting* by Jonathon Hazell, Christina Patterson, Heather Sarsons, and Bledi Taska *The Unemployment Volatility Puzzle: Is Wage Stickiness the Answer?* by Christopher Pissarides
1/22/2024 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 13 seconds
Skanda Amarnath and Preston Mui on the Tribal Transitory Debate and the Future of the Fed’s Framework
Skanda Amarnath is the executive director of Employ America, a think tank that promotes full employment in the American economy, and Preston Mui is also a senior economist at Employ America. Skanda and Preston join Macro Musings to talk about U.S. disinflation and the debates surrounding it, as well as what we can expect from Fed policy in 2024 and beyond, and finally, the Fed’s framework review that is set to begin later this year. Transcript for this week’s episode. Skanda’s Twitter: @IrvingSwisher Skanda’s Medium archive Preston’s Twitter: @PrestonMui Preston’s Github profile Skanda and Preston’s Employ America bios David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Ten Thoughts on the Tribal “Transitory” Debate as We Enter 2024* by Skanda Amarnath *Three Motivations for Interest Rate Normalization: A Playbook for Fed Policy in 2024* by Preston Mui and Skanda Amarnath Jerome Powell’s Opening Remarks at Monetary Policy Challenges in a Global Economy, a policy panel at the 24th Jacques Polak Annual Research Conferences, hosted by the IMF
1/15/2024 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 55 seconds
Claudio Borio on the Future of Central Bank Operating Systems
Claudio Borio is the head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements, or BIS. Claudio is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about central bank operating systems and the challenge of large balance sheets at central banks. David and Claudio also discuss the basics and uniqueness of the scarce reserve system, the arguments in favor of an abundant reserve system, the politics of large central bank balance sheets, the possibility of a tiered reserve system, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Claudio’s BIS profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Getting Up From the Floor* by Claudio Borio *Why Central Banks Should (but Might Not) Keep the Market Flooded With Money* by Jon Sindreu *Corridor, Floor, Other: Are Operating Frameworks Fit for the Future?* by Daniel Hinge
1/8/2024 • 50 minutes, 58 seconds
Colby Smith, Steven Kelly, and Gerard DiPippo on the Highlights of 2023 and Looking Ahead to the Future
Colby Smith is the US economics editor for the Financial Times, Steven Kelly is the Associate Director of Research at the Yale Program on Financial Stability, and Gerard DiPippo is the Senior Geoeconomics Analyst at Bloomberg. For this special year-end episode of Macro Musings, Colby, Steven, and Gerard join David to talk about the major surprises, themes, and underreported as well as overreported stories of the past year. They also discuss their prediction outcomes throughout 2023, the economic and political landscape ahead for 2024, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Colby’s FT profile Colby’s Twitter: @colbyLsmith Steven’s Substack: Without Warning Steven’s Twitter: @StevenKelly49 Gerard’s Twitter: @gdp1985 David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Sunk Costs: The Difficulty of Using Sanctions to Deter China in a Taiwan Crisis* by Gerard DiPippo and Jude Blanchette *Getting Up from the Floor* by Claudio Borio
1/1/2024 • 54 minutes, 38 seconds
Tyler Cowen on the Greatest Economist of All Time and Other Macro Awards
Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University, and is the co-author of the popular economics blog, Marginal Revolution. Tyler has also published widely in the field of economics, and he is the author of numerous books, including his most recent one titled, *GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of All Time, and Why Does it Matter?* As a returning guest to show, Tyler rejoins Macro Musings for this special holiday episode to break down who should be considered the greatest economist of all time. David and Tyler also assign awards to the best performing macroeconomic theories of the past decade, in addition to discussing Tyler’s view on recent deflationary trends, the Fed’s framework, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Tyler’s Mercatus profile Tyler’s blog: Marginal Revolution Tyler’s Twitter: @tylercowen David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Donate to Macro Musings! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of All Time and Why Does it Matter?* by Tyler Cowen *Tyler Cowen on the Culture of Big Business in the United States* by Macro Musings
12/25/2023 • 56 minutes, 41 seconds
Nicolas Cachanosky on Dollarization in Argentina
Nicolas Cachanosky is an associate professor of economics at the University of Texas at El Paso, and he, along with Emilio Ocampo, are the authors of a recent book titled, *Dollarization: A Solution for Argentina.* Nicolas joins Macro Musings to talk about the potential dollarization of Argentina, including what it would require and mean for the country. Specifically, David and Nicolas also discuss Argentina’s hyperinflationary experience, the three necessary steps for dollarization, the differences between dollarization and currency boards, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Nicolas’s Substack: Economic Order Nicolas’s Twitter: @n_cachanosky Nicolas’s website Nicolas’s UTEP profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Donate to Macro Musings! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Dollarization: A Solution for Argentina* by Nicolas Cachanosky and Emilio Ocampo *How to Dollarize Argentina* by Nicolas Cachanosky *Pro Dollarization* by John Cochrane *Argentina Dollarization Is Medium-Term Goal, Caputo Tells Bankers* by Ignacio Olivera Doll
12/18/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 49 seconds
Charlie Evans on the Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Monetary Policy
Charles Evans was a 31-year veteran of the Federal Reserve System, serving as a researcher, vice president, and, ultimately, president and CEO of the Chicago Fed from 2007 to 2023. Charles joins Macro Musings to talk about his past and ongoing work on US monetary policy. Specifically, Charles and David discuss his work as a regional bank president and a member of the FOMC, the creation and adoption of the Evans rule, the current path of R-Star, the future of the Fed’s framework, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Charles’s Chicago Fed profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Donate to Macro Musings! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Implications for the Federal Reserve’s MP Framework in the Future* by Charles Evans
12/11/2023 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 1 second
Matteo Maggiori and Jesse Schreger on Geoeconomics and its Policy Implications
Matteo Maggiori is a professor of finance at Stanford University and a returning guest to the podcast, and Jesse Schreger is an associate professor of economics at Columbia University. Matteo and Jesse, along with Christopher Clayton, have recently authored a paper titled, *A Framework for Geoeconomics,* and they join David on Macro Musings to discuss it. Specifically, Matteo, Jesse, and David also discuss the basics, core concepts, and real world examples of geoeconomics, the key elements of a global hegemon, the future of the discipline, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Matteo’s Twitter: @m_maggiori Matteo’s Stanford profile Matteo’s website Jesse’s Twitter: @JSchreger Jesse’s Columbia profile Jesse’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Donate to Macro Musings! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *A Framework for Geoeconomics* by Christopher Clayton, Matteo Maggiori, and Jesse Schreger *My Economic Statecraft Syllabus* by Daniel Drezner *A Model of the International Monetary System* by Emmanuel Farhi and Matteo Maggiori *National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade* by Albert Hirschman *Bucking the Buck: US Financial Sanctions and the International Backlash Against the Dollar* by Daniel McDowell
12/4/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 27 seconds
Matthew Raskin on Treasury Market Stability, Interest Rates, and the Fed’s Balance Sheet
Matthew Raskin is the US head of rates research at Deutsche Bank and was formerly a senior staff member of the Federal Reserve System. Matthew joins David on Macro Musings to talk about interest rates, QE, QT, and the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet. David and Matthew also discuss the inside story behind the Fed’s shift in operating system, Matthew’s framework for long-term interest rates, how to improve the liquidity and stability of the Treasury market, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Matthew’s LinkedIn profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Financial Market Effects of the Federal Reserve’s Large-Scale Asset Purchases* by Joseph Gagnon, Matthew Raskin, Julie Remache, and Brian Sack
11/27/2023 • 51 minutes, 18 seconds
David Papell on the History, Motivations, and Current Applications of Monetary Policy Rules
David Papell is a professor of economics at the University of Houston and has published widely on monetary policy rules. David joins Macro Musings to talk about his recent paper, *Policy Rules and Forward Guidance Following the COVID-19 Recession,* as well as the origins, past uses, and current applications of monetary policy rules. Transcript for this week’s episode. David’s Twitter: @DavidPapell David’s University of Houston portal David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Fed Approaches the End of the Rate Hiking Cycle* by David Papell and Ruxandra Prodan *Policy Rules and Forward Guidance Following the COVID-19 Recession* by David Papell and Ruxandra Prodan *Policy Rule Legislation in Practice* by Alex Nikolsko-Rzhevskyy, David Papell, and Ruxandra Prodan *Policy Rules and Economic Performance* by Alex Nikolsko-Rzhevskyy, David Papell, and Ruxandra Prodan
11/20/2023 • 54 minutes, 33 seconds
Rachel Siegel on the Fed, Commercial Real Estate, and the Economics of the 2024 Election
Rachel Siegel is a reporter for the Washington Post, where she covers the Federal Reserve and also reports on the domestic economy more broadly. Rachel joins Macro Musings to talk about the current Fed beat as well as her work on other economic issues, including how the Fed deals with physical cash, the precarious state of the commercial real estate market, the potential issues facing voters heading into the 2024 election, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Rachel’s Twitter: @rachsieg Rachels Washington Post profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Two Blocks from the Federal Reserve, a Growing Encampment of the Homeless Grips the Economy’s Most Powerful Person* by Rachel Siegel *The High-tech, Super-secure Government Warehouse Where Old Cash Dies* by Rachel Siegel, Joy Sharon Yi, Hannah Yoon, and Emily Wright *How the ‘Urban Doom Loop’ Could Pose the Next Economic Threat* by Rachel Siegel *Austin’s Office Market is Exploding. But No One is Moving in* by Rachel Siegel *Remote Work Guru Nick Bloom Thinks We’ll Never Go Back to the Office Full-time – But ‘Maintaining Discipline is Important’* by Geoff Colvin
11/13/2023 • 58 minutes, 5 seconds
Will Bateman on the History and Evolving Nature of the Fiscal Fed
Will Bateman is an associate professor and associate dean of research at the Australian National University College of Law. Will has recently authored a paper titled, *The Fiscal Fed,* which takes a close look at the Fed’s fiscal functions during the two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the global financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Will joins Macro Musings to talk about this paper, the origins and evolution of the Fed, the implications for policymakers, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Will’s ANU profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Fiscal Fed* by Will Bateman *The Law of Monetary Finance Under Conventional Monetary Policy* by Will Bateman
11/6/2023 • 1 hour, 9 seconds
PJ Glandon on the State of Macroeconomics: Research and Pedagogy
PJ Glandon is an associate professor of economics at Kenyon College, where he also serves as chair of the economics department. PJ joins David on Macro Musings to talk about his recent co-authored article, *Macroeconomics Research: Present and Past.* David and PJ also more broadly discuss the state of macroeconomics as a discipline, both in terms of research and pedagogy. Transcript for this week’s episode. PJ’s Twitter: @pjglandon PJ’s Kenyon profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Macroeconomics Research, Present and Past* by PJ Glandon, Ken Kuttner, Sandeep Mazumder, and Caleb Stroup *Let’s Close the Gap: Updating the Textbook Treatment of Monetary Policy* by Jane Ihrig and Scott Wolla
10/30/2023 • 52 minutes, 47 seconds
Ed Nelson on the Life, Work, and Legacy of Bennett McCallum
Ed Nelson is a senior advisor in the Monetary Affairs Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Ed has also previously been a professor of economics at the University of Sydney and has worked at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank as well as the Bank of England. Most importantly, however, Ed was also a former student of, and co-author with, the late Bennett McCallum, and he rejoins David for this special live episode of Macro Musings to talk about Bennett McCallum’s life, his work, and his legacy within the field of monetary economics. Check out the entirety of the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Transcript for this week’s episode. Ed’s website Ed’s Federal Reserve profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch!
10/23/2023 • 41 minutes, 47 seconds
Sam Hammond on AI, Techno-Feudalism, and the Future of the State
Sam Hammond is a senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation and is non-resident fellow at the Niskanen Institute. Sam is also a previous guest of the show, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about artificial intelligence and the future of the state. Specifically, David and Sam discuss the current AI environment, how private AI may replace functions of the state, key moments in the techno-feudalistic future of AI, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Sam’s Twitter: @hamandcheese Sam’s FAI profile Sam’s blog David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *AI and Leviathan: The Institutional Economics of an Intelligence Explosion* by Sam Hammond *AI and Leviathan: Preparing for Regime Change* by Sam Hammond *AI and Leviathan: A Timeline of Our Techno-Feudalist Future* by Sam Hammond *Attention is All You Need* by Ashish Vaswani et al.
10/16/2023 • 55 minutes, 40 seconds
Marc Goldwein on the US Government Budget: Structure, Challenges, and Reform Strategies
Marc Goldwein is the Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), where he guides and conducts research on a wide array of topics related to fiscal policy and the federal budget. Marc joins Macro Musings to talk about the US government budget, its structure, its challenges, and its long-term trajectories. David and Marc also discuss the basics of government shutdowns and the budgetary process, how the most recent inflationary episode unfolded, how to fix the US budget over the long run, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Last chance to register for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Marc’s CRFB profile Marc’s Twitter: @MarcGoldwein David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know* by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget *Retirees Face a $17,400 Cut if Social Security Isn’t Saved* by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget *Amid GOP Confusion, U.S. Braces for ‘First-ever Shutdown About Nothing’* by Jeff Stein
10/9/2023 • 53 minutes, 37 seconds
Lev Menand and Josh Younger on *Money and the Public Debt: Treasury Market Liquidity as a Legal Phenomenon*
Lev Menand is an associate professor of law at Columbia University and Josh Younger is a senior policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a lecturer at Columbia Law School. Lev and Josh also recently co-authored a paper titled, *Money and the Public Debt: Treasury Market Liquidity as a Legal Phenomenon.* They are also returning guests to Macro Musings, and rejoin the podcast to talk about this paper and its implications for the Treasury market. Lev, Josh, and David also discuss the transition from bank to market financing, whether an increasing level of debt is leading to more instability, the impact of recent regulations on the primary dealer system, how to restore the balance between public debt and money creation, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Josh’s Columbia Law profile Lev’s Columbia Law profile Lev’s Twitter: @LevMenand David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Money and the Public Debt: Treasury Market Liquidity as a Legal Phenomenon* by Lev Menand and Josh Younger *The Fed Unbound: Central Banking in a Time of Crisis* by Lev Menand
10/2/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 44 seconds
Thomas Hoenig on Public Debt Sustainability and the Current State of the US Banking System
Thomas Hoenig is a distinguished senior fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he focuses on the long-term impacts of the politicization of financial services as well as the effects of government-granted privileges and market performance. He was formerly the vice chair of the FDIC from 2012 to 2018 and the 20 years prior to that, he was president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Tom is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins to talk about the Treasury market, public debt sustainability issues, and the state of banking in the United States. David and Tom also discuss the history of Tom’s influence on the Jackson Hole Conference, the growing size of the US current account deficit, the Fed’s role as the primary Treasury market backstop, the dangers of risk-weighted capital regulation, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Thomas’s Twitter: @tom_hoenig Thomas’s Mercatus profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Housing IS the Business Cycle* by Edward Leamer *Understanding the Greenspan Standard* by Alan Blinder and Ricardo Reis *Living with High Public Debt* by Serkan Arslanalp and Barry Eichengreen *Has Financial Development Made the World Riskier?* by Raghuram Rajan *Resilience Redux in the US Treasury Market* by Darrell Duffie *Meet the Man Making Big Banks Tremble* by Jeanna Smialek and Emily Flitter
9/25/2023 • 59 minutes, 21 seconds
Robert McCauley on Bond Market Crises and the International Lender of Last Resort
Robert McCauley is a senior fellow at the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University and was formerly at the Bank of International Settlements for 25 years and the New York Federal Reserve Bank for 14 years. Robert is also a returning guest to the show, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his recent article titled, *Bond Market Crisis and the International Lender of Last Resort* David and Robert also discuss the basics of a bond market run, the policy reaction and implications of the 2020 “Dash for Cash”, the possible concerns with corporate bond facilities, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Robert’s Boston University profile Robert’s BIS archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Bond Market Crises and the International Lender of Last Resort* by Robert McCauley (coming soon) *Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises, 8th Edition* by Robert Aliber, Charles Kindleberger and Robert McCauley *Robert McCauley on the Global Domain of the Dollar and Threats to its Dominance* by the Macro Musings Podcast
9/18/2023 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 37 seconds
Joe Gagnon on Inflation Progress and the Path Ahead: Breaking Down Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole Speech
Joe Gagnon is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and was formerly a senior staffer at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Joe is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to talk about Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. Specifically, Joe and David talk about the future direction of r star, what current inflationary trends mean for the Phillips curve, the Fed’s commitment to a two percent inflation target, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Joe’s Twitter: @GagnonMacro Joe’s PIIE profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Low Inflation Bends the Phillips Curve Around the World* by Joe Gagnon, Kristin Forbes, and Christopher Collins *Fed Chair Powell’s Message in Jackson Hole: Two Means Two* by David Wilcox *Why the Era of Historically Low Interest Rates Could Be Over* by Nick Timiraos
9/11/2023 • 58 minutes, 40 seconds
Nicholas Anthony on the Current Prospects and Legislative Developments Surrounding CBDC
Nicholas Anthony is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and works on issues relating to financial privacy, cryptocurrencies, and the use of money in society. Nicholas joins Macro Musings to talk about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the recent developments surrounding CBDCs at the Fed and in Congress. Specifically, David and Nicholas discuss the arguments for and against CBDCs, the preemptive, behavioral, and punitive applications of these currencies, who would benefit from the development of CBDCs, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Nicholas’s Twitter @EconWithNick Nicholas’s Cato Institute profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths* by Nicholas Anthony and Norbert Michel *CBDC Legislation Recap* by Nicholas Anthony *House Hearing and FOIA Reveals Fed’s Stance on CBDC* by Nicholas Anthony *The Fed’s Questionable CBDC Campaign* by Nicholas Anthony *Who Really Benefits from CBDCs? It’s Not the Public* by Nicholas Anthony and Norbert Michel *Questions of CBDC Cronyism Emerge as Fed Launches Pilot* by Nicholas Anthony *Nigerians’ Rejection of Their CBDC is a Cautionary Tale for Other Countries* by Nicholas Anthony *Nigeria’s CBDC Was Not Chosen. It Was Forced* by Nicholas Anthony *The Risks of CBDCs: Why Central Bank Digital Currencies Shouldn’t Be Adopted* by Norbert Michel and Nicholas Anthony *The Digital Euro: A Solution Seeking a Problem?* by Martin Arnold and Sam Fleming
9/4/2023 • 58 minutes, 28 seconds
John Coates on *The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything*
John Coates is a professor of law and economics and the deputy dean of the Harvard Law School. John is also the author of a new book titled, *The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything,* and he joins Macro Musings to talk about it. David and John also discuss the basics and beginnings of index funds, how they may undermine capitalism, the issues with private equity, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. John’s Harvard Law School profile John’s publications archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything* by John Coates *House Republicans Probe BlackRock, Vanguard on Their ESG Policies* by Steven Dennis *BlackRock Offers a Vote to Retail Investors in its Biggest ETF* by Brooke Masters
8/28/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 54 seconds
Zac Gross on the Past, Present, and Future of Australian Monetary Policy
Zac Gross is a senior lecturer at Monash University and was formerly an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia. Zac joins Macro Musings to talk about the Australian central bank and the recent review of its framework. Specifically, David and Zac also break down Australian monetary policy over the past few decades, the RBA’s yield curve control experiment, the future of its operating system, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Zac’s Twitter: @ZacGross Zac’s website Zac’s Substack David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Assessing Australian Monetary Policy in the Twenty-First Century* By Isaac Gross and Andrew Leigh *An RBA Fit for the Future* by Gordon de Brouwer, Renee Fry-McKibbin, and Carolyn Wilkins
8/21/2023 • 57 minutes, 8 seconds
Larry White on Gold, Fiat, and Bitcoin: Determining the Ideal Monetary Standard
Larry White is a professor of economics at George Mason University and is the author of a new book titled, *Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin?* Larry is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to discuss this book and the comparison among those monetary standards. David and Larry specifically discuss the bottom-up vs. top-down theories of money, the basics and functionality of a gold, bitcoin, and fiat standards, the future of money, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Larry’s Twitter: @lawrencehwhite1 Larry’s Mercatus profile Larry’s GMU profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin?* by Lawrence White *Larry White on Stablecoins, Money Market Funds, and the History of Free Banking* by Macro Musings
8/14/2023 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 14 seconds
Ricardo Reis on the Macroeconomics of Financial Crises and the Recent Inflation Surge
Ricardo Reis is a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and is the co-author of a new book titled, *A Crash Course on Crises: Macroeconomic Concepts for Run-ups, Collapses, and Recoveries.* Ricardo is also a previous guest of Macro Musings and he rejoins the podcast to talk about his new book as well as his overall assessment of the inflation surge of the past few years. David and Ricardo specifically discuss what constitutes a bubble, the Eurozone crisis as a story of capital inflows and misallocation, shadow banking and systemic risk during the 2008 financial crisis, Ricardo’s view of the Phillips curve, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Ricardo’s Twitter: @R2Rsquared Ricardo’s LSE profile Ricardo’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! *A Crash Course on Crises: Macroeconomic Concepts for Run-Ups, Collapses, and Recoveries* by Ricardo Reis and Markus Brunnermeier *Ricardo Reis on Central Bank Swap Lines, Fiscal Sustainability, and Outlooks for Inflation* by Macro Musings
8/7/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
Macro Lit Review 4: Highlights from Mid-2023 with George Selgin
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute. George is also a frequent guest on Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to talk about some of the recent developments in the monetary and financial policy space. Specifically, David and George discuss the history and present developments surrounding FedNow, the future of real-time payments, how to revise the Fed’s operating system, whether the Fed is currently delivering on a soft landing, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George Cato Institute profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *George Selgin on False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery* by Macro Musings *Getting Up From the Floor* by Claudio Borio *Opening a Federal Reserve Account* by Julie Hill *From Cannabis to Crypto: Federal Reserve Discretion in Payments* by Julie Hill *Fiscal Arithmetic and the Global Inflation Outlook* by Peder Beck-Friis and Richard Clarida
7/31/2023 • 58 minutes, 6 seconds
Bryan Cutsinger and Louis Rouanet on the Politics and Dynamics of Hyperinflation in Revolutionary France
Bryan Cutsinger is an assistant professor of economics at Angelo State University and Louis Rouanet is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Texas, El Paso. Bryan and Louis join Macro Musings to talk about the French Revolution, France’s public finances, its bout with hyperinflation, and finally, the implications of this experience for macroeconomic theory today. Specifically, David, Bryan and Louis also discuss the creation and widespread dissemination of assignats, the emergence guillotine-backed currency in France, the state vs. market theories of money, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Bryan’s Twitter: @BryanPCutsinger Bryan’s website Bryan’s ASU profile Louis’s Twitter: @LouisROUANET Louis’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Assignats or Death: The Politics and Dynamics of Hyperinflation in Revolutionary France* by Bryan Cutsinger, Louis Rouanet, and Joshua Ingber *Macroeconomics Features of the French Revolution* by Thomas Sargent and Francois Velde
7/24/2023 • 54 minutes, 47 seconds
Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde on Demographic Trends, Recent Macroeconomic Developments, and AI’s Implications for Economic Growth
Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde is a professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania and is the co-director of the Business, Economic, and Financial History Project at the Wharton School of Business. Jesus is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about recent macroeconomic developments, the demographic issues facing the world, and AI’s implications for economic growth. Specifically, David and Jesus also discuss whether we needed the fiscal and monetary stimulus of 2021, the European inflation story, South Korea as a case study for global demographic trends, how quantum computing will may impact macroeconomics in the future, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Jesus’s UPenn profile Jesus’s NBER archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Demographic Future of Humanity: The Trends* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde *The Demographic Future of Humanity: Economic Challenge* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde *The Demographic Future of Humanity: Social Change* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde *Dynamic Programming on a Quantum Annealer: Solving the RBC Model* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde and Isaiah Hull
7/17/2023 • 57 minutes, 11 seconds
Chris Conlon on the Post-COVID Inflation Surge and the Greedflation Narrative
Chris Conlon is an associate professor of economics at the NYU Stern School of Business where he focuses on industrial organization economics and econometrics. Chris joins David on Macro Musings to help shed light on the 2021-2023 inflation surge from the perspective of an IO economist. Specifically, David and Chris discuss the great markup debate within IO economics, the shaky foundation of greedflation, the cost anticipation story of higher prices, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Chris’s Twitter: @conlon_chris Chris’s website Chris’s NYU profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Rising Markups, Rising Prices?* by Chris Conlon, Nathan Miller, Tsolmon Otgon, and Yi Yao Chris’s Twitter thread on the recent inflationary episode *The Rise of Market Power and the Macroeconomics Implications* by Jan De Loecker, Jan Eeckhout, and Gabriel Unger *How Much Have Record Corporate Profits Contributed to Recent Inflation?* by Andrew Glover, Jose Mustre-del-Rio, Alice von Ende-Becker
7/10/2023 • 59 minutes, 38 seconds
Tim Lee on the Present and Future of AI and its Implications for Policy
Tim Lee is an independent journalist who formerly worked for the Washington Post, Vox, and Ars Technica, where he covered tech policy, blockchain issues, the future of transportation, and the economy. Tim currently produces the newsletter, Understanding AI, and is also a returning guest to Macro Musings. He rejoins the podcast to talk about AI, automation, and its implications for the macroeconomy and policy. Specifically, David and Tim also discuss the singularism vs physicalism debate, the possible threats posed by AI, how the regulatory landscape will be affected by AI, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Tim’s Twitter: @binarybits Tim’s newsletter: Understanding AI David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The AI Safety Debate is Focusing on the Wrong Threats* by Tim Lee *Congress Shouldn’t Rush Into Regulating AI* by Tim Lee *The Death of Self-Driving Cars is Greatly Exaggerated* by Tim Lee *I Ordered Robot Takeout on Two Campuses with Wildly Different Results* by Tim Lee *Why I’m Not Worried About AI Causing Mass Unemployment* by Tim Lee *US Air Force Says it Did Not Run Simulation in Which AI Drone ‘Killed its Operator’* by Tom Vanden Brook and Kim Hjelmgaard *Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity* by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
7/3/2023 • 55 minutes, 19 seconds
Steven Kamin on the Global Influence of Fed Policy and the U.S. Dollar
Steven Kamin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and previously was the director of the Division of International Finance at the Federal Reserve Board. Steve joins David on Macro Musings to talk about the US dollar and its implications for policy and the economy. Specifically, David and Steven discuss the effects of Fed policy on emerging markets, the factors that are driving a higher global equilibrium real interest rate, how to reconcile the domestic and international impacts of Fed policy, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Steven’s Twitter: @steven_kamin Steven’s AEI profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Will the Strong Dollar Trigger a Global Recession?* by Steven Kamin *How Do Rising US Interest Rates Affect Emerging and Developing Economies? It Depends* by Steven Kamin, Carlos Arteta, and Franz Ulrich *Are Higher US Interest Rates Always Bad News for Emerging Markets?* by Steven Kamin, Jasper Hoek, and Emre Yoldas
6/26/2023 • 56 minutes, 35 seconds
Chris Hughes on the Legacy of Arthur Burns and its Implications for Macro Policy Today
Chris Hughes is a senior fellow at the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School, and he is also the co-founder of the Economic Security Project and a senior advisor at the Roosevelt Institute. Previously, he was also the publisher of The New Republic and is a co-founder of Facebook. Chris joins Macro Musings to talk about his work on Arthur Burns’ tenure as Fed Chair and the lessons we can learn from it as applied to today’s inflation experience. Specifically, David and Chris also discuss Arthur Burns’ view of the economy and inflation, how his perspective on business psychology impacted these views, Burns’ view of fiscal and industrial policy as a tool for combating inflation, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Chris’s Twitter: @chrishughes Chris’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Rethinking Arthur Bruns, the “Worst” Fed Chair in History* by Chris Hughes *Digital Dollars: Critical Design Choices and Effects of a Central Bank Digital Currency* by Chris Hughes
6/19/2023 • 54 minutes, 27 seconds
Peter Stella on the Quasi-Fiscal Implications of Central Bank Crisis Intervention
Peter Stella is the former head of the IMF’s Central Banking Division and has researched and written extensively on safe assets, collateral, and central bank operations. He now hosts the website, Central Banking Archaeology and continues to consult with the IMF on central bank balance sheet issues. Peter is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the quasi-fiscal implications of central bank crisis intervention over the past few years. David and Peter also discuss the losses on the Fed’s balance sheet, using market value versus the par value of debt, the Fed’s debt management issues with mortgage backed securities, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Peter’s Twitter: @Stellar_Consult Peter’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Quasi-Fiscal Implications of Central Bank Crisis Interventions: Case Studies* by Peter Stella, John Hooley, and Claney Lattie *Do Central Banks Need Capital?* by Peter Stella *Exiting Well* by Peter Stella
6/12/2023 • 50 minutes, 19 seconds
Christina Skinner on Central Bank Digital Currency as New Public Money
Christina Skinner is a legal scholar at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and was formerly legal counsel to the Bank of England. Christina is also a returning guest to the podcast, and she rejoins Macro Musings to talk about central bank digital currency and its legal implications for the state, individuals, and the Fed itself. David and Christina also discuss recent developments in CBDC policy rhetoric, the privacy issues surrounding CBDC, the potential interest bearing nature of CBDC, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode Christina’s Twitter: @CParaSkinner Christina’s Wharton profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Central Bank Digital Currency as New Public Money* by Christina Parajon Skinner *A New Coin of the Realm? Central Bank Digital Currency as New Public Money* by Christina Parajon Skinner
6/5/2023 • 1 hour, 10 seconds
Gianluca Benigno on the Basics and Policy Functionality of R** and the Dollar’s Imperial Circle
Gianluca Benigno is a professor of economics at the University of Lausanne and was formerly a senior staffer and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an economist at the Bank of England, and worked at the London School of Economics. Gianluca joins Macro Musings to talk about financial conditions in r**, his work on *The Dollar’s Imperial Circle,* and more. David and Gianluca also discuss the importance of liquidity in a New Keynesian framework, the origins and purpose of the Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, the “Global Financial Resource Curse,” and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode Gianluca’s Twitter: @BenignoGianluca Gianluca’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Dollar’s Imperial Circle* by Gianluca Benigno, Ozge Akinci, Serra Pelin, and Jon Turek *The Financial (In)Stability Real Interest Rate, R*** by Gianluca Benigno, Ozge Akinci, Marco Del Negro, and Albert Queralto *Interest, Reserves, and Prices* by Gianluca Benigno and Pierpaolo Benigno *The Financial Resource Curse* by Gianluca Benigno and Luca Fornaro *The Global Financial Resource Curse* by Gianluca Benigno, Luca Fornaro and Martin Wolf
5/29/2023 • 49 minutes
Dan McDowell on *Bucking the Buck: US Financial Sanctions and the International Backlash Against the Dollar*
Dan McDowell is an associate professor of political science at Syracuse University, and he is the author of a new book titled, *Bucking the Buck: US Financial Sanctions and the International Backlash Against the Dollar.* Dan joins Macro Musings to talk about this new book and the prospects for de-dollarization around the world. David and Dan also discuss the mechanics and effectiveness of financial sanctions, the renminbi as a rival to the dollar, Russia and Turkey as case studies, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode Dan’s Twitter: @daniel_mcdowell Dan’s website Dan’s Syracuse University profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Bucking the Buck: US Financial Sanctions and the International Backlash against the Dollar* by Dan McDowell *What’s Driving Dollar Doomsaying?* by Paul Krugman *Renminbi’s Share of Trade Finance Doubles Since Start of Ukraine War* by Hudson Lockett and Cheng Leng
5/22/2023 • 55 minutes, 14 seconds
Jeanna Smialek on *Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis*
Jeanna Smialek is a reporter who covers the Federal Reserve and the economy for the New York Times, and is the author of a new book titled, *Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes On a New Age of Crisis.* Jeanna is also a returning guest to Macro Musings and rejoins the podcast to talk about her book and its implications for the future of the Federal Reserve system. David and Jeanna also discuss the credit allocation vs. liquidity support debate, the Fed’s definition of price stability, the Bank Term Funding Program, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode Jeanna’s Twitter: @jeannasmialek Jeanna’s New York Times profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis* by Jeanna Smialek
5/15/2023 • 51 minutes, 20 seconds
Nathan Tankus on the Future of MMT and How to Avoid U.S. Debt Default
Nathan Tankus is a popular writer for a newsletter titled, *Notes on the Crises* and is the research director of the Modern Money Network. Nathan is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to talk about modern monetary theory and the debt ceiling. Specifically, David and Nathan discuss the future of MMT, the case for minting the trillion dollar coin, the prospects of issuing Federal Reserve securities, the history of the Fed’s operating procedures, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode Nathan’s Twitter: @NathanTankus Nathan’s Substack, Notes on the Crises Nathan’s Modern Money Network profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The New Monetary Policy: Reimagining Demand Management and Price Stability in the 21st Century* by Nathan Tankus *Federal Reserve Issued Securities: Not Such A Crazy Idea After All* by Nathan Tankus *The Federal Reserve’s Monetary Policy Operating Procedures Have Come Full Circle: What Does That Mean for the Post-SVB FOMC Meeting?* by Nathan Tankus *An MMT Response on What Causes Inflation* by Nathan Tankus, Rohan Grey, and Scott Fulwiler *Issues Raised by the Credit Crunch and Global Recession* by Janet Yellen
5/8/2023 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 21 seconds
Brian Sack on the Fed’s Balance Sheet and How to Improve the Floor Operating System
Brian Sack was recently the Director of Global Economics at the D.E. Shaw Group, and prior to that, he was the manager of the System Open Market Account or SOMA and the head of the Markets Group at the New York Federal Reserve bank, where he managed the Fed’s balance sheet. Brian joins Macro Musings to talk about the central bank’s balance sheet, its operating system, and his work at the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee. Specifically, David and Brian discuss the current state of the Fed’s balance sheet, Brian’s theory of QE, how to improve the effectiveness of the floor system, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Brian’s LinkedIn profile Brian’s Google Scholar archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Monetary Policy with Abundant Liquidity: A New Operating Framework for the Federal Reserve* by Joseph Gagnon and Brian Sack *Monetary Policy Alternatives at the Zero Lower Bound: An Empirical Assessment* by Ben Bernanke, Vincent Reinhart, and Brian Sack
5/1/2023 • 47 minutes, 33 seconds
Mark Calabria on *Shelter From the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted*
Mark Calabria was the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and prior to that, he was formerly a chief economist for Vice President Mike Pence. Mark is also a previous guest of Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to talk about his new book titled, Shelter From the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted. Specifically, David and Mark discuss Mark’s time as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the relief programs his agency ushered through during the peak of the COVID crisis, the history and handling of Fannie and Freddie, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Mark’s Twitter: @MarkCalabria Mark’s Cato Institute profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Shelter From the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted* by Mark Calabria
4/24/2023 • 55 minutes, 20 seconds
BONUS: George Hall on Financing World War II and Managing Post-War Debt
George Hall is a professor of economics at Brandeis University, and was formerly an economist at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. In this bonus segment from the previous conversation, George rejoins the podcast to talk about how the US handled the surge in debt resulting from World War II, how COVID changed government financing, his thoughts on the debt ceiling crisis, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @George_J_Hall George’s Brandeis profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Brief History of US Debt Limits Before 1939* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent *Financing Big US Federal Expenditures Surges: COVID-19 and Earlier US Wars* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent *Debt and Taxes in Eight U.S. Wars and Two Insurrections* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent
4/19/2023 • 19 minutes, 15 seconds
George Hall on the History of the U.S. National Debt and Government Financing
George Hall is a professor of economics at Brandeis University, and was formerly an economist at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. George has written widely on the history of U.S. public finance, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about the history of the U.S. national debt, including the most recent surge resulting from the pandemic. David and George also discuss how a government goes about funding itself, two different models of expenditure financing, the Revolutionary War and Civil War as case studies, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @George_J_Hall George’s Brandeis profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Financing Big US Federal Expenditures Surges: COVID-19 and Earlier US Wars* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent *Debt and Taxes in Eight U.S. Wars and Two Insurrections* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent *Three World Wars: Fiscal-monetary Consequences* by George Hall and Thomas Sargent
4/17/2023 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds
Bill Nelson on the Fed’s Discount Window Lending, the Overnight Reverse Repo Facility, and the Shifting Size of the Fed’s Balance Sheet
Bill Nelson is a chief economist and executive vice president of the Bank Policy Institute and was previously a deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board, where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and financial institution supervision. He also worked closely with the BIS working groups on the design of liquidity regulations and is a previous guest of the podcast. Bill rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the Fed’s balance sheet, and in particular, the impact that the Fed’s response to the recent banking turmoil has had on its size, as well as the role being played by the Overnight Reverse Repo Facility. David and Bill also discuss the changes in collateral treatment brought about by the banking crisis, the invocation of 13(3) for the Bank Term Funding Program, the recent volume of discount window lending, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s BPI profile BPI’s Twitter: @bankpolicy David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Why is the Federal Reserve Abetting a Drain of Deposits from Banks?* by Bill Nelson and Greg Baer *I Don’t Know Why She Swallowed a Fly* by Bill Nelson *The Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet: Costs to Taxpayers of Quantitative Easing* by Bill Nelson and Andy Levin
4/10/2023 • 54 minutes, 12 seconds
Kate Judge and Peter Conti-Brown on the Lessons Learned from the 2023 Banking Panic
Kate Judge is a professor of law at Columbia Law School and the editor of the Journal of Financial Regulation, and Peter Conti-Brown is an associate professor of financial regulation and the co-director of the Wharton Initiative on Financial Policy and Regulation at the University of Pennsylvania. Both are also returning guests to the podcast, and they rejoin Macro Musings to talk about the banking panic of 2023 and the lessons learned so far. Specifically, Kate, Peter, and David discuss how the scene was set for this recent banking crisis, the quality of the policy response, how to reform the banking system moving forward, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Kate’s Twitter: @ProfKateJudge Kate’s Columbia Law profile Peter’s Twitter: @PeterContiBrown Peter’s UPenn profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Towards an Administrative Law of Central Banking* by Peter Conti-Brown, Yair Listokin, and Nicholas Parrillo *Money Market Funds Swell by More Than $286bn Amid Deposit Flight* by Brooke Masters, Marriet Clarfelt, and Kate Duguid *’The Fed Has Mishandled This About 7 Different Ways’: SVB Rescue Sparks Backlash* by Victoria Guida *Scrap the Bank Deposit Insurance Limit* by Lev Menand and Morgan Ricks
4/3/2023 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds
Brian Riedl on the Current and Future Outlook for US Public Finance and Budget Reform
Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute where he focuses on budget, tax, and economic policy issues. Previously, he worked for six years as chief economist for Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and as staff director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. He also served as director of budget and spending for Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign and was the lead architect of the 10-year deficit reduction plan for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. Brian joins Macro Musings to talk about the outlook of US public finance and the tough choices ahead. Specifically, David and Brian also discuss the surging US debt to GDP ratio, the shortfalls of Republican and Democratic plans for budget reform, Brian’s preferable policy path forward, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Brian’s Twitter: @Brian_Riedl Brian’s Manhattan Institute profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Biden’s Promises on Social Security and Medicare Have No Basis in Reality* by Brian Riedl *Biden Is Set to Detail Nearly $3 Trillion in Measures to Reduce Deficits* by Jim Tankersley
3/27/2023 • 53 minutes, 26 seconds
Steven Kelly on the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse and Its Implications for Financial Policy
Steven Kelly is a senior research associate at the Yale Program on Financial Stability and is a previous guest of the podcast. Steven rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the recent bank collapses at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature, the government response, and what this means for financial stability policy in the present and future. David and Steven also discuss the role that interest rate risk and macro policy played in SVB’s failure, the debate over the systemic nature of this crisis, the implementation and use of the Bank Term Funding Program, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Steven’s Twitter: @StevenKelly49 Steven’s Substack: Without Warning David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: Steven Kelly Twitter thread on SVB Daniela Gabor Twitter thread on SVB *Was This a Bailout? Skeptics Descend on Silicon Valley Bank Response* by Jeanna Smialek and Alan Rappeport *Monetary Tightening and U.S. Bank Fragility in 2023: Mark-to-Market Losses and Uninsured Depositor Runs?* by Erica Jiang, Gregor Matvos, Tomasz Piskorski, and Amit Seru
3/20/2023 • 52 minutes, 23 seconds
Derek Tang on the Present and Future Landscape for Fed Policy and Politics
Derek Tang is the CEO and co-founder of LH Meyer, and is part of the research team based in Washington, D.C. where he forecasts Fed policy developments, provides bespoke policy analysis to institutional investors, and also closely monitors and forecasts the Fed’s balance sheet. Derek joins David on Macro Musings to talk about Fed policy, Fed politics, and what to expect in 2023 and 2024. Specifically, David and Derek discuss numerous personnel changes at the Fed, the future of the central bank’s balance sheet, the upcoming Congressional agenda for the Fed, what the next framework review has in store, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Derek’s Twitter: @macroderek Derek’s LH Meyer bio David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *The Federal Reserve’s Current Framework for Monetary Policy: A Review and Assessment* by Janice Eberly, James Stock, and Jonathan Wright *The Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet: Costs to Taxpayers of Quantitative Easing* by Andy Levin and Bill Nelson
3/13/2023 • 52 minutes, 3 seconds
Joey Politano on Fed Policy, Inflation, and the Current State of the US Economy
Joey Politano is an economist and commentator who writes regularly on his Substack newsletter titled, Apricitas Economics. Joey is also a previous guest of the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the state of the US economy, inflation, Fed policy, and much more. Specifically, David and Joey discuss the results of the Fed’s ongoing rate hikes, the narrative that higher rates may lead to higher inflation, conducting monetary policy in a supply constrained economy, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Joey’s Twitter: @JosephPolitano Joey’s Substack: Apricitas Economics David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *America’s 2022 Slowdown* by Joey Politano *The US Labor Market Was Stronger Than We Thought* by Joey Politano
3/6/2023 • 53 minutes, 10 seconds
Peter Conti-Brown on the Legal and Regulatory Issues Facing the Fed and Financial Markets
Peter Conti-Brown is an associate professor of financial regulation and legal studies at the University of Pennsylvania and is a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution. Peter is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and rejoins the podcast to talk about some of the big legal and regulatory issues facing the financial and monetary policy space today. Specifically, David and Peter discuss the debt ceiling crisis, Fed master accounts, the current state of cryptocurrency, the implications of the Federal Reserve Accountability Act, and the most significant court cases facing the central bank today. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @PeterContiBrown Peter’s UPenn profile The Wharton Initiative on Financial Policy and Regulation’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *The Contingent Origins of Financial Legislation* by Peter Conti-Brown and Brian Feinstein *Let Crypto Burn* by Stephen Cecchetti and Kim Schoenholtz *Mint the Coin? Buy Back Bonds? 7 ‘Gimmicks’ for Dodging the Debt Limit* by Jeff Stein Peter Conti-Brown’s Bonus Segment with David Beckworth
2/27/2023 • 52 minutes, 31 seconds
David Wilcox on the Debt Ceiling Crisis and the Crippling Costs of Default
David Wilcox is a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and is the Director of Economic Research at Bloomberg Economics. Previously, David served for many years on the staff of the Federal Reserve Board, as deputy director from 2001 to 2011 and as director from 2011 to 2018 of the Division of Research and Statistics. In the latter role, he functioned as the chief economist of the division, a senior advisor to three successive chairs of the board, and the division leader for strategic direction as well as chief manager. David joins Macro Musings to talk about a recent article he wrote titled, *The Cost of the US Going Over the Fiscal Cliff is Trauma, Then Unending Pain.* David and David also discuss the debt ceiling issue more broadly, including the severity and timing of a technical default, the two big economic shocks that would result from a default, the possible solutions to pursue in the face of the this debacle, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. David Wilcox’s Twitter: @D_W_Wilcox David Wilcox’s PIIE profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *The Cost of US Going Over Fiscal Cliff Is Trauma Then Unending Pain* by David Wilcox *Fiscal Policy Under Low Interest Rates* by Olivier Blanchard *Mint the Coin? Buy Back Bonds? 7 ‘Gimmicks’ for Dodging the Debt Limit* by Jeff Stein
2/20/2023 • 51 minutes, 58 seconds
Julie Hill on the History and Recent Developments of Fed Master Accounts
Julie Hill is a professor of law at the University of Alabama’s School of Law and she specializes in the study of the regulation of financial institutions. Julie also has a new paper out titled, *Opening a Federal Reserve Account,* and she joins Macro Musings to talk about the history and recent developments surrounding Fed master accounts. David and Julie also discuss the legal basis for these accounts and the numerous case studies surrounding them, including the Narrow Bank, Reserve Trust, Custodia, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Julie’s Twitter: @ProfJulieHill Julie’s Alabama Law profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Opening a Federal Reserve Account* by Julie Hill
2/13/2023 • 1 hour, 12 seconds
Macro Lit Review 3: Highlights from Early 2023 with George Selgin
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute. George is also a frequent guest on Macro Musings and he rejoins the podcast to talk about some recent developments in the monetary and fiscal policy space. Specifically, David and George discuss new narratives around shadow banking and the financial crisis, the fiscal cost of large central bank balance sheets, the return of secular stagnation, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *A Monetary Policy Primer: Parts 1-12* by George Selgin *Why Shadow Banking Didn’t Cause the Financial Crisis* by Norbert Michel *The Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet: Costs to Taxpayers of Quantitative Easing* by Andy Levin and Bill Nelson *The Monetary Executive* by Christina Parajon Skinner *Secular Stagnation is Not Over* by Olivier Blanchard *The Hard Road to a Soft Landing: Evidence from a (Modestly) Nonlinear Structural Model* by Randal Verbrugge and Saeed Zaman *Brazil and Argentina to Start Preparations for a Common Currency* by Michael Stott and Lucinda Elliott *Floor Systems for Implementing Monetary Policy: Some Unpleasant Fiscal Arithmetic* by Aleksander Berentsen, Christopher Waller, and Alessandro Marchesiani *Fallen Heroes: Central Banks Face Credibility Crisis as Losses Pile Up* by Johanna Treeck *SNB Will Shrink Balance Sheet After Record Loss, Citigroup Says* by Bastian Benrath *George Selgin on False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery* by Macro Musings
2/6/2023 • 49 minutes, 32 seconds
Michael Strain on Averting the Looming Debt Ceiling Disaster
Michael Strain is the Director of Economic Policy Studies and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. Michael rejoins the podcast to talk about the looming debt ceiling crisis and his recent article on the issue titled, *Averting a Debt-Ceiling Disaster.* David and Michael specifically discuss the background, history and recent events leading up to the current crisis, how to impose fiscal discipline in a low interest rate world, solutions the US government could pursue, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Michael’s Twitter: @MichaelRStrain Michael’s website Michael’s AEI profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Averting a Debt-Ceiling Disaster* by Michael Strain *House Republicans Prepare Emergency Plan for Breaching Debt Limit* by Jeff Stein, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Theodoric Meyer *Extraordinary Measures* by the Bipartisan Policy Center
1/30/2023 • 47 minutes, 50 seconds
John Roberts on Macroeconomic Modeling at the Fed, Makeup Policy, and the Future of FAIT
John Roberts is a 36-year veteran of the Federal Reserve Board and mostly recently was the Deputy Associate Director in the Division of Research and Statistics, overseeing the board’s domestic macroeconomic modeling efforts. From 2017-2019, John also served as a special advisor to Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard, where his responsibilities includes preparation of speeches, providing advice on monetary policy, macroeconomic forecasting, and regulatory attending FOMC meetings. John joins Macro Musings to talk about his time at the Fed, macroeconomic modeling at the institution, his work on the zero lower bound, and current Fed policy. Specifically, David and John also discuss the art of interpreting the Fed’s Summary of Economic Projections, the future of modeling for policymakers at the Fed, the state of FAIT at the central bank, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. John’s blog John’s paper archive David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Monetary Policy in a Low Interest Rate World* by Michael Kiley and John Roberts *Monetary Policy Strategies for a Low-Rate Environment* by Ben Bernanke, Michael Kiley, and John Roberts *Unconventional Monetary Policy According to HANK* by Eric Sims, Jing Cynthia Wu, & Ji Zhang
1/23/2023 • 55 minutes, 37 seconds
Paul Tucker on *Global Discord: Values and Power in a Fractured World Order*
Paul Tucker is a 33-year veteran of the Bank of England, where among other positions, he served as both a member and deputy governor of the Monetary Policy Committee. Currently, Paul is a research fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard. He is also a returning guest to the podcast, and rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his new book, *Global Discord: Values and Power in a Fractured World.* Specifically, David and Paul also discuss China’s push for reserve currency status, how to sell international legitimacy to the general public, the geopolitical advantage of trade deals, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Paul’s Harvard profile Paul’s website David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Global Discord: Values and Power in a Fractured World Order* by Paul Tucker *Unelected Power: The Quest for Legitimacy in Central Banking and the Regulatory State* by Paul Tucker *Quantitative Easing, Monetary Policy Implementation, and the Public Finances* by Paul Tucker *Biden Needs Allies to Keep China and Russia in Check. Here’s How to Do it.* by Sebastian Mallaby
1/16/2023 • 58 minutes, 13 seconds
Victoria Guida on Developments at the Federal Reserve and in Financial Regulation
Victoria Guida is an economics reporter for Politico where she covers monetary policy and financial regulatory policy. Victoria is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and she rejoins the podcast to talk about the big developments at the Fed and in the financial regulatory policy space in 2022 and what we can expect in 2023. Specifically, David and Victoria discuss personnel changes and trading scandals at the Fed, the debate surrounding Fed Master Accounts, how to improve the liquidity of the Treasury market, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Victoria’s Politico profile Victoria’s Twitter: @vtg2 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Victoria Guida on the Politics of Monetary Policy* by the Macro Musings podcast
1/9/2023 • 55 minutes, 8 seconds
Martin Chorzempa on China’s Cashless Revolution and the Rise of Super Apps
Martin Chorzempa is a senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics and is the author of a new book titled, *The Cashless Revolution: China’s Reinvention of Money and the End of America’s Domination of Finance and Technology.* Martin joins Macro Musings to talk about this book as well as the history of Chinese fintech development, the basics of super apps in China, challenges to the Chinese fintech revolution, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Martin’s PIIE profile Martin’s Twitter: @ChorzempaMartin David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *The Cashless Revolution: China’s Reinvention of Money and the End of America’s Domination of Finance and Technology* by Martin Chorzempa *Letter From Apple Supplier Foxconn’s Founder Prodded China to Ease Zero-Covid Rules* by Keith Zhai and Yang Jie
1/2/2023 • 59 minutes, 29 seconds
Heather Long, Ryan Avent, and Cardiff Garcia on Pandemic Reflections and Economic Predictions for the Future
For this special end of the year edition of Macro Musings, Heather Long, Ryan Avent, and Cardiff Garcia rejoin the podcast to reflect on the biggest economic surprises and stories of the past few years, while giving their outlook and predictions for the future. Heather Long is an editorial writer and columnist for the Washington Post, Ryan Avent is the trade and international economic editor for the Economist Magazine, and Cardiff Garcia is a veteran journalist for the Financial Times and NPR as well as the host of the New Bazaar podcast and the co-founder of Bazaar Audio. Specifically, this returning panel of guests discuss the major economic themes throughout the pandemic, the most overrated and underreported stories that have dominated the headlines over the past few years, what issues are primed for prominence within the next decade, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Support the podcast by making a donation during this holiday season! Heather’s Washington Post profile Heather’s Twitter: @byHeatherLong Ryan’s Economist profile Ryan’s Twitter: @ryanavent Cardiff’s Twitter: @CardiffGarcia Bazaar Audio’s website David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Measuring Monetary Policy: the NGDP Gap* by David Beckworth *Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China* by Hal Brands and Michael Beckley *David Beckworth on the Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting* by the Macro Musings Podcast *Ryan Avent, Cardiff Garcia, and Heather Long on Lessons from the Great Recession* by the Macro Musings Podcast
12/26/2022 • 54 minutes, 13 seconds
Tomas Hirst on the State of ECB Policy and the Eurozone Economy
Tomas Hirst is a macro analyst in the Strategy and Allocation division at LMI and formerly worked at Credit Sights, an independent fixed income research company, where he led the European strategy team covering Euro and sterling credit markets. Prior to that, he also worked at Bloomberg and the World Economic Forum in Geneva. Tomas joins David on Macro Musings to talk about the Eurozone economy, the ECB, and the future of the Euro project. Specifically, David and Tomas discuss the macroeconomic state of post-pandemic Europe, the rationale behind the ECB’s rate hikes, the inflation expectations conundrum within the Eurozone, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Support the podcast by making a donation during this holiday season! Tomas’s blog Tomas’s Twitter: @tomashirstecon David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *The ECB’s New Inflation Target One Year On* by Ursel Baumann, Christophe Kamps, and Manfred Kremer
12/19/2022 • 48 minutes, 12 seconds
Joe Gagnon on *25 Years of Excess Unemployment* and the Phillips Curve Debate
Joe Gagnon is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and was formerly a senior staffer at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Joe is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to take a look back on the past few years and to discuss his new paper on excess unemployment over the past 25 years. Specifically, David and Joe also discuss the movement of the natural rate of unemployment over time, alternative explanations for the flattening of the Phillips curve, policy implications for the Fed moving forward, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Support the podcast by making a donation during this holiday season! Joe’s PIIE profile Joe’s Twitter: @GagnonMacro David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *25 Years of Excess Unemployment in Advanced Economies: Lessons for Monetary Policy* by Joseph Gagnon and Madi Sarsenbayev *Economists are Slightly Better at Predicting Inflation Than Consumers* by Joseph Gagnon and Madi Sarsenbayev *Who are the Better Forecasters of Inflation, Bond Traders or Economists?* by Joseph Gagnon and Madi Sarsenbayev *The Slope of the Phillips Curve: Evidence form U.S. States* by Jonathon Hazell, Juan Herreno, Emi Nakamura, and Jon Steinsson *The Macroeconomics of Low Inflation* by George Akerlof, William Dickens, and George Perry *Measuring Monetary Policy: the NGDP Gap* by David Beckworth
12/12/2022 • 53 minutes, 54 seconds
BONUS: Noah Smith on the State of Macroeconomics
Noah Smith is a former columnist for Bloomberg and is now a popular writer at his own Noahpinion Substack. In this bonus segment from the previous conversation, Noah rejoins the podcast to talk about the nuts and bolts of macroeconomic modeling. Specifically, David and Noah discuss why macroeconomics is still in its infancy, how we can improve macro modeling moving forward, how to spot “nutty” macroeconomic theories, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Noah’s Substack: Noahpinion Noah’s Bloomberg archive Noah’s Twitter: @Noahpinion David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here! Related Links: *Macroeconomics is Still in Its Infancy* by Noah Smith *Nutty Macroeconomic Theories Will Ruin Your Country’s Economy* by Noah Smith
12/7/2022 • 30 minutes, 10 seconds
Noah Smith on the Future of the Chinese Economy and the Climate of Social Change in the US
Noah Smith is a former columnist for Bloomberg and is now a popular writer at his own Noahpinion Substack. Noah is also a returning guest to the podcast, and rejoins Macro Musings for a wide ranging discussion on some of the recent issues he’s been covering on his Substack, including China, social change in the US, recent macro developments, and much more. Noah and David also discuss the façade of Xi Jinping’s leadership, the elite overproduction hypothesis, how Fukuyama’s *End of History* thesis can be applied today, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Noah’s Substack: Noahpinion Noah’s Bloomberg archive Noah’s Twitter: @Noahpinion David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Check out our new Macro Musings merch here, and use the promo code NGDP for 10% off! Related Links: *The Elite Overproduction Hypothesis* by Noah Smith *Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China* by Hal Brands and Michael Beckley *Book Review: “Danger Zone”* by Noah Smith *Is China Heading Toward Another Tiananmen Square Moment?* by Lili Pike and Tom Nagorski
12/5/2022 • 48 minutes, 16 seconds
Hugh Rockoff on Optimal Currency Areas, “Yellowbacks,” and Free Banking
Hugh Rockoff is a professor of economics at Rutgers University and has done extensive work in U.S. monetary history. He joins the show to discuss the criteria for an ideal monetary union and argues that the U.S. didn’t really become an optimal currency area until the 1930s. David and Hugh then discuss whether a present-day example, the Eurozone, fits these criteria. They also talk about interesting chapters in U.S. monetary history, including the Civil War, the Free Banking Era, and the bimetallism debate of the late 1800s. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Check out our new Macro Musings merch here, and use the promo code NGDP for 10% off! Hugh’s Rutgers profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *History of the American Economy* by Hugh Rockoff and Gary Walton *How Long Did It Take the United States to Become an Optimal Currency Area?* by Hugh Rockoff *"The Wizard of Oz" as a Monetary Allegory* by Hugh Rockoff *The Free Banking Era: A Re-Examination* by Hugh Rockoff
11/28/2022 • 43 minutes, 29 seconds
Patrick Horan and David Beckworth on *The Fate of FAIT* and the Future of the Fed’s Monetary Framework
In this special episode of Macro Musings, David Beckworth and Patrick Horan join guest host Carola Binder to discuss their newest paper, *The Fate of FAIT: Salvaging the Fed’s Framework.* Patrick Horan is a research fellow in the Mercatus Center’s Monetary Policy Program and Carola Binder is an associate professor of economics at Haverford College as well as a visiting scholar at the Mercatus Center. In addition to their paper, Pat and David also talk about the basics of flexible average inflation targeting, how it compares to temporary price level targeting, the differences between the Fed’s old and new frameworks, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Check out our new Macro Musings merch here, and use the promo code NGDP for 10% off! Patrick’s Twitter: @Pat_Horan92 Patrick’s Mercatus profile Carola’s Twitter: @cconces Carola’s Haverford site Carola’s Mercatus profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *The Fate of FAIT: Salvaging the Fed’s Framework* by David Beckworth and Patrick Horan *2020 Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy* by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors *Fed Framework Holds Central Bank Hostage* by Mohamed El-Erian *Nominal GDP Targeting and the Taylor Rule on an Even Playing Field* by David Beckworth and Josh Hendrickson
11/21/2022 • 51 minutes, 59 seconds
Ethan Ilzetzki on the International Implications of Fed Policy, Business Cycle Theory, and the UK Crisis
Ethan Ilzetzki is an associate professor of economics at the London School of Economics and a research fellow with the Center for Economic Policy Research. Ethan is also a returning guest to the show, and he rejoins David on Macro Musings to talk about the international implications of Fed Policy and the strong dollars as well as Ethan’s thoughts on business cycle theory in light of the recent inflation surge. David and Ethan also discuss Ethan’s takeaways from the UK crisis, how to evaluate and contextualize monetary policy shocks, the contemporary applications of the fiscal theory of the price level, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Check out our new Macro Musings merch here, and use the promo code NGDP for 10% off! Ethan’s Twitter: @ilzetzki Ethan’s website Ethan’s LSE profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *UK Financial Crisis of 2022: Retrospective Diagnosis and Policy Recommendations* by Ethan Ilzetzki *Exchange Arrangements Entering the Twenty-First Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen Reinhart, and Kenneth Rogoff *Inflation as a Fiscal Limit* by Francesco Bianchi and Leonardo Melosi *The Global Financial Cycle* by Helene Rey and Silvia Miranda-Agrippino
11/14/2022 • 57 minutes, 33 seconds
Megan Greene on the UK’s Recent Market Turmoil and What it Means for the Future of the Global Economy
Megan Greene is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University and is the global chief economist at Kroll. Megan is also a contributing editor and columnist for the Financial Times and is a returning guest to the podcast. She rejoins David on Macro Musings to talk about a recent article she has written titled, *UK Market Turmoil is a Harbinger of Global Events to Come.* David and Megan also discuss the basics of what caused the UK’s recent crisis, how persistent inflation continues to impact the global economy, the current outlook for international energy production, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Megan’s website Megan’s Kroll profile Megan’s Twitter: @economistmeg David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *UK Market Turmoil is a Harbinger of Global Events to Come* by Megan Greene *The World is Starting to Hate the Fed* by Edward Luce
11/7/2022 • 46 minutes, 36 seconds
Yesha Yadav on Treasury Market Turmoil and Potential Solutions for Reform
Yesha Yadav is a law professor and associate dean of Vanderbilt Law School. Yesha works on banking and financial regulation, securities regulation, the law of money and payment system, and is a returning guest to the podcast. She rejoins Macro Musings to talk about recent developments in the Treasury market and the prospects for reform. David and Yesha also discuss the future of CBDC in the US, the recent economic crisis in the UK, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Yesha’s Vanderbilt Law profile: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/yesha-yadav Yesha’s Google Scholar archive: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Dn5cmSQAAAAJ&hl=en David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *The Failed Promise of Treasuries in Financial Regulation* by Yesha Yadav and Pradeep Yadav *The Broken Bond Market* by Yesha Yadav and Jonathan Brogaard *Markets Didn’t Oust Truss. The Bank of England Did.* by Narayana Kocherlakota *Treasuries Liquidity Problem Exposes Fed to ‘Biggest Nightmare’* by Liz McCormick *Yellen Flags Potential for Buybacks of Treasury Securities* by Christopher Condon *The Squeeze That Has the US Treasury Thinking About Buying Back Bonds* by Alexandra Harris *Hedge Funds Facing Tighter SEC Clearing Rules for Treasuries* by Lydia Beyoud and Alexandra Harris *Geithner-Led Group Faults Fed for Slow Work on Treasuries Market* by Liz McCormick *All-to-All Trading in the U.S. Treasury Market* by the New York Fed staff *Toby Nangle on What We Just Learned From Gilt Market Madness* by Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal
10/31/2022 • 54 minutes, 4 seconds
Peter Ganong on the Dynamism and Resiliency of the US Economy
Peter Ganong is an associate professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He joins David on Macro Musings to talk about his work on the dynamism and resiliency of the US economy. Peter and David also discuss the income convergence story in the US, how to address increased housing costs, the economic effects of pandemic response measures, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @p_ganong Peter’s UChicago profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *Why Has Regional Income Convergence in the U.S. Declined?* by Peter Ganong and Daniel Shoag *Why Do Borrowers Default on Mortgages? A New Method for Causal Attribution* by Peter Ganong and Pascal Noel *Liquidity Versus Wealth in Household Debt Obligations: Evidence from Housing Policy in the Great Recession* by Peter Ganong and Pascal Noel *Spending and Job Search Impacts of Expanded Unemployment Benefits: Evidence from Administrative Micro Data* by Peter Ganong, Fiona Greig, Pascal Noel, Daniel Sullivan, and Joseph Vavra *Housing Demand and Remote Work* by John Mondragon and Johannes Wieland *Household Income & Spending* Research by the JPMorgan Chase Institute
10/24/2022 • 52 minutes, 37 seconds
Bill Nelson on How Bank Examiner Preferences are Obstructing Monetary Policy
Bill Nelson is the chief economist and executive vice president at the Bank Policy Institute. He previously worked as a deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board, where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and financial institution supervision. Bill has also worked closely with the BIS working groups on the design of liquidity regulations and is a returning guest of the podcast. He rejoins David on Macro Musings to talk about his new note that is titled, *Bank Examiner Preferences are Obstructing Monetary Policy*. David and Bill also discuss how the Fed’s forward guidance is affecting recent market turmoil, how to change the mindset of bank examiners and the public, why the Fed should look into establishing a committed liquidity facility, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s BPI profile BPI’s Twitter: @bankpolicy David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox Related Links: *Bank Examiner Preferences are Obstructing Monetary Policy* by Bill Nelson *Quantifying the Costs and Benefits of Quantitative Easing* by Andrew Levin, Brian Lu, and Bill Nelson FRED Graph: *Liabilities and Capital: Liabilities: Earnings Remittances Due to the U.S. Treasury: Wednesday Level* *The Global Financial Cycle* by Silvia Miranda-Agrippino and Helene Rey
10/17/2022 • 49 minutes, 34 seconds
BONUS: George Selgin on *False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery*
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute and is also a long-time returning guest of Macro Musings. In this bonus segment from the previous conversation, George rejoins the podcast to talk about his new book project on the Great Depression titled, False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery. Specifically, David and George discuss the broad contours of the Great Depression, including its causes as well as the pros and cons of the New Deal solutions that followed. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: Macro Musings: *Jason Taylor on the Great Depression, World War II, and “The Big Push”* Macro Musings: *Doug Irwin on the History of US Trade Policy* Macro Musings: *Sebastian Edwards on FDR, Gold, and the Great Depression* *American Default: The Untold Story of FDR, the Supreme Court, and the Battle over Gold* by Sebastian Edwards
10/12/2022 • 34 minutes, 12 seconds
Macro Lit Review 2: Highlights from Late 2022 with George Selgin
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute. George is also a frequent guest of the podcast, and he rejoins David on Macro Musings once again to discuss their top three articles from the past few weeks related to macroeconomics and monetary policy. Specifically, David and George talk about Jerome Powell’s recent criticism of nominal GDP targeting, Lael Brainard’s recent comments regarding FedNow and real-time payments, the debate surrounding the Fed’s campaign against inflation, and a lot more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *A Conversation Between Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Peter Goettler* via the Cato Institute *The Return of Inflation Makes Deficits More Dangerous* by Greg Ip *Jerome Powell’s Dilemma: What if the Drivers of Inflation Are Here to Stay?* by Nick Timiraos *Primer: What is a Real-time Payments System, and Who Should Operate it?* by Thomas Wade *Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting* by David Beckworth *Anchors Aweigh: The Transition from Commodity Money to Fiat Money in Western Economies* by Angela Redish
10/10/2022 • 56 minutes, 35 seconds
Bill English on the Effectiveness of QE and the Consequences of Fed Losses
Bill English is a professor at Yale University, a former senior Fed staffer, and a veteran of the Bank for International Settlements. Bill joins Macro Musings to talk about his time at the Federal Reserve, recent Fed developments, and a paper he co-authored titled, “What If the Federal Reserve Books Losses Because of Its Quantitative Easing?” David and Bill also discuss the Fed’s recent low-inflation mandate, the QE effectiveness debate, and why we should and shouldn’t be concerned about Fed balance sheet losses. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s Yale profile Bill’s Federal Reserve profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *What if the Federal Reserve Books Losses Because of its Quantitative Easing?* by William English and Donald Kohn Macro Musings: *Donald Kohn on Fed Policy from the 1970s to Today* *Think of Powell as Volcker’s Wannabe Second Coming* by John Authers
10/3/2022 • 52 minutes, 35 seconds
Andrew Levin on the Costs and Benefits of QE4 and the Future of the Fed’s Balance Sheet
Andrew Levin is a professor of economics at Dartmouth College and a former long-time Fed official. Andy is also a previous guest of Macro Musings and rejoins the podcast to talk about the costs and benefits of the Fed’s QE4 program. David and Andy also discuss the Fed’s recent record on inflation, QE4’s impact on market functioning, the present and future of the Fed’s balance sheet, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Andrew’s Dartmouth profile Andrew’s NBER archive David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *Quantifying the Costs and Benefits of Quantitative Easing* by Andrew Levin, Brian Lu, and William Nelson *Incorporating Scenario Analysis into the Federal Reserve’s Policy Strategy and Communications* by Michael Bordo, Andrew Levin, and Mickey Levy *What if the Federal Reserve Books Losses Because of its Quantitative Easing?* by William English and Donald Kohn
9/26/2022 • 54 minutes, 54 seconds
Steven Kelly on Crises, Stability, and the Fed’s Role in Financial Markets
Steven Kelly is a senior research associate at the Yale Program on Financial Stability. Steven joins David on Macro Musings to discuss his work on financial stability and the role the Federal Reserve plays in it. Specifically, David and Steven discuss the Fed’s evolving role in niche financial markets such as commodities and derivatives markets, what Section 13.3 of the Federal Reserve Act says about the Fed’s basis to engage in financial markets, proposals to improve the Fed’s Standing Repo Facility (SRF), the future of stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in financial markets, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Steven’s Twitter: @StevenKelly49 Steven’s Substack: Without Warning David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: The Reserve (podcast) hosted by Kaleb Nygaard New Bagehot Project, Yale Program on Financial Stability (YPFS) “The Fed As Derivatives Dealer of Last Resort?” by Steven Kelly “Could the Fed Rescue Commodities Markets?” by Steven Kelly “Improving the Standing Repo Facility” by Steven Kelly “Unappropriated Dollars: The Fed's Ad Hoc Lending Facilities and the Rules that Govern Them” by Lev Menand The Fed Unbound: Central Banking in a Time of Crisis by Lev Menand “Larry Ball on the Lehman Brothers Collapse and Its Role in the Great Recession”, Macro Musings podcast episode (2018)
9/19/2022 • 49 minutes, 22 seconds
Scott Sumner on Alternative Approaches to Monetary Policy
Scott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center. Scott joins David on Macro Musings to look back on his contributions to monetary policy research with the Mercatus Center and elsewhere, as well as discuss his upcoming book, Alternative Approaches to Monetary Policy. In particular, Scott and David discuss how the Fed’s monetary policy mistakes in 2008 impacted the direction of Scott’s research, the theory and prospects for a nominal GDP futures contract, the future of monetary policy in the Eurozone and whether the ECB has gotten more hawkish, how changing macroeconomic conditions across history help explain the changing popularity of particular policy models, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s Twitter: @ScottSumnerTMI Scott’s blog Scott’s Mercatus profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: “Nominal GDP futures targeting” by Scott Sumner “A Market-Driven Nominal GDP Targeting Regime” by Scott Sumner “Using Futures Instrument Prices To Target Nominal Income” by Scott Sumner “The Impact of Futures Price Targeting on the Precision and Credibility of Monetary Policy” by Scott Sumner
9/12/2022 • 52 minutes, 32 seconds
Hanno Lustig on Fiscal Dominance, Inflation, and the Effects of Long-term Interest Rate Decline
Hanno Lustig is a professor of finance at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Hanno is also a former guest on Macro Musings and rejoins the podcast to talk about fiscal dominance, global inflation, interest rates, wealth and equality, and Eurozone challenges. David and Hanno also discuss how to reconcile Treasury yield movements with impending fiscal dominance, why we’re seeing a long-term decline in real interest rates, the early trends in post-pandemic inflation, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Hanno’s Twitter: @HannoLustig Hanno’s Stanford profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *What Drives Variation in the U.S. Debt/Output Ratio? The Dogs that Didn’t Bark* by Hanno Lustig, Zhengyang Jiang, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, and Mindy Xiaolan *US Government Debt Valuation Puzzle* by Hanno Lustig, Zhengyang Jiang, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, and Mindy Xiaolan *Monetary Science, Fiscal Alchemy* by Eric Leeper
9/5/2022 • 55 minutes, 21 seconds
Joshua Younger on the Treasury Market: Structure, Stressors, and Potential Reforms
Josh Younger is currently a managing director and global head of ALM research and strategy at JP Morgan, and previously spent over a decade as a senior market strategist focused on interest rate and money markets. Josh joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the current state of the Treasury market and various reforms that have recently been proposed for it. Specifically, Josh and David discuss the history and evolving structure of the Treasury market, the emergence of high frequency trading firms over the past decade, the factors behind the 2020 dash for cash, current stresses on the Treasury market, as well as potential reforms for the market going forward. Transcript for the episode can be found here. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox!
8/29/2022 • 54 minutes, 16 seconds
Carola Binder on the Importance of Inflation Expectations and How Policymakers Should Respond
Carola Binder is an associate professor of economics at Haverford College and is currently a visiting scholar in the Monetary Policy Program at the Mercatus Center. She is also an associate editor at the Review of Economics and Statistics and the Journal of Money Credit and Banking. Carola rejoins Macro Musings to talk about inflation expectations and uncertainty. Specifically, David and Carola discuss why we should care about inflation expectations, which survey measures are most important, how policymakers should respond, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Carola’s Twitter: @cconces Carola’s Haverford site Carola’s Mercatus profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *Consumer Inflation Uncertainty Is Rising* by Carola Binder *Stuck in the Seventies: Gas Prices and Consumer Sentiment* by Carola Binder and Christos Makridis *Inflation Expectations and Consumption: Evidence from 1951* by Carola Binder and Gillian Brunet *How Do Americans View Higher Inflation?* by Frank Newport *Inflation Expectations and Consumer Spending: The Role of Household Balance Sheets* by Lenard Lieb and Johannes Schuffels *Inflation Expectations and Readiness to Spend: Cross-Sectional Evidence* by Rudiger Bachmann, Tim Berg, and Eric Sims *A New Measure of Monetary Shocks: Derivation and Implications* by Christina Romer and David Romer
8/22/2022 • 53 minutes, 17 seconds
Jeffrey Lacker on the Past, Present, and Future of Federal Reserve Policy
Jeffrey Lacker is a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, where he served as its head from 2004 to 2017, and more recently served as a distinguished professor of economics at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business through 2022. Currently, Jeff serves on the Shadow Open Market Committee. He joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the traditions of the Richmond Fed, the history of the Federal Reserve’s implicit inflation target prior to 2012, the two percent inflation target the Fed formalized in 2012, the more recent transition to an average inflation target, what the Fed should consider during its next comprehensive framework review, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jeffrey’s website Jeffrey’s Richmond Fed profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *A Look Back at the Consensus Statement* By Jeffrey Lacker *Money Market Fund Reform: Dealing with the Fundamental Problem* by Jeffrey Lacker
8/15/2022 • 52 minutes, 59 seconds
BONUS: Gerard DiPippo on China’s Attempts to Infiltrate the Fed
Gerard DiPippo is a senior fellow with the economics program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Previously, he spent 11 years in the US intelligence community as a deputy national intelligence officer for economic issues at the National Intelligence Council and as a senior economic analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. In this bonus segment from the previous conversation, David and Gerard discuss the recent Senate report which details the Chinese Government’s decade-long campaign to infiltrate the US Federal Reserve System. Gerard brings his expertise in both national security and monetary policy to this conversation with David to shed some light on this news story. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Gerard’s Twitter: @gdp1985 Gerard’s CSIS profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *China Targeted Fed to Build Informant Network and Access Data, Probe Finds* by Kate O’Keeffe and Nick Timiraos *China targets Fed to Gain Influence, Senator Charges, Drawing Powell Rebuke* by Kate Davidson *China’s Threat to the Fed: Chinese Influence and Information Theft at U.S. Federal Reserve Banks* Minority Staff Report, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
8/10/2022 • 17 minutes, 49 seconds
Gerard DiPippo on the Russia Sanctions, Demographic Decline, and the Future of the Global Monetary System
Gerard DiPippo is a senior fellow with the economics program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Previously, he spent 11 years in the US intelligence community as a deputy national intelligence officer for economic issues at the National Intelligence Council and as a senior economic analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. Gerard joins Macro Musings to talk about the Russia Sanctions, the global monetary system, demographics, and other economic issues viewed through the lens of national security. He and David also discuss the lessons from the Russia sanctions, dollar dominance as a disciplinary tool, the implications of global population decline, why economic security means national security, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Gerard’s Twitter: @gdp1985 Gerard’s CSIS profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *Strangling the Bear? The Sanctions on Russia After Four Months* by Gerard DiPippo *Deterrence First: Applying Lessons From Sanctions on Russia to China* by Gerard DiPippo *Global Population Growth Hits Lowest Rate Since 1950* by Valentina Romei and Alan Smith
8/8/2022 • 59 minutes, 18 seconds
Tom Graff on the July FOMC Meeting and the Recession Debate
Tom Graff is the head of investments for Facet Wealth and has several decades leading fixed income departments. Tom joins David on Macro Musings to provide his thoughts on the recent FOMC meeting, the Q2 2022 GDP numbers and their implications for the economy, and the future path of Fed policy. Specifically, David and Tom discuss the recent GDP numbers from Q2 2022, the merits of public concerns over a recession, takeaways from the July FOMC meeting, interest rate theory and implicit forecasts of inflation, the fiscal theory of the price level, the continued importance of the Fed’s framework, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Tom’s Twitter: @tdgraff Tom’s Facet Wealth profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: Real GDP Numbers updated for Q2 2022 Federal Open Market Committee: July 26-27, 2022 FOMC Meeting
8/1/2022 • 49 minutes, 52 seconds
Ellen Meade on Transparency, Independence, and Lessons for the Fed’s Next Framework Review
Ellen Meade is a research professor of economics at Duke University and a veteran of the Federal Reserve System. Most recently, Ellen served as a special advisor to the board and Vice Chair, Richard Clarida. Ellen joins David on Macro Musings to discuss her research on monetary policy and her work at the Federal Reserve. Specifically, Ellen and David discuss the prospect of central bank independence at the Fed and the specter of fiscal dominance, the recent history of secrecy and transparency at the Fed and how that impacts the incentives to dissent, the effect of the Fed’s forward guidance on recent policy events, what lessons from the past two years the Fed should incorporate into its next framework review, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Ellen’s Vox EU profile Ellen’s Research Gate archive David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *The Evolution of Central Bank Governance Around the World* by Ellen E. Meade and Christopher Crowe *Central Bank Independence and Transparency: Evolution and Effectiveness* by Ellen E. Meade and Christopher Crowe *Publicity of Debate and the Incentive to Dissent: Evidence from the US Federal Reserve* by Ellen E. Meade and David Stasavage
7/25/2022 • 57 minutes, 47 seconds
Randal Quarles on Inflation, Balance Sheet Reduction, Financial Stability, and the Future of the Fed
Randal Quarles is the executive chairman of the Cynosure Group and the former Vice Chair of Supervision for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Randy also served as an official in the US Department of Treasury, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about his time at the Federal Reserve and his thoughts on current issues facing the institution. David and Randy also discuss how the Fed fell behind the curve on inflation, how he sees the balance sheet reduction process playing out, the central bank’s shifting focus toward climate change, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Randal’s Cynosure profile Randal’s Federal Reserve profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *Between the Hither and the Farther Shore: Thoughts on Unfinished Business* by Randal Quarles
7/18/2022 • 47 minutes, 16 seconds
Kathy Jones on the Current Economic Slowdown, Quantitative Tightening, and the Fed’s New Framework
Kathy Jones is managing director and chief fixed income strategist for the Schwab Center for Financial Research, and she has spent many years on Wall Street, covering bond markets and foreign exchange. Kathy joins Macro Musings to talk about the present outlook for the economy, the state of markets, and Fed policy. Specifically, David and Kathy discuss the story behind the recent economic slowdown, why equity markets are behind the recessionary curve, Kathy’s sense on QT moving forward, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Kathy’s Twitter: @KathyJones Kathy’s Charles Schwab profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox!
7/11/2022 • 47 minutes, 29 seconds
Michael Dooley on the International Monetary System and Future of Global Dollar Dominance
Michael Dooley is a chief economist for Figure Technologies and a 20-year veteran of the Federal Reserve System and the IMF. Michael is also a professor emeritus in the department of economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about the international monetary system and the future of the dollar. Specifically, David and Michael also discuss the original and revised Bretton Woods systems, the Fed’s role as a monetary superpower, and what this means for the US as a provider of safe and unsafe assets. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Michael’s UC Santa Cruz profile Michael’s NBER archive David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *US Sanctions Reinforce the Dollar’s Dominance* by Michael Dooley, David Folkerts-Landau, and Peter Garber *Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen Reinhart, and Kenneth Rogoff *Dilemma Not Trilemma: The Global Financial Cycle and Monetary Policy Independence* by Helene Rey *The Global Financial Cycle* by Helene Rey and Silvia Miranda-Agrippino
7/4/2022 • 48 minutes, 17 seconds
Brian Knight on the Politicization of Finance
Brian Knight is the Director of Innovation and Governance at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Brian’s research focuses on numerous aspects of financial regulation, including the creation of pro-innovation regulatory environments, the role of federalism in fintech regulation, the use of digital assets for financial transactions, the role of regulation for credit markets and consumer protection, and the provision of capital to businesses. Brian joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the politicization of finance and its implications for policy. Specifically, Brian and David discuss the concept of reputational risk and its relevance for financial regulation, the extent and limits of ESG concerns in financial regulation, whether financial regulators are too political or not political enough, the present state as well as the future of ‘woke capitalism’, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Brian’s Twitter: @BrianRKnight Brian’s Mercatus profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *How Financial Regulatory Tools are Used Against Law-abiding Americans – and How to Fix It* by Brian Knight *Climate Change is a Risk for Banks but it's Not the Only One* by Brian Knight *Are Financial Regulators Too Political or Not Political Enough?* by Brian Knight
6/27/2022 • 51 minutes, 20 seconds
Lev Menand on *The Fed Unbound: Central Banking in a Time of Crisis*
Lev Menand is an associate professor of law at Columbia University Law School and writes widely on legal issues surrounding the Federal Reserve. Lev rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his new book titled, *The Fed Unbound: Central Banking in a Time of Crisis.* Specifically, David and Lev discuss why the Fed can be considered unbound, the history of the Fed’s engagement with the shadow banking system, and Lev’s solutions for reform. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Lev’s Twitter: @LevMenand Lev’s Columbia Law profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *The Fed Unbound: Central Banking in a Time of Crisis* by Lev Menand *Unappropriated Dollars: The Fed’s Ad Hoc Lending Facilities and the Rules That Govern Them* by Lev Menand
6/20/2022 • 52 minutes, 33 seconds
Macro Lit Review 1: Highlights from Mid-2022 with George Selgin
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute. He is also the most frequent guest on Macro Musings, now appearing for his 12th time. In this episode, George and David identify and discuss their top three articles from the past few weeks related to macroeconomics and monetary policy. Specifically, George and Selgin discuss Lael Brainard’s recent speech defending the Fed’s prospects of issuing central bank digital currency, Janet Yellen’s concession about the path that inflation has taken, the governmental accounting of Federal Reserve losses and whether they amount to a net taxpayer burden, why the Dollar remains firm as the dominant currency in global markets, how an orthodox corridor system defaults into a floor system during times of crisis, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Click here for the latest Macro Musings episodes sent straight to your inbox! Related Links: *No, Fed, Unrealized Losses are Real Losses for Taxpayers* by Bill Nelson *Preparing for the Financial System of the Future* speech by Lael Brainard at the 2022 U.S. Monetary Policy Forum *What if the Federal Reserve Books Losses Because of its Quantitative Easing?* by Willam B. English and Donald Kohn *From Burns to Powell*, a Macro Musings podcast episode with Guest Donald Kohn and host David Beckworth *Treasury Secretary Concedes She Was Wrong on 'Path That Inflation Would Take'* By Kevin Liptak and Paul LeBlanc *How Monetary Policy Got Behind The Curve And How To Get Back: A Policy Conference* Hoover Institution, Stanford University *Jack Dorsey is Wrong. The Dollar is Still a Global Reserve Currency* by Mark Copelovitch *A Model of Credit, Money, Interest, and Prices* by Saki Bigio and Yuliy Sannikov
6/13/2022 • 57 minutes, 21 seconds
Christine McDaniel on the Russia Sanctions and Their Impact on Globalization and the Russian Economy
Christine McDaniel is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center where she focuses on trade and intellectual property rights issues. Christine previously held several positions in the US government, including deputy assistant secretary at the Treasury Department and senior trade economist in the White House Council of Economic Advisors. She has also worked in the economic offices of the US Department of Commerce, US Trade Representative, and the US International Trade Commission. Christine rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the economic sanctions applied to Russia, and their implication for the Russian economy and globalization more generally. Specifically, David and Christine also discuss the structure and effectiveness of the Russia sanctions, the war’s heavy impact on food shortages, the role of dollar dominance in geopolitics, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Christine’s Twitter: @christinemcdan Christine’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/christine-mcdaniel Related Links: *We’ve Never Seen a Country Go Backwards as Quickly as Russia* by Christine McDaniel https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3487291-weve-never-seen-a-country-go-backwards-as-quickly-as-russia/ *Estimating the Economic Effects of Sanctions on Russia: An Allied Trade Embargo* by Kornel Mahlstein, Christine McDaniel, Simon Schropp, and Marinos Tsigas https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/74493/RSC_WP_2022_36.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y *Potential Economic Effects of Sanctions on Russia: An Allied Trade Embargo* by Kornel Mahlstein, Christine McDaniel, Simon Schropp, and Marinos Tsigas https://voxeu.org/article/potential-economic-effects-allied-trade-embargo-russia *US Sanctions Reinforce the Dollar’s Dominance* by Michael P. Dooley, David Folkerts-Landau, and Peter M. Garber https://www.nber.org/papers/w29943#:~:text=Recent%20sanctions%20on%20the%20use,shock%20absorber%E2%80%9D%20for%20international%20payments. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/6/2022 • 50 minutes, 48 seconds
Manmohan Singh on the Role and Structure of Stablecoins and the Impact of Collateral in the Financial System
Manmohan Singh is a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund and works on rehypothecation, shadow banking, the plumbing of the monetary system, and more. Manmohan joins Macro Musings to talk about stablecoins, central bank balance sheets, central bank digital currencies, and their broader implication for central banks. David and Manmohan specifically discuss the role and structure of stablecoins, the impact of collateral within the financial system, how the Fed have looked to address plumbing issues within this system, and more. Take the Macro Musings listener survey here. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Manmohan’s VoxEU profile: https://voxeu.org/users/manmohansingh0 Manmohan’s Risk.net archive: https://www.risk.net/author/manmohan-singh Related Links: *Interoperability of Stablecoins* by Manmohan Singh, Caitlin Long, and Charles Kahn https://www.centralbanking.com/fintech/7892256/interoperability-of-stablecoins *How to Stop Stablecoins from Hoarding Precious Collateral* by Manmohan Singh and Caitlin Long https://www.risk.net/comment/7948696/how-to-stop-stablecoins-from-hoarding-precious-collateral *Money is Privacy* by Charles Kahn, James McAndrews, and William Roberds https://www.jstor.org/stable/3663561 *Investors Withdraw Over $7 Billion from Tether, Raising Fresh Fears About Stablecoin’s Backing* by Ryan Browne https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/tether-usdt-redemptions-fuel-fears-about-stablecoins-backing.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/30/2022 • 58 minutes, 31 seconds
Bill Nelson on How the Fed Fell Behind the Curve
Bill Nelson is the Chief Economist and an Executive Vice President at the Bank Policy Institute. Bill previously was a deputy director at the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and financial institution supervision. He also worked closely with the BIS on the design of liquidity regulation. Bill joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the Fed's balance sheet, its reduction plans and how the Fed fell behind the curve. Specifically, David and Bill get into whether the Fed regretted its premature tightening period from 2015 to 2018, how the Fed’s focus on the baseline outlook left it not resilient to alternative developments, how concerns over another taper tantrum impacted the Fed’s decision-making, the Fed’s handling of its FAIT framework, and much more. Take the Macro Musings listener survey here. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s Bank Policy Institute profile: https://bpi.com/people/bill-nelson/ Bill’s American Banker archive: https://www.americanbanker.com/author/william-nelson-ab3618 Related Links: “Plane Crashes and Falling Behind the Curve” by Bill Nelson https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/plane-crashes-falling-behind-curve-bill-nelson/?trk=articles_directory “Guest post: A former Fed insider explains the internal debate over QE3” by Bill Nelson https://www.ft.com/content/254befb7-10f8-3f2c-a9a8-bc6226a6f1db "The Potential Ineffectiveness of Policy at the Zero Bound" (Memo to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors) by Bill Nelson and Brian Sack https://www.dropbox.com/s/fv21og7vpx1izml/BillNelsonMemo.pdf?dl=0 “Interpreting the Significance of the Lagged Interest Rate in Estimated Monetary Policy Rules” by William B. English, William R. Nelson, and Brian P. Sack https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=314425 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
5/23/2022 • 59 minutes, 33 seconds
Josh Hendrickson on Economic Growth, National Defense, and US Monetary Policy
Josh Hendrickson is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Mississippi and Chair of the Economics Department. Josh joins David on Macro Musings to discuss US monetary policy and US defense policy. Specifically, Josh and David discuss the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy and what Milton Friedman would think of it today, the Fed’s responsibility for modern inflation trends, state capacity and how it impacts economic growth, the role of national defense in the context of state capacity and economic growth, and much more. Take the Macro Musings listener survey here. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Josh’s Twitter: @RebelEconProf Josh’s Ole Miss profile: https://economics.olemiss.edu/joshua-hendrickson/ Related Links: *Central Banks are Inflation Creators, Not Inflation Fighters* by Joshua R. Hendrickson https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/central-banks-are-inflation-creators-not-inflation-fighters *Evolution, Uncertainty, and the Asymptotic Efficiency of Policy* by Brian C. Albrecht, Joshua R. Hendrickson, and Alexander William Salter https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3251917 *The Coronavirus and Lessons for Preparedness* by Josh Hendrickson https://www.mercatus.org/publications/covid-19-crisis-response/coronavirus-and-lessons-preparedness *Preventing Plunder, Military Technology, Capital Accumulation and Economic Growth* by Brian C. Albrecht, Joshua R. Hendrickson, and Alexander William Salter https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3025548 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/16/2022 • 51 minutes, 33 seconds
Peter Ireland on the Fed’s Pandemic Performance and the Path Forward for Monetary Policy
Peter Ireland is a professor of economics at Boston College, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of the Shadow Open Market Committee. Peter has also been a visiting scholar at numerous Federal Reserve Banks and is a returning guest to the podcast. He rejoins Macro Musings to talk about U.S. monetary policy during the pandemic and what the path forward looks like for the Fed and the policy landscape. David and Peter also discuss the current state of macroeconomics, including the most influential and popular business cycle theories, the present direction of policy macro, and whether or not the Fed’s current framework should shoulder blame for its pandemic policy missteps. Take the Macro Musings listener survey here. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @PIrelandEcon Peter’s Boston College profile: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/economics/people/faculty-directory/peter-ireland.html Related Links: *The Continuing Case for Nominal GDP Level Targeting* by Peter Ireland http://irelandp.com/papers/somc202204.pdf *Targeting Nominal Income Under the Zero Lower Bound: The Case of the Bank of England* by Michael Belongia and Peter Ireland https://centerforfinancialstability.org/amfm/studies/ukngdp2021.pdf *Strengthening the Second Pillar: A Greater Role for Money in the ECB’s Strategy* by Michael Belongia and Peter Ireland http://irelandp.com/papers/eurongdp.pdf *Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting: A Guide to a Popular Framework for Monetary Policy* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/beckworth-ngdp-targeting-mercatus-special-study-v2.pdf *How to Ensure That Inflation Will Remain at the Federal Reserve’s 2 Percent Target* by Robert Hetzel https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/how-ensure-inflation-will-remain-federal-reserve%E2%80%99s-2-percent-target David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/9/2022 • 57 minutes, 29 seconds
Jens van 't Klooster on Recent ECB Policy: A Paradigm Shift Without Legislative Change
Jens van 't Klooster is a political economist at the University of Amsterdam's Department of Political Science. Jens rejoins David on Macro Musings to discuss the changes taking place at the European Central Bank. Specifically, Jens and David talk about the ECB’s recent commitment to a gradual process of monetary tightening, the prospect and limitations of market neutrality in setting monetary policy, the rise of technocratic Keynesianism and questions surrounding the political legitimacy of the ECB’s recent policy decisions, as well as the politics surrounding the ECB’s approach to government debt. Take our listener survey here. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jens’s Twitter: @jvklooster Jens’s website: https://jensvantklooster.com/ Related Links: *The Myth of Market Neutrality: A Comparative Study of the European Central Bank’s and the Swiss National Bank’s Corporate Security Purchases* by Jens van ’t Klooster and Clément Fontan https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563467.2019.1657077 *Technocratic Keynesianism: A Paradigm Shift Without Legislative Change* by Jens van ’t Klooster https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563467.2021.2013791 *The Politics of the ECB’s Market-Based Approach to Government Debt* by Jens van ’t Klooster https://academic.oup.com/ser/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ser/mwac014/6554757 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/2/2022 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 36 seconds
Colin Grabow on Current Trends in US Trade Policy and the Adverse Impact of the Jones Act
Colin Grabow is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about US trade policies, the Jones Act, and the consequences of this harmful maritime statute. Specifically, David and Colin also discuss the counterfactual world of TPP, the future of international trade, and how to fix the myriad of problems caused by the Jones Act. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Colin’s Twitter: @cpgrabow Colin’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/colin-grabow Related Links: Cato’s Project on Jones Act Reform: https://www.cato.org/project-jones-act-reform *The Jones Act: A Burden America Can No Longer Bear* by Colin Grabow, Inu Manak, and Daniel Ikenson https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/jones-act-burden-america-can-no-longer-bear *Rust Buckets: How the Jones Act Undermines U.S. Shipbuilding and National Security* by Colin Grabow https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/rust-buckets-how-jones-act-undermines-us-shipbuilding-national-security *The Progressive Case for Jones Act Reform* by Colin Grabow https://www.cato.org/study/progressive-case-jones-act-reform#:~:text=The%20Jones%20Act%20is%20unwise,repeal%2C%20of%20this%20odious%20law *Candy-Coated Cartel: Time to Kill the U.S. Sugar Program* by Colin Grabow https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/candy-coated-cartel-time-kill-us-sugar-program *5 Years Later and the United States is Still Paying for Its TPP Blunder* by Colin Grabow https://www.cato.org/blog/5-years-later-united-states-still-paying-tpp-blunder *The Cato Trade Team’s 2022 Policy Wish List* by Scott Lincicome, Inu Manak, Gabriella Beaumont-Smith & Colin Grabow https://www.cato.org/blog/cato-trade-teams-2022-policy-wish-list *For Inflation Relief, the United States Should Look to Trade Liberalization* by Gary Clyde Hufbauer, Megan Hogan, & Yilin Wang https://www.piie.com/publications/policy-briefs/inflation-relief-united-states-should-look-trade-liberalization#:~:text=For%20inflation%20relief%2C%20the%20United%20States%20should%20look%20to%20trade%20liberalization,-Gary%20Clyde%20Hufbauer&text=With%20US%20inflation%20running%20at,calls%20anticompetitive%20behavior%20by%20corporations *Biden’s Frozen Trade Policy* by Anne Krueger https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-trade-policy-frozen-in-place-under-biden-by-anne-o-krueger-2022-02?barrier=accesspaylog *Clashing over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy* by Douglas Irwin https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24475328.html David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
4/25/2022 • 53 minutes, 53 seconds
Nick Timiraos on Jerome Powell’s Tenure as Fed Chair
Nick Timiraos is a Chief Economics Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and rejoins Macro Musings to discuss his new book titled, *Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled the President and a Pandemic and Prevented Economic Disaster.* Specifically, David and Nick discuss Jay Powell’s background and early career in law and finance, his unique path to being nominated as Fed Chair, how Powell’s character has aided him in his eventful tenure as Fed Chair, how he was uniquely suited to usher in the change to the Fed’s operating framework, and much more. Check out the Conversations with Tyler episode featuring David Rubenstein. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Nick’s Twitter: @NickTimiraos Nick’s Wall Street Journal profile: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/nick-timiraos Related Links: Check out the Conversations with Tyler episode featuring David Rubenstein: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/david-rubenstein/ *Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battle the President and a Pandemic and Prevented Economic Disaster* by Nick Timiraos https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/nick-timiraos/trillion-dollar-triage/9780316272810/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
4/18/2022 • 53 minutes, 51 seconds
Joey Politano on Recent Inflationary Trends and the Future Outlook for Monetary Policy
Joey Politano is an economist and a commentator who writes and publishes on a Substack newsletter named, “Apricitas Economics,” where he covers a wide range of subjects on a number of economic topics. Joey joins Macro Musings to talk about inflation, monetary policy, and the issues surround them. Specifically, David and Joey discuss the outlook for services and durable goods inflation, the indicators of tightening financial conditions, lessons learned from monetary policy over the past decade, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Joey’s Twitter: @JosephPolitano Joey’s Substack: https://apricitas.substack.com/ Related Links: *Inflation Hits 7.9%, and Things are Likely to Get Worse Before They Get Better* by Joseph Politano https://apricitas.substack.com/p/inflation-hits-79-and-things-are?s=r *Financial Conditions are Tightening as the Fed Raises Rates* by Joseph Politano https://apricitas.substack.com/p/financial-conditions-are-tightening?s=r *Understanding the Fed’s Hawkish Pivot* by Joseph Politano https://apricitas.substack.com/p/understanding-the-feds-hawkish-pivot?s=r *Biden’s Deep State is on Substack* by Alex Thompson, Tina Sfondeles, and Max Tani https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2022/01/10/bidens-deep-state-is-on-substack-495668 *Powell Says ‘Inflation is Much Too High’ and the Fed Will Take ‘Necessary Steps’ to Address* by Jeff Cox https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/21/powell-says-inflation-is-much-too-high-and-the-fed-will-take-necessary-steps-to-address.html David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
4/11/2022 • 44 minutes, 16 seconds
Eric Leeper on the Interactions of Fiscal and Monetary Policy
Eric Leeper is a professor of economics at the University of Virginia, an advisor to the Swedish and German central banks and a former Fed economist. Eric has written widely on the links between monetary policy and fiscal policy and joins David on Macro Musings to discuss these links and their implication for the price level. Specifically, Eric and David discuss the relationship between fiscal authorities and monetary authorities as it relates to fiscal dominance and monetary dominance, how the fiscal theory of the price level (FTPL) enhances our understanding of these relationships, how the FTLP can be applied to contemporary economies, what our expectations of fiscal policy should be moving forward, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Eric’s UVA profile: https://economics.virginia.edu/people/profile/eml3jf Eric’s NBER archive: https://www.nber.org/people/eric_leeper?page=1&perPage=50 Related Links: *Some Unpleasant Monetarist Arithmetic* by Neil Wallace and Thomas J. Sargent https://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/quarterly-review/some-unpleasant-monetarist-arithmetic *Equilibria under 'Active' and 'Passive' Monetary and Fiscal Policies* by Eric M. Leeper https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4907434_Equilibria_Under_'Active'_and_'Passive'_Monetary_Policies *Monetary Science, Fiscal Alchemy* by Eric M. Leeper https://www.nber.org/papers/w16510 *The Fiscal Theory of Price Level with a Bubble* by Markus K. Brunnermeier, Sebastian A. Merkel, and Yuliy Sannikov https://www.nber.org/papers/w27116 *Liquidity Premiums on Government Debt and the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level* by Aleksander Berentsen and Christopher J. Waller https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2943241 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
4/4/2022 • 51 minutes, 48 seconds
Alex Nowrasteh on Population Growth, Immigration, and the Economic Implications for the US
Alex Nowrasteh is the director of Economic and Social Policy Studies at the Cato Institute where he writes widely on US immigration policy. He also has several books on the topic, including his recently co-authored book, *Wretched Refuse? The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions.* Alex joins Macro Musings to talk about immigration in the United States and its implications for economic growth and policy. Specifically, David and Alex also discuss the current trends in population growth and immigration, the consequences of falling birthrates, Alex’s rebuttals to the most common arguments against immigration, and more. Check out Conversations with Tyler: https://conversationswithtyler.com, and subscribe to Conversations with Tyler on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Alex’s Twitter: @AlexNowrasteh Alex’s Cato profile: https://www.cato.org/people/alex-nowrasteh Related Links: *Wretched Refuse? The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions* by Alex Nowrasteh and Benjamin Powell https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/wretched-refuse/47A037EB552CDB16DC77906072A590AB *The Most Common Arguments Against Immigration and Why They’re Wrong* by Alex Nowrasteh https://store.cato.org/products/the-most-common-arguments-against-immigration-and-why-theyre-wrong *The Ultimate Resource* by Julian Simon https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Resource-Julian-Lincoln-Simon/dp/0691003696 *Low-Skilled Immigration and the Labor Supply of Highly Skilled Women* by Patricia Cortes and Jose Tessada https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.3.3.88 *The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates Since the Great Recession* by Melissa Kearney, Phillip Levine, and Luke Pardue https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.36.1.151 *More From Less: The Surprising Story of How We Learned to Prosper Using Fewer Resources – And What Happens Next* by Andrew McAfee https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/More-from-Less/Andrew-McAfee/9781982103583 *One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger* by Matthew Yglesias https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/636499/one-billion-americans-by-matthew-yglesias/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
3/28/2022 • 57 minutes, 21 seconds
Kaleb Nygaard on the Governance of the Federal Reserve System
Kaleb Nygaard is a senior research associate at the Yale Program on Financial Stability and runs the website Centralverse, a place where all things central banking are made clear. Kaleb is also a former Chicago Fed staffer. Kaleb joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the governance and institutional details of the Federal Reserve System. Specifically, Kaleb and David get into President Biden’s nominations to the Fed Board of Governors, the nomination process at the Fed, what is driving the short tenures of Fed Governors in recent years, how regional bank presidents get elected, how social media has impacted the problem of groupthink at the Fed, and much more. Check out Ideas of India: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/, and subscribe to Ideas of India on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Kaleb’s Twitter: @KalebNygaard Kaleb’s website: https://kalebnygaard.com/ Related Links: *Restoring the Promise of Federal Reserve Governance* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/restoring-promise-fed-governance *Board Diversity Matters: An Empirical Assessment of Community Lending at Federal Reserve-Regulated Banks* by Brian D. Feinstein, Peter Conti-Brown, and Kaleb Nygaard https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4000110 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
3/21/2022 • 55 minutes, 30 seconds
Bill Nelson on the Fed’s Operating System, Standing Repo Facility Stigma, and the Future of the Central Bank’s Balance Sheet
Bill Nelson is a chief economist and an executive vice president at the Bank Policy Institute. Bill was previously a deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board, where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and the analysis and financial institution supervision. He also worked closely with the BIS working groups on the design of liquidity regulations. Bill is also a previous guest of the podcast, are rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the outlook for US monetary policy, the future of the Fed’s balance sheet, and its implications for the Fed’s operating system and bank regulations. David and Bill also discuss the Fed’s response to current macroeconomic events, the stigma surround the standing repo facility, and how to think about exogenous risks to the US banking system. Check out Conversations with Tyler: https://conversationswithtyler.com, and subscribe to Conversations with Tyler on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s Bank Policy Institute profile: https://bpi.com/people/bill-nelson/ Bill’s American Banker archive: https://www.americanbanker.com/author/william-nelson-ab3618 Related Links: *The Fed is Stuck on the Floor: Here’s How It Can Get Up* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/the-fed-is-stuck-on-the-floor-heres-how-it-can-get-up/ *More Taxis Sitting Idle* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/more-taxis-sitting-idle/ *Systematic Monetary Policy and the Effects of Oil Price Shocks* by Ben Bernanke, Mark Gertler, and Mark Watson https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/1997/01/1997a_bpea_bernanke_gertler_watson_sims_friedman.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
3/14/2022 • 56 minutes, 2 seconds
Matthew Klein on the Economic Fallout from the Russia-Ukraine War
Matthew Klein is the author of The Overshoot, a newsletter that helps readers make sense of the global economy. Matthew also closely follows Eastern Europe and Russia, has written on the economics of the Russian-Ukraine War, and is a returning guest to the podcast. Matthew rejoins David on Macro Musings to discuss this conflict and its broader economic implications. Specifically, Matthew and David discuss the historical context dating back to the Soviet Union and leading up to this conflict, how Russia’s economy has been historically linked to Ukraine’s, the consequences of Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuel exports, and the implications of global sanctions against Russia for dollar dominance, globalization, and inflation. Check out Ideas of India: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/, and subscribe to Ideas of India on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Matthew’s Twitter: @M_C_Klein Matthew’s Substack: https://theovershoot.co/about Related Links: *Trade Wars or Class Wars* by Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis https://www.amazon.com/Trade-Wars-Are-Class-International/dp/0300244177 *Russia Was Already Cutting Off Europe's Gas Before Invading Ukraine. What Can Be Done?* by Matthew Klein https://theovershoot.co/p/russia-was-already-cutting-off-europes?s=r David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
3/7/2022 • 54 minutes, 37 seconds
Emily Hamilton on the Current State of the U.S. Housing Market and Solutions for Reform
Emily Hamilton is a senior research fellow and director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Emily’s research focuses on urban economics and land use policy, and she joins Macro Musings to talk about housing in the United States. Specifically, David and Emily discuss many of the issues present within the American housing market, why we should care about rampant housing shortages, and the most effective avenues we can pursue for largescale reform. Check out Conversations with Tyler: https://conversationswithtyler.com, and subscribe to Conversations with Tyler on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Emily’s Twitter: @ebwhamilton Emily’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/emily-hamilton Related Links: *Light Touch Density: A Series of Policy Briefs on Zoning, Land Use, and a Solution to Help Alleviate the Nation’s Housing Shortage* by Edward Pinto, Tobias Peter, and Emily Hamilton https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Light-Touch-Density-Compiled-FINAL-1.12.2022.pdf?x91208 *2019 Survey of Consumer Finances* by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex.htm David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
2/28/2022 • 58 minutes, 54 seconds
Will Diamond on Safe Assets, Risk-Free Rates, and Convenience Yields and their Implications for Policy
William Diamond is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Will joins David on Macro Musings to discuss safe assets, convenience yields, bubbles and public debt and the implications for policy. Specifically, David and Will get into competing theories of interest rates and the rise of New Keynesian thinking, the role of the dollar in the global financial system, the drivers behind the growth in US debt, how the construction of risk-free interest rates unaffected by convenience yields on safe assets can improve our understanding of the financial system in times of stress, and much more. Check out Ideas of India: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/, and subscribe to Ideas of India on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Will’s Twitter: @wdiamond_econ Will’s Wharton profile: https://fnce.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/diamondw/#research Related Links: *Threats to Central Bank Independence: High-Frequency Identification with Twitter* by Francesco Bianchi, Thilo Kind & Howard Kung https://www.nber.org/papers/w26308 *Safety Transformation and the Structure of the Financial System* by Will Diamond https://faculty.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/modelwriteupnew23.pdf *From World Banker to World Venture Capitalist: The US External Adjustment and the Exorbitant Privilege* by Helene Ray and P.O. Gourinchas https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=788428 *Rational Bubbles and Public Debt Policy: A Quantitative Analysis* by David Domeij and Tore Ellingsen https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304393218301909 *Liquidity Premiums on Government Debt and the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level* by Aleksander Berentsen and Christopher J. Waller https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2943241 *Risk Free Interest Rates* by Jules H. van Binsbergen, Will Diamond, and Marco Grotteria https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3242836 *Risk-Free Rates and Convenience Yields Around the World* by Will Diamond, Peter Van Tassel https://faculty.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/newdraft_11132021formatfix.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
2/21/2022 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 14 seconds
Amanda Rose on the Mission, Governance, and Politics of the SEC and Its Major Challenges Moving Forward
Amanda Rose is a professor at Vanderbilt Law School where she works as a scholar on securities law and the institutional design of the regulatory regimes enforcing those laws. Amanda joins Macro Musings to talk about the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), its work and role in promoting financial stability, and her research on the SEC. Amanda and David specifically discuss the politics, governance, and politicization of the SEC, the mission of the agency, and the major issues that it must face moving forward. Check out Conversations with Tyler: https://conversationswithtyler.com, and subscribe to Conversations with Tyler on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Amanda’s Vanderbilt Law profile: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/amanda-rose Related Links: *Calculating SEC Whistleblower Awards: A Theoretical Approach* by Amanda Rose https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2143&context=faculty-publications *SPAC Mergers, IPOs, and the PSLRA’s Safe Harbor: Unpacking Claims of Regulatory Arbitrage* by Amanda Rose https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3945975 *A Response to Calls for SEC-Mandated ESG Disclosure* by Amanda Rose https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6545&context=law_lawreview *Should the Securities and Exchange Commission Adopt a Mandatory ESG-Disclosure Framework?* by Amanda Rose https://www.mercatus.org/publications/financial-markets/should-securities-and-exchange-commission-adopt-mandatory-esg *SEC Announces Enforcement Results for FY 2021* by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2021-238 *The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives* by Jesse Eisinger https://www.sandmanbooks.com/book/9781501121371 *Can NFTs Be Securities? The SEC Says Yes* by PYMNTS https://www.pymnts.com/nfts/2022/pymnts-nft-series-can-nfts-be-securities-the-sec-says-yes/ *Crypto Exchanges Will Face More Scrutiny, Says SEC Chair* by Rahul Nambiampurath https://finance.yahoo.com/news/crypto-exchanges-face-more-scrutiny-150149395.html#:~:text=SEC%20Chair%20Gary%20Gensler%20has,world%20are%20scrutinizing%20crypto%20exchanges. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
2/14/2022 • 54 minutes, 27 seconds
Dan Alpert on Current Trends and Tensions in the US Economy
Dan Alpert is an investment banker and a founding Managing Partner of Westwood Capital. He also regularly writes and speaks on big macro-structural issues. Dan joins David on Macro Musings to discuss recent macroeconomic events. Specifically, Dan and David discuss a post-Keynesian account of the global safe asset shortage, the impact of the US policy response to COVID-19, whether inflation will remain a problem heading into 2022, what’s driving the ‘Great Resignation’, whether capital assets are overvalued, and much more. Check out Ideas of India: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/, and subscribe to Ideas of India on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Dan’s Twitter: @DanielAlpert Dan’s Westwood Capital profile: http://www.westwoodcapital.com/ourpeople/daniel-alpert/ Related Links: *The Age of Oversupply: Overcoming the Greatest Challenge to the Global Economy* by Dan Alpert https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/312886/the-age-of-oversupply-by-daniel-alpert/ *Glut, The US Economy and American Worker In The Age Of Oversupply* by Dan Alpert https://www.thirdway.org/report/glut-the-u-s-economy-and-the-american-worker-in-the-age-of-oversupply *Inflation In The 21st Century* by Dan Alpert https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/1740/ *The Way Forward: Moving from the Post-Bubble, Post-Bust Economy to Renewed Growth and Competitiveness* by Dan Alpert, Robert C. Hockett, and Nouriel Roubini https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1987139 *Marc Lavoie on Canadian Central Bank Policy, Real-time Payments, and the Post-Keynesian Tradition* https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02032020/marc-lavoie-canadian-central-bank-policy-real-time-payments-and-post David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
2/7/2022 • 47 minutes, 52 seconds
Lubos Pastor and Elisabeth Kempf on *Fifty Shades of QE* and the Implications of QE Research
Lubos Pastor is a professor of finance, and Elisabeth Kempf is an associate professor of finance, both at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. They join David on Macro Musings to talk about their recent paper, *Fifty Shades of QE: Comparing Findings of Central Bankers and Academics*. Lubos, Elisabeth, and David specifically discuss the scope, design, and findings of their study, the theory behind QE’s impact on output and inflation, the career implications of QE research, and more. Check out Conversations with Tyler: https://conversationswithtyler.com, and subscribe to Conversations with Tyler on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Lubos’s University of Chicago profile: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/p/lubos-pastor Lubos’s NBER archive: https://www.nber.org/people/lubos_pastor?page=1&perPage=50 Elisabeth’s University of Chicago Profile: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/k/elisabeth-kempf Elisabeth’s website: https://sites.google.com/site/elikempf/ Related Links: *Fifty Shades of QE: Comparing Findings of Central Bankers and Academics* by Lubos Pastor, Elisabeth Kempf, Brian Fabo, and Martina Jancokova https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w27849/w27849.pdf *The Federal Reserve System’s Influence on Research in Monetary Economics* by Lawrence H. White https://econjwatch.org/File+download/90/2005-08-white-invest_apparatus.pdf?mimetype=pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
1/31/2022 • 43 minutes
BONUS: George Selgin on the Fed Taper and Shrinking the Fed’s Balance Sheet
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute and is also a long-time returning guest of Macro Musings. In this bonus segment from the previous conversation, George rejoins the podcast to talk about the Fed’s near-term plans to shrink its balance sheet, the impact of the standing repo facility on demand for reserves, the potential benefits of returning to a corridor operating system, and more. Check out Ideas of India: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/ Subscribe to Ideas of India on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *Floored!* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/working-paper/floored *The Menace of Fiscal QE* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/books/menace-fiscal-qe *Churning at the Fed* by Milton Friedman https://miltonfriedman.hoover.org/internal/media/dispatcher/214260/full David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
1/26/2022 • 32 minutes, 4 seconds
George Selgin on the Future of CBDC, Fed Accounts, and Stablecoins
George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute and is also a long-time returning guest of Macro Musings. He rejoins the podcast to talk about central bank digital currency, stablecoins, and the future of the Fed’s balance sheet and operating system. Specifically, David and George also discuss the challenges presented by CBDC and Fed accounts, how they could create financial instability, George’s proposal for wholesale CBDC, and more. Check out Conversations with Tyler: https://conversationswithtyler.com, and subscribe to Conversations with Tyler on your favorite podcast app. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *Central Bank Digital Currency as a Potential Source of Financial Instability* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/spring/summer-2021/central-bank-digital-currency-potential-source-financial-instability#old-fashioned-bank-runs *Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation* by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/money-and-payments-20220120.pdf *George Selgin on the Past, Present, and Future of a Real-Time Payments System* https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11112019/george-selgin-past-present-and-future-real-time-payments-system David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
1/24/2022 • 52 minutes, 49 seconds
Henry Curr on the Myths and Uncomfortable Truths about QE
Henry Curr is the economics editor for the Economist Magazine and a returning guest to the show. Henry has a new working paper out titled, “Money Printers Go Grrrr: Three Myths and Three Uncomfortable Truths about Quantitative Easing.” Henry joins Macro Musings to discuss these three myths and uncomfortable truths about QE. Specifically, David and Henry discuss the continued relevance of quantitative easing as a policy tool, QE’s relationship to financial markets and its effect on the banking sector, whether we can estimate the magnitude of its effect on interest rates, whether QE necessarily boosts the monetary base, and much more. Check out Ideas of India, another Mercatus original podcast: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/ Transcript for the episode can be found here. Henry’s Twitter: @Henry_Curr Henry’s Economist profile: https://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/henry-curr/ Henry’s website: http://www.henrycurr.com/ Related Links: *Money Printers Go Grr: Three Myths and Three Uncomfortable Truths about Quantitative Easing* by Henry Curr https://spe.org.uk/reading-room/ryb-essays/2020-21-rybczynski-prize-essay/ *Fifty Shades of QE: Comparing Findings of Central Bankers and Academics* by Brian Fabo, Martina Jančoková, Elisabeth Kempf and Ľuboš Pástor https://www.nber.org/papers/w27849 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
1/17/2022 • 51 minutes
Lorie Logan on Monetary Policy Operations, the Fed’s New Standing Repo Facility, and the Future of the Fed’s Balance Sheet
Lorie Logan is an executive vice president in the Markets Group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In that role, she’s the manager of the System Open Market Account (SOMA), for the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and she is also the head of the market operations, monitoring, and analysis. Lorie joins Macro Musings to talk about the operations side of monetary policy and her work at the New York Fed. Specifically, David and Lorie discuss the “dash for cash” during the March 2020 Treasury market crisis, the Fed’s new standing repo facility, the future of the central bank’s balance sheet, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Lorie’s New York Fed profile: https://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/orgchart/logan Lorie’s Fed in Print archive: https://fedinprint.org/search?facets[]=authors_literal_array:Logan%2C+Lorie Related Links: *Monetary Policy Implementation: Adapting to a New Environment* by Lorie Logan https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2021/log211014 *Liquidity Shocks: Lessons Learned from the Global Financial Crisis and the Pandemic* by Lorie Logan https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2021/log210811 *Recent Disruptions and Potential Reforms in the U.S. Treasury Market: A Staff Progress Report* by the Inter-Agency Working Group https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/IAWG-Treasury-Report.pdf *U.S. Treasury Markets: Steps Toward Increased Resilience* by the G30 Working Group on Treasury Market Liquidity https://group30.org/publications/detail/4950 *Report of the Task Force on Financial Stability* by Glenn Hubbard et al. https://www.brookings.edu/research/report-of-the-task-force-on-financial-stability/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
1/10/2022 • 36 minutes, 51 seconds
Paul Krugman on the Year of Inflation Infamy
Paul Krugman is a Nobel Laureate in economics, a columnist at The New York Times, and a Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He rejoins David on Macro Musings to discuss the great inflation surge of 2021 and its implications for policy. Specifically, David and Paul discuss the state of public opinion surrounding inflation, whether the level of aggregate demand or its composition is the more important driver, what the state of the economy would be if the Fed had more aggressively countered inflation, whether the Fed squeeze is the appropriate response, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Paul’s Twitter: @paulkrugman Paul’s NYT profile: https://www.nytimes.com/column/paul-krugman Related Links: *The Year of Inflation Infamy* by Paul Krugman https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/opinion/inflation-economy-2021.html *It's Baaack: Japan's Slump and the Return of the Liquidity Trap* by Paul Krugman https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/1998/06/1998b_bpea_krugman_dominquez_rogoff.pdf *The Princeton School and the Zero Lower Bound* by Scott Sumner https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/princeton-school-and-zero-lower-bound David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
1/3/2022 • 41 minutes, 55 seconds
David Beckworth on the Safe Asset Theory of Inflation, Comparing Central Bank Frameworks, and a Year of Macro Musings in Review
In this special end-of-the-year episode of Macro Musings, David Beckworth joins guest host David Andolfatto of the St. Louis Fed to discuss a wide range of macroeconomic topics, including podcast highlights from the whole of 2021. More specifically, both Davids talk about the similarities and differences between average inflation targeting and NGDP targeting, the recent inflation puzzles that have plagued the macroeconomy, David’s safe asset theory of inflation, and more. Want to support the show? Visit donate.mercatus.org/podcasts Transcript for the episode can be found here. David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David Beckworth’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David Beckworth’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/david-beckworth David Andolfatto’s Twitter: @dandolfa David Andolfatto’s St. Louis Fed profile: https://www.stlouisfed.org/about-us/leadership-governance/bank-officers/executive-bios/david-andolfatto Related Links: *The Safe Asset Shortage and the Low Inflation of 2010-2019: A Money Demand View* by David Beckworth https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3992846 *The Prospect of Fiscal Dominance in the United States: A New Quantity Theory Perspective* by David Beckworth https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3969473 *The Fiscal Theory of Price Level with a Bubble* by Markus Brunnermeier, Sebastian Merkel, and Yuliy Sannikov https://www.nber.org/papers/w27116
12/27/2021 • 47 minutes, 59 seconds
Talmon Smith on the Great Inflation Surge of 2021
Talmon Smith is an economics reporter for The New York Times and joins David on Macro Musings to talk about the great inflation surge of 2021 and its implications for policy and politics. Specifically, David and Talmon discuss the potential drivers and implications of the great inflation surge that has taken place in 2021, the current and future state of supply chains, the impact of COVID-era stimulus, the state of the labor market, the political implications of the inflation surge, and much more. Want to support the show? Visit donate.mercatus.org/podcasts. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Talmon’s Twitter: @talmonsmith Talmon’s New York Times profile: https://www.nytimes.com/by/talmon-joseph-smith Related Links: *One-year jump in energy prices is a big factor in inflation’s jump* by Talmon Smith https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/10/business/inflation-cpi-stock-market-news#one-year-jump-in-energy-prices-is-a-big-factor-in-inflations-jump *Americans’ Pandemic-Era ‘Excess Savings’ Are Dwindling for Many* by Talmon Smith https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/business/pandemic-savings.html *President Biden's job approval sinking on inflation, crime and COVID: POLL* By Brittany Shepherd https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-bidens-job-approval-sinking-inflation-crime-covid/story?id=81701113 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
12/20/2021 • 47 minutes, 57 seconds
Yesha Yadav on the Fragilities in the Treasury Market and Solutions for Reform
Yesha Yadav is a law professor and associate dean at the Vanderbilt University Law School, where she works on banking and financial regulation, securities regulation, and the law of money and payment system. Yesha has written a recent paper titled, *The Failed Regulation of US Treasury Markets*, and she joins Macro Musings to discuss it. Specifically, David and Yesha talk about the implications of the 2020 Treasury market collapse, the fragmented nature of the Treasury market’s regulatory structure, solutions for reform, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Yesha’s Vanderbilt Law profile: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/yesha-yadav Yesha’s Google Scholar archive: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Dn5cmSQAAAAJ&hl=en Related Links: *The Failed Regulation of U.S. Treasury Markets* by Yesha Yadav https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3365829 *Fragile Financial Regulation* by Pradeep Yadav and Yesha Yadav https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3685404 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
12/13/2021 • 50 minutes, 26 seconds
Carola Binder and Christina Parajon Skinner on Populism and Legitimacy at the Federal Reserve
Carola Binder is an Associate Professor of Economics at Haverford College, and Christina Parajon Skinner is an assistant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Both are returning guests to Macro Musings and they rejoin the podcast to talk about populism at the Fed and its implications for policy. Specifically, they discuss rising technopopulism at the Fed, the effect of populist pressures on its legitimacy, the importance of balancing experimentation and intellectual freedom with managing risks of politicization at the Fed, as well as their thoughts on the recent bouts of inflation. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Carola’s Twitter: @cconces Carola’s blog: https://carolabinder.blogspot.com/ Carola’s Haverford profile: https://carolabinder.sites.haverford.edu/ Christina’s Twitter: @CParaSkinner Christina’s Wharton profile: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/skinnerc/ Related Links: Cato Institute 39th Annual Monetary Conference: Panel 1: The Populist Challenge to Fed Independence https://www.cato.org/multimedia/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference-panel-1-populist-challenge-fed-independence *Technopopulism and Central Banks* by Carola Binder https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3823456 *Technopopulism: The New Logic of Democratic Politics* by Christopher J. Bickerton and Carlo Invernizzi Accetti https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780198807766.001.0001/oso-9780198807766 *Central Bank Activism* by Christina Parajon Skinner https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/Microsites/fmlg/files/2021/Skinner_Central%20Bank%20Activism.pdf *Laboratories of Central Banking* by Carola Binder and Christina Parajon Skinner https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3956845 *Fifty Shades of QE: Comparing Findings of Central Bankers and Academics* by Brian Fabo, Martina Jančoková, Elisabeth Kempf, and Ľuboš Pástor https://www.nber.org/papers/w27849 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
12/6/2021 • 53 minutes, 53 seconds
Matthew Klein on Recent Inflationary Trends and What to Expect in the Future
Matthew Klein is the author of The Overshoot, a newsletter that helps readers make sense of the global economy. Matt is also a returning guest to the podcast, and rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the hot topic of inflation and its outlook. Specifically, David and Matt discuss what is driving trend inflation, Matt’s decomposition of the CPI, whether or not we should be worried about inflationary trends, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Matthew’s Twitter: @M_C_Klein Matthew’s Substack: https://theovershoot.co/about Related Links: *The Case for Patience on Inflation* by Matthew Klein https://theovershoot.co/p/the-case-for-patience-on-inflation *What’s Going On With Interest Rates? (Part 1)* by Matthew Klein https://theovershoot.co/p/whats-going-on-with-interest-rates *Fed Policy Must Adjust for Inflation* by Martin Wolf https://www.ft.com/content/dc3bedc7-5694-4868-8b86-f9a215966f52 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/29/2021 • 50 minutes, 32 seconds
Markus Brunnermeier on *The Resilient Society*
Markus Brunnermeier is a professor of economics and the director of the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton University. Markus is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Markus joins Macro Musings to discuss his new book, titled “The Resilient Society,” as well as his work on safe assets and their implications for inflation. Specifically, David and Markus discuss the implications of the fiscal theory of the price level for inflation, the role of the Fed in stabilizing money markets, what is meant by “resilience” compared to “robustness” in economies, and much more. Transcript can be found here. Markus’s Twitter: @MarkusEconomist Markus’s Princeton profile: https://scholar.princeton.edu/markus/home Related Links: *The Fiscal Theory of the Price Level with a Bubble* by Markus Brunnermeier https://scholar.princeton.edu/markus/publications/fiscal-theory-price-level-bubble *The Resilient Society* by Markus Brunnermeier https://bcf.princeton.edu/the-resilient-society/ *What Makes US Government Bonds Safe Assets?* by Zhiguo He, Arvind Krishnamurthy, and Konstantin Milbradt https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.p20161109 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/22/2021 • 51 minutes, 50 seconds
Ajmal Ahmady on the Afghan Economy and the Challenges Facing the Nation’s Future
Ajmal Ahmady is the former acting governor of the Central Bank of Afghanistan and is now a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Ajmal joins Macro Musings to talk about his experience as a central bank governor in Afghanistan and the challenges now facing the nation’s economy. Specifically, David and Ajmal discuss his unique role as the country’s central bank chief, the structure of the Afghan monetary system, the state of the nation’s economy moving forward, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Ajmal’s Twitter: @aahmady Ajmal’s Harvard biography: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/about/senior-fellows#ahmady Ajmal's research: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/centers/mrcbg/programs/senior.fellows/2021-22/Ahmady_Research%20Proposal%20(summary).pdf Related Links: Ajmal’s Twitter thread about Afghanistan’s collapse: https://twitter.com/aahmady/status/1427265049668636674?lang=en *Why Afghanistan Fell: An Insider’s Account of What Went Wrong* by Ajmal Ahmady https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/afghanistan/2021-10-11/why-afghanistan-fell *Afghanistan Faces an Economic Crisis, as Well as a Humanitarian One* by Ajmal Ahmady https://www.ft.com/stream/75ed5ed6-883f-402c-b04b-4d1ddd5ab670 *The Taliban Can't Print Cash and Other Afghan Business Challenges* by Ajmal Ahmady https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-09-07/the-taliban-can-t-mint-money-and-other-business-challenges-in-afghanistan *Severe Drought Adds to Afghanistan’s Woes, Endangering Millions as Economy Collapses* by Sune Engel Rasmussen https://www.wsj.com/articles/severe-drought-adds-to-afghanistans-woes-endangering-millions-as-economy-collapses-11633872935#:~:text=Severe%20Drought%20Adds%20to%20Afghanistan's,Millions%20as%20Economy%20Collapses%20%2D%20WSJ&text=The%20drought%20has%20compounded%20the,Taliban%20overthrew%20the%20previous%20government. *Regional Power Back Aid for Afghanistan as Russia Hosts the Taliban* by Aljazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/20/russia-hosts-taliban-for-talks-but-warns-no-recognition-for-now David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/15/2021 • 37 minutes, 56 seconds
Peter Stella on the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level
Peter Stella is the former Head of the IMF Central Banking division and has researched and written extensively on safe assets, collateral and central bank operations. Peter now hosts a website Central Banking Archeology. Peter joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the role of money and its relationship to inflation as well as its relationship to the payment system. Specifically, David and Peter discuss the fiscal theory of the price level, how rising indebtedness can signal higher inflation in the future, the implications of the fiscal theory for contemporary fiscal and monetary policy going forward, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @Stellar_Consult Peter’s website: https://www.centralbankarchaeology.com/ Peter’s Voxeu profile: https://voxeu.org/users/peterstella0 Peter’s Research Gate archive: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter_Stella Related Links: *Some Incredible Monetarist Arithmetic* by Peter Stella https://www.centralbankarchaeology.com/post/some-incredible-monetarist-arithmetic *Some Alternative Monetary Facts* by Peter Stella, Manmohan Singh, and Apoorv Bhargava https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2021/01/08/Some-Alternative-Monetary-Facts-49975 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/8/2021 • 49 minutes, 2 seconds
Robert Orr on Supply Side Bottlenecks in the US Healthcare System and Solutions for Reform
Robert Orr is a policy analyst at the Niskanen Center where he focuses on welfare, healthcare, and labor market policy. Robert joins Macro Musings to talk about one of the more important sectors of the US economy, healthcare, and some of the biggest supply side bottlenecks the industry faces. Specifically, David and Robert discuss the uniqueness of the US healthcare system, the reason for massive spending within the healthcare industry, and how to fix the supply bottlenecks that have emerged. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Robert’s Twitter: @Robert_t_Orr Robert’s Niskanen profile: https://www.niskanencenter.org/author/robert-orr/ Related Links: *The Planning of U.S. Physician Shortages* by Robert Orr https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-planning-of-u-s-physician-shortages/ *The U.S. Has Much to Gain from More Doctors* by Robert Orr https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-u-s-has-much-to-gain-from-more-doctors/ *Unmatched: Repairing the U.S. Medical Residency Pipeline* by Robert Orr https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-u-s-has-much-to-gain-from-more-doctors/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/1/2021 • 38 minutes, 51 seconds
George Selgin on Bitcoin and the Future of CBDCs
George Selgin is the director emeritus of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. George rejoins David on the podcast to discuss cryptocurrency, stable coins, CBDCs, and a push for a higher inflation target. Specifically, George and David discuss the category of ‘synthetic commodity money’ and how bitcoin is a potential example, the current state of Bitcoin amidst El Salvador’s transition to Bitcoin as its legal tender, the role of fintechs in the potential future of a Fed central bank digital currency, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *Synthetic Commodity Money* by George Selgin https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2000118 *The Denationalization of Money* by F.A. Hayek https://www.amazon.com/Denationalization-Money-Analysis-Concurrent-Currencies/dp/0255360878 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/25/2021 • 47 minutes, 20 seconds
Peter Conti-Brown on the Fed Trading Scandal, the Fed Chair Nomination Process, and Central Bank Governance
Peter Conti-Brown is a legal scholar and financial historian at the University of Pennsylvania and is a nonresident fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. Peter’s scholarship focuses on the legal and historical issues of the Federal Reserve system, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the many facets of Fed governance. David and Peter specifically discuss the Federal Reserve’s recent trading scandal, the Fed Chair nomination process, the central bank’s role in fighting climate change, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @PeterContiBrown Peter’s Brookings profile: https://www.brookings.edu/author/peter-conti-brown/ Peter’s Wharton profile: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/petercb/ Related Links: *Technocratic Pragmatism, Bureaucratic Expertise, and the Federal Reserve* by Peter Conti-Brown and David Wishnick https://www.yalelawjournal.org/feature/technocratic-pragmatism-bureaucratic-expertise-and-the-federal-reserve *Restoring the Promise of Federal Reserve Governance* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/restoring-promise-fed-governance#:~:text=In%20%E2%80%9CRestoring%20the%20Promise%20of,it%20was%20designed%20to%20be. Peter Conti-Brown on *Restoring the Promise of Federal Reserve Governance*: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01062020/peter-conti-brown-restoring-promise-federal-reserve-governance David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/18/2021 • 53 minutes, 46 seconds
Scott Sumner on The Money Illusion
Scott Sumner is David’s colleague and the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center. Scott is also a returning guest to the podcast and joins David on Macro Musings to discuss his new book, The Money Illusion: Market Monetarism, the Great Recession, and the Future of Monetary Policy. Specifically, David and Scott discuss common misconceptions about the 2008-09 Recession, why bubble narratives too often miss the mark when explaining rising asset prices, whether the Fed’s adoption of average inflation targeting signals that it is moving toward a level target, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s Twitter: @ScottSumnerTMI Scott’s blog: https://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/scott-sumner Related Links: *The Money Illusion: Market Monetarism, the Great Recession, and the Future of Monetary Policy* By Scott Sumner https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/money-illusion-market-monetarism-great-recession-and-future-monetary *Eight Centuries of Global Real Interest Rates, R-G, and the ‘Suprasecular’ Decline, 1311–2018* by Paul Schmelzing https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3485734 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/11/2021 • 50 minutes, 50 seconds
Chris Russo on the 2021 Debt Limit Fight, Its Potential Impacts, and Solutions for Reform
Chris Russo is a post-graduate research fellow in the Monetary Policy Program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and is a former economist at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. He re-joins Macro Musings to talk about the growing concerns over the US debt ceiling, what it could mean for the economy, and how to fix the issue. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Chris’s Twitter: @RussoEcon Chris’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/christopher-russo Chris’s Github site: https://christopher-russo.github.io/about/ Related Links: *Permanently Suspend the Debt Limit* by Christopher Russo https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/553827-permanently-suspend-the-debt-limit *What the Fed Will Do if Congress Doesn’t Fix the Debt Ceiling* by Christopher Russo https://www.barrons.com/articles/inside-the-feds-playbook-for-a-dollar-default-51622055588 *America’s Need to Pay Its Bills Has Spawned a Political Game* by Jim Tankersley https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/26/business/economy/america-debt-limit-political-game.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/4/2021 • 53 minutes, 45 seconds
Hanno Lustig on Dollar Dominance, Dollar Safety, and the Global Financial Cycle
Hanno Lustig is a professor of finance at Stanford University, and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Hanno joins David on Macro Musings to discuss his work on dollar safety, safe assets, convenience yields, and more. More specifically, Hanno and David discuss the dollar dominance in global financial markets, how the US’s status as the world’s safe asset provider reinforces its exorbitant privilege in money markets, whether the countercyclical demand for safe assets can help explain why US inflation has been so low this past decade, how years of low interest rate policy might have contributed to the growing wealth gap, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Hanno’s Twitter: @HannoLustig Hanno’s Stanford profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/hanno-lustig Related Links: *Dollar Safety and the Global Financial Cycle* by Zhengyang Jiang, Arvind Krishnamurthy, and Hanno Lustig https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/working-papers/dollar-safety-global-financial-cycle *Mind the Gap in Sovereign Debt Markets: The U.S. Treasury basis and the Dollar Risk Factor* by Arvind Krishnamurthy and Hanno Lustig https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3443231 *Manufacturing Risk-Free Government Debt* by Zhengyang Jiang, Hanno Lustig, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, and Mindy Z. Xiaolan https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3646430 *US Government Debt Valuation Puzzle* by Zhengyang Jiang, Hanno Lustig, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, and Mindy Z. Xiaolan https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3333517 *The Fiscal Theory of Price Level with a Bubble* by Markus K. Brunnermeier, Sebastian A. Merkel and Yuliy Sannikov https://www.nber.org/papers/w27116 *Debt As Safe Asset: Mining the Bubble* by Markus K. Brunnermeier, Sebastian Merkel, and Yuliy Sannikov https://scholar.princeton.edu/markus/publications/debt-safe-asset-mining-bubble *The Safety Trap* by Ricardo J. Caballero and Emmanuel Farhi https://www.nber.org/papers/w19927 *Financial and Total Wealth Inequality with Declining Interest Rates* by Daniel Greenwald, Matteo Leombroni, Hanno Lustig, and Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3789220 *The Saving Glut of the Rich* by Atif Mian, Ludwig Straub, and Amir Sufi https://scholar.harvard.edu/straub/publications/saving-glut-rich-and-rise-household-debt David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/27/2021 • 51 minutes, 20 seconds
Megan Greene on the Future of CBDC and How Central Banks Should Respond to Climate Change
Megan Greene is a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and was formerly the global chief economist at Manulife John Hancock Asset Management. Megan is also a returning guest to the podcast and rejoins David to talk about the prospects of central bank digital currency as well as how to conduct climate change policy from a central banking angle. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Megan’s Twitter: @economistmeg Megan’s website: https://economistmeg.com/about/ Megan’s Financial Times archive: https://www.ft.com/megan-greene Related Links: *Central Banks Need to Go Slow on Digital Currencies* by Megan Greene https://www.ft.com/content/21e3affe-8c57-4bac-b9c5-21b645e93d7c *Adapting Central Bank Operations to a Hotter World: Reviewing Some Options* by the Network for Greening the Financial System https://www.ngfs.net/sites/default/files/media/2021/06/17/ngfs_monetary_policy_operations_final.pdf *Megan Greene and Eric Lonergan on Dual Interest Rates and the Prospects of Average Inflation Targeting* https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10052020/megan-greene-and-eric-lonergan-dual-interest-rates-and-prospects-average David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/20/2021 • 53 minutes, 41 seconds
Joseph Wang on the Fed’s Impact on Money Markets
Joseph Wang is a former senior trader on the open market desk at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and the author of the book Central Banking 101. He also blogs at fedguy.com and is active on Twitter. Joseph joins Macro Musings to discuss what has happened at the Fed from the operational side, and we consider its implications for money markets. Specifically, Joseph and David discuss recent events from the perspective of the Federal Reserve trading desk, Joseph’s conception of a two-tiered monetary system, continued dollar dominance in global money markets, whether the Fed’s overnight repo facility is truly a temporary facility or trending towards a permanent one, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Joseph’s Twitter: @FedGuy12 Joseph’s website: http://fedguy.com/ Related Links: *QE Zombifies Money Markets* by Joseph Wang https://fedguy.com/qe-zombifies-money-markets/ *The Gravitational Pull of Zero* by Joseph Wang https://fedguy.com/the-gravitational-pull-of-zero/ *RRP At The ZLB* by Joseph Wang https://fedguy.com/rrp-at-the-zlb/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/13/2021 • 57 minutes, 20 seconds
Philippa Sigl-Glöckner on the Debt Brake, German Fiscal Policy, and Full Capacity Utilization
Philippa Sigl-Glöckner is the director of the German think tank Dezernat Zukunft, or the Institute for Macrofinance, and was formerly a part of the German Federal Ministry of Finance. Philippa joins Macro Musings to talk about fiscal policy in Germany, as well as her new paper, *A New Fiscal Policy for Germany*. Specifically, David and Philippa discuss the historical context for German fiscal policy, the three big economic challenges for Germany, and how the country can achieve full capacity utilization in the future. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Philippa’s Twitter: @PhilippaSigl Philippa’s website: http://philippasigl.com/ Philippa’s Forbes profile: https://www.forbes.com/profile/philippa-sigl-glockner/?sh=383fb0233d30 Related Links: *A New Fiscal Policy for Germany* by Philippa Sigl-Glöckner, Max Krahe, Pola Schneemelcher, Florian Schuster, Viola Hilbert, Henrika Meyer https://dezernatzukunft.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/A-new-fiscal-policy-for-Germany.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/6/2021 • 48 minutes, 35 seconds
Jennifer Murtazashvili on Recent Developments in Afghanistan and Lessons for State Capacity Building
Jennifer Murtazashvili is an associate professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh and directs the Center for Governance and Markets. Jennifer is also an expert on all things Afghanistan, given her experience working there and advising governments and international organizations on issues related to Afghanistan. She also has a new book titled, *Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan*, and joins the show to talk about it. Jennifer and David also discuss the recent developments as well as long-term developments in the country and lessons for state capacity building. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jennifer’s Twitter: @jmurtazashvili Jennifer’s University of Pittsburgh profile: https://gspia.pitt.edu/faculty-and-staff/jennifer-brick-murtazashvili Related Links: *Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan* by Jennifer Murtazashvili and Ilia Murtazashvili https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/land-the-state-and-war/A7B8C98CB24780A3CC0EA1CD265D888A *Informal Federalism: Self-Governance and Power Sharing in Afghanistan* by Jennifer Murtazashvili https://academic.oup.com/publius/article-abstract/44/2/324/1873292 *The Politics of Land Property Rights* by Meina Cai, Ilia Murtazashvili and Jennifer Murtazashvili https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3393160 *Bring the Afghans to America* by Benjamin Powell and Alex Nowrasteh https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/568964-bring-the-afghans-to-america?rl=1 *Inside Afghanistan’s Cryptocurrency Underground as the Country Plunges into Turmoil* by MacKenzie Sigalos https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/21/bitcoin-afghanistan-cryptocurrency-taliban-capital-flight.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/30/2021 • 53 minutes, 31 seconds
Bill Nelson on the Growth of the Federal Reserve
Bill Nelson is a chief economist and an executive vice president at the Bank Policy Institute. Bill previously was a deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and financial institution supervision. Bill also worked closely with the BIS working groups and the design of liquidity regulations. Bill rejoins David on Macro Musings to discuss his article titled, “I Don't Know Why She Swallowed a Fly,” which looks back at the significant growth of the Federal Reserve, both in its reach and in its size, since the Great Recession of 2007-09. Additionally, Bill and David discuss steps the Fed could take to return to a reasonably sized institution, conducting policy with a light imprint on financial markets. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s SIFMA profile: https://www.sifma.org/people/bill-nelson/ Bill’s BPI archive: https://bpi.com/tag/bill-nelson/ Bill’s American Banker archive: https://www.americanbanker.com/author/william-nelson-ab3618 Related Links: *I Don’t Know Why She Swallowed a Fly* by Bill Nelson https://morningconsult.com/opinions/i-dont-know-why-she-swallowed-a-fly/ *Why Do We Need Both Liquidity Regulations and a Lender of Last Resort? A Perspective from Federal Reserve Lending during the 2007-09 U.S. Financial Crisis* by Bill Nelson, Mark Carlson, and Burcu Duygan-Bump https://www.federalreserve.gov/econresdata/feds/2015/files/2015011pap.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/23/2021 • 51 minutes, 26 seconds
Arthur Turrell on Economic Data, Modeling, and the Future of Nuclear Energy
Arthur Turrell is the deputy director at the data science campus for the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS). Arthur is also a former researcher at the Bank of England and a nuclear fusion scientist. He joins Macro Musings to talk about his work at the Bank of England, the future of economic data, and his new book on nuclear fusion titled, *The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet*. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Arthur’s Twitter: @arthurturrell Arthur’s website: http://aeturrell.com/ Arthur’s Bank of England profile: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/research/researchers/arthur-turrell Related Links: *The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet* by Arthur Turrell https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Star-Builders/Arthur-Turrell/9781982130664 *Coding for Economists* by Arthur Turrell https://aeturrell.github.io/coding-for-economists/intro.html *Why Software Is Eating The World* by Marc Andreessen https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903480904576512250915629460 *Solving Heterogeneous General Equilibrium Economic Models with Deep Reinforcement Learning* by Edward Hill, Marco Bardoscia, and Arthur Turrell https://arxiv.org/pdf/2103.16977.pdf Princeton’s *Net-Zero America* Project: https://netzeroamerica.princeton.edu/?explorer=year&state=national&table=2020&limit=200 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/16/2021 • 52 minutes, 13 seconds
Kate Judge and Anil Kashyap on How to Improve US Financial Stability
Kathryn Judge is a professor of law at Columbia Law School and editor of the journal of Financial Regulation. Anil Kashyap is a professor of economics and finance at the University of Chicago and is a member of the Bank of England's financial policy committee. Kate and Anil join David on Macro Musings to discuss their work on the Task Force on Financial Stability that recently released a report on how to improve financial stability in the US. Specifically, they discuss the origins of the Task Force on Financial Stability, the dynamics of the Treasury Market over the past year, why money market funds are still vulnerable despite an evolving set of regulations, the importance of rich and timely data for regulatory bodies and Congress, normalizing a financial stability mandate across regulatory bodies, the outlook of financial stability over the next decade, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Kate’s Twitter: @ProfKateJudge Kate’s Columbia Law profile: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kathryn-judge Anil’s UChicago profile: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/k/anil-kashyap Anil’s NBER archive: https://www.nber.org/people/anil_kashyap?page=1&perPage=50 Related Links: Report of the Task Force on Financial Stability: https://www.brookings.edu/research/report-of-the-task-force-on-financial-stability/ *Financial Stability Considerations and Monetary Policy* by Anil K. Kashyap and Caspar Siegert https://www.ijcb.org/journal/ijcb2002_5.htm *The Impact of Treasury Supply on Financial Sector Lending and Stability* by Arvind Krishnamurthy and Annette Vissing-Jorgensen https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304405X15001518 *Reforming the Macroprudential Regulatory Architecture in the US* by Kathryn Judge and Anil Kashyap https://voxeu.org/article/reforming-macroprudential-regulatory-architecture-us David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/9/2021 • 56 minutes, 18 seconds
Larry White on Stablecoins, Money Market Funds, and the History of Free Banking
Larry White is a professor of economics at George Mason University and is a returning guest to the show. He rejoins Macro Musings to talk about stablecoins, the history of free banking, and money market funds reform. Specifically, David and Larry also discuss the critiques levied against stablecoins, their impact on the banking system, and why stablecoins could be considered the new version of money market mutual funds. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Larry’s Twitter: @lawrencewhite1 Larry’s GMU profile: https://economics.gmu.edu/people/lwhite11 Larry’s Alt-M profile: https://www.alt-m.org/author/white/ Related Links: *Should We Fear Stablecoins?* by Larry White https://www.alt-m.org/2021/06/24/should-we-fear-stablecoins/ *Taming Wildcat Stablecoins* by Gary Gorton and Jeffery Zhang https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3888752 *Overview of the Recent Events and Potential Reform Options for Money Market Funds* by the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PWG-MMF-report-final-Dec-2020.pdf Larry White on India’s Demonetization and Austrian Macroeconomics: https://macromusings.libsyn.com/47-larry-white-on-indias-demonetization-and-austrian-macroeconomics David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/2/2021 • 52 minutes, 42 seconds
Jerusalem Demsas on Problems in the US Housing Market and How to Fix Them
Jerusalem Demsas is a policy reporter for Vox and joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the state of housing in America and its implications for policy. Specifically, Jerusalem and David discuss the current state of the housing market, whether there is a housing bubble, how the housing shortage creates avenues for discrimination, the dynamics of racism in the US housing market, the impact of zoning laws, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jerusalem’s Twitter: @JerusalemDemsas Jerusalem’s Vox archive: https://www.vox.com/authors/jerusalem-demsas Related Links: *Housing Constraints and Spatial Misallocation* by Chang-Tai Hsieh and Enrico Moretti https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/mac.20170388 *Is There a Housing Bubble?* by Jerusalem Demsas https://www.vox.com/22464801/housing-bubble-market-crash-supply-shortage-great-recession *Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stagnation* by David Schleicher https://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/stuck-the-law-and-economics-of-residential-stagnation *The Housing Shortage Makes Housing Discrimination Much Easier* by Jerusalem Demsas https://www.vox.com/2021/5/26/22453293/housing-supply-shortage-discrimination-real-estate-cover-letters *America's Racist Housing Rules Really Can Be Fixed* by Jerusalem Demsas https://www.vox.com/22252625/america-racist-housing-rules-how-to-fix *The Fight Over Housing Segregation is Dividing one of America's Most Liberal States* by Jerusalem Demsas https://www.vox.com/22335749/housing-prices-connecticut-segregation-zoning-reform-democrats-adu-parking-minimum *Why Does it Cost so Much to Build Things in America* by Jerusalem Demsas https://www.vox.com/22534714/rail-roads-infrastructure-costs-america David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/26/2021 • 53 minutes, 13 seconds
Scott Sumner on What Milton Friedman Would Think of Monetary Policy Today
Scott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center. Scott joins David on Macro Musings to discuss Milton Friedman's views and what he might say about some of the recent developments in monetary policy. Specifically, Scott and David talk about nominal interest rates as indicators of the stance of monetary policy, fiscal austerity as means of reducing excessive aggregate demand, Friedman’s critique of the Phillips curve and wage and price controls, what Friedman might have said about the recent inflation numbers, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s automated Twitter: @MoneyIllusion Scott’s blog: https://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/scott-sumner Related Links: *Friedman's Smashing Success* by Scott Sumner https://www.econlib.org/friedmans-smashing-success/ *Inflation is a Nominal Phenomenon* by Scott Sumner https://www.econlib.org/inflation-is-a-nominal-phenomenon/ *The Role of Monetary Policy* (1968) by Milton Friedman https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-24002-9_11 *What Would Milton Friedman Have Thought of Market Monetarism?* by Scott Sumner https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198704324.001.0001/acprof-9780198704324-chapter-15 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/19/2021 • 53 minutes, 5 seconds
Skanda Amarnath on Maximum Employment, Inflation, and the Fed’s New Framework
Skanda Amarnath is the executive director of Employ America and a former hedge fund economist. He rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the fate of the Phillips Curve, the inflation outlook, the Fed’s new framework, and his vision for a better monetary policy future. David and Skanda also discuss the Fed’s flawed assessment of maximum employment, how to modify the central bank’s Summary of Economic Projections, and the significance of capacity constraints vs labor utilization. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Skanda’s Twitter: @IrvingSwisher Skanda’s Employ America archive: https://employamerica.org/author/skandaamarnath/ Skanda’s Medium profile: https://medium.com/@skanda_97974 Related Links: *Beyond the Phillips Curve: A Dynamic Approach to Communicating Assessments of 'Maximum Employment'* by Skanda Amarnath and Alex Williams https://employamerica.medium.com/beyond-the-phillips-curve-a-dynamic-approach-to-communicating-assessments-of-maximum-employment-c3eff48b2fcf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/12/2021 • 51 minutes, 44 seconds
Agustin Carstens on Central Banking in Emerging Markets, the Distributional Footprint of Monetary Policy, and Central Bank Digital Currency
Agustin Carstens leads the Bank for International Settlements or the BIS in his role as general manager and previously served as the governor of the Bank of Mexico. He also served as the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Agustin joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the new BIS 2021 annual report. Specifically, David and Agustin discuss the macroeconomic developments of the past year, the distributional footprint of monetary policy, the evolving role of central banking, and the outlook for central bank digital currency (CBDC). Transcript for the episode can be found here. Agustin’s BIS profile: https://www.bis.org/author/agust%C3%ADn_carstens.htm Related Links: *Annual Economic Report 2021* by the BIS https://www.bis.org/publ/arpdf/ar2021e.htm U.S. Monetary Policy and the Global Financial Cycle* by Silvia Miranda-Agrippino and Hélène Rey https://academic.oup.com/restud/article/87/6/2754/5834728?login=true David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/5/2021 • 50 minutes, 5 seconds
Jason Furman on Overheating, Inflation, and Fiscal Policy in an Era of Low Interest Rates
Jason Furman is a former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and is currently a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Jason is also a professor at Harvard University and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about overheating, the inflation outlook, and the right way to think about fiscal policy in an era of low interest rates. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jason’s Twitter: @jasonfurman Jason’s Harvard profile: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/jason-furman Jason’s PIIE profile: https://www.piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/jason-furman Related Links: *A Reconsideration of Fiscal Policy in the Era of Low Interest Rates* by Jason Furman and Larry Summers https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/programs/growthpolicy/reconsideration-fiscal-policy-era-low-interest-rates-jason David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/28/2021 • 53 minutes, 19 seconds
Steffen Murau on the Eurozone, International Monetary Architecture, and the Future of the Dollar Zone
Steffen Murau is a political economist at the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University and specializes in international money and finance. He joins Macro Musings to talk about the Eurozone, its role within international monetary architecture, and the future of the dollar zone. They also discuss balance sheet hierarchies, the roles of European banks compared to their American counterparts, and the fiscal ecosystem present within the Eurozone. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Steffen’s Twitter: @steffenmurau Steffen’s website: https://steffenmurau.com/ Steffen’s GDPC profile: https://www.bu.edu/gdp/profile/steffen-murau/ Related Links: *A Macro-Financial Model of the Eurozone Architecture Embedded in the Global Offshore US-Dollar System* by Steffen Murau https://www.bu.edu/gdp/files/2020/07/Murau-Eurozone-architecture.pdf *The Hierarchy of the Offshore US-Dollar System: On Swap Lines, the FIMA Repo Facility and Special Drawing Rights* by Steffen Murau, Fabian Paper, and Tobias Pforr https://www.bu.edu/gdp/files/2021/02/Steffen-Murau-GEGI-Study-2-Feb-2021.pdf *The Evolution of the Offshore US-Dollar System: Past, Present, and Four Possible Futures* by Steffen Murau, Joe Rini, and Armin Haas https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutional-economics/article/evolution-of-the-offshore-usdollar-system-past-present-and-four-possible-futures/B36ED9082CECE54F3F5B8E8F40D15148 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/21/2021 • 53 minutes, 7 seconds
Daniel Smith and Alexander Salter on *Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions*
Dan Smith is an associate professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University and directs the Political Economy Research Institute at MTSU. Alex Salter is an associate professor of economics at Texas Tech University. Dan and Alex join David on a special live episode of Macro Musings to discuss their new book, Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions. Specifically, they discuss knowledge and incentive problems in setting monetary policy, what is meant by “rule of law,” how to make monetary policy accountable, centralized versus decentralized forms of digital currencies, thoughts on free banking, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Alex’s Twitter: @alexwsalter Alex’s website: https://www.awsalter.com/ Alex’s Free Market Institute profile: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/freemarketinstitute/people/salter.php Daniel’s Twitter: @smithdanj1 Daniel’s website: http://www.danieljosephsmith.com/about.html Daniel’s MTSU profile: https://www.mtsu.edu/faculty/daniel-j-smith Related Links: *Seigniorage in a Cross-Section of Countries* by Reid W. Click https://www.jstor.org/stable/2601207 *Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions* by Peter J. Boettke, Alexander William Salter, and Daniel J. Smith https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/money-and-the-rule-of-law/C825E982EDE5BD2BE41A99464DC885DB David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/14/2021 • 53 minutes, 53 seconds
David Andolfatto on a Standing Repo Facility, the Future of CBDC, and Plumbing Issues in Monetary Policy
David Andolfatto is a vice president for the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank and has published widely in the field of monetary economics. David also blogs at MacroMania and is a returning guest to the podcast. He rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his thoughts on macro theory, plumbing issues, central bank digital currency, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. David’s Twitter: @dandolfa David’s St. Louis Fed profile: https://www.stlouisfed.org/about-us/leadership-governance/bank-officers/executive-bios/david-andolfatto Related Links: *Some Thoughts on Central Bank Digital Currency* by David Andolfatto https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/spring/summer-2021/some-thoughts-central-bank-digital-currency *Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee: April 27-28, 2021* by the Fed https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcminutes20210428.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/7/2021 • 54 minutes, 7 seconds
Mark Carney on *Value(s): Building a Better World for All*
Mark Carney served as the governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 until 2013, and as the governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020. Mark also was the chairman of the Financial Stability Board from 2011 to 2018. Mark is currently the Vice Chairman and Head of Impact Investing at Brookfield Asset Management, as well as a UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. Mark joins David on Macro Musings to discuss his new book *Value(s): Building a Better World for All*, as well as his career in central banking. Specifically, they discuss Mark’s experience at the Bank of Canada during the Great Recession, nominal GDP targeting and average inflation targeting as central bank frameworks, the future of central bank digital currencies, dollar dominance and the shadow banking system, the role of central banks and the financial sector in combating climate change, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Mark’s Twitter: @MarkJCarney Mark’s Brookfield profile: https://www.brookfield.com/about-us/leadership/mark-carney Related Links: *Value(s): Building A Better World For All* by Mark Carney https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/669023/values-by-mark-carney/9780771051555 *The Growing Challenges for Monetary Policy in the Current International Monetary and Financial System* by Mark Carney (speech given at Jackson Hole Symposium 2019) https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/speech/2019/the-growing-challenges-for-monetary-policy-speech-by-mark-carney.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/31/2021 • 54 minutes, 53 seconds
George Selgin on Inflation, Fintechs, and Broadening Access to Fed Master Accounts
George Selgin is the director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and is a returning guest to the podcast. He rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the Fed’s recent calls for comments on opening up Fed accounts to fintechs and other non-bank financial firms. George and David also discuss monetary plumbing issues, the state of fiscal QE, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *Keeping Fintech’s Promise: A Modest Proposal* by George Selgin https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/552614-keeping-fintechs-promise-a-modest-proposal *Central Bank Digital Currency as a Potential Source of Financial Instability* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/spring/summer-2021/central-bank-digital-currency-potential-source-financial-instability *Federal Reserve Board Invites Public Comment on Proposed Guidelines to Evaluate Requests for Accounts and Payment Services at Federal Reserve Banks* by the Fed https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20210505a.htm *Aaron Klein on Real-time Payments and Financial Regulation* https://macromusings.libsyn.com/aaron-klein-on-real-time-payments-and-financial-regulation David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/24/2021 • 55 minutes, 44 seconds
Adam Posen on *The Price of Nostalgia: America's Self-Defeating Economic Retreat*
Adam Posen is the President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Previously, Adam was on the monetary policy committee of the Bank of England. He has also worked at the New York Fed and has advised many central banks and governments. Adam is also a returning guest to the podcast and re-joins Macro Musings to discuss his new article, “The Price of Nostalgia: America's Self-Defeating Economic Retreat.” Specifically, David and Adam discuss the Fed’s new framework, secular stagnation, the economic impact of demographic changes, the China shock, and how the new political consensus on trade, growth, and the American middle class is short-sighted and self-defeating. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Adam’s Twitter: @AdamPosen Adam’s PIIE profile: https://www.piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/adam-s-posen Related Links: *The Price of Nostalgia: America's Self-Defeating Economic Retreat* by Adam Posen https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-04-20/america-price-nostalgia *Hysteresis and the Business Cycle* by Valerie Cerra, Antonio Fatás, and Sweta Saxena https://faculty.insead.edu/fatas/hysteresis.pdf *The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States* by David H. Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.103.6.2121 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/17/2021 • 55 minutes, 57 seconds
Judge Glock on The Origins of the US Mortgage Market and Its Evolution to the Present Day
Judge Glock is an economic historian, a scholar at the Cicero Institute, and a returning guest to the podcast. Judge rejoins Macro Musings to talk about the origins of the US mortgage market as detailed in his new book, *The Dead Pledge: The Origins of the Mortgage Market and Federal Bailouts, 1913-1939*. David and Judge also discuss the emergence and evolution of the national US mortgage market, the price parity movement, the history of federal land banks, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Judge’s Twitter: @judgeglock Judge’s blog: https://judgeglock.medium.com/ Related Links: *The Dead Pledge: The Origins of the Mortgage Market and Federal Bailouts, 1913-1939* by Judge Glock https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-dead-pledge/9780231192538 *The “Riefler-Keynes” Doctrine and Federal Reserve Policy in the Great Depression* by Judge Glock https://read.dukeupress.edu/hope/article-abstract/51/2/297/137129/The-Riefler-Keynes-Doctrine-and-Federal-Reserve?redirectedFrom=fulltext *Housing Finance at a Glance* by the Urban Institute https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/housing-finance-policy-center/projects/housing-finance-glance-monthly-chartbooks David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/10/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 2 seconds
Christina Parajon Skinner on Central Bank Activism
Christina Parajon Skinner is a legal scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, and formerly was a legal counsel to the Bank of England. Christina joins David on Macro Musings to discuss her work on central bank activism. Specifically, David and Christina discuss comparisons between the Fed and the Bank of England, tensions between central bank independence and executive override, contemporary examples of central bank activism, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Christina’s Twitter: @CParaSkinner Christina’s Wharton profile: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/skinnerc/ Related Links: *Executive Override of Central Banks: A Comparison of the Legal Frameworks in the United States and the United Kingdom* by Michael Salib & Christina Parajon Skinner https://www.law.georgetown.edu/georgetown-law-journal/in-print/volume-108-issue-4-april-2020/executive-override-of-central-banks-a-comparison-of-the-legal-frameworks-in-the-united-states-and-the-united-kingdom/ *Menace of Fiscal QE* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/books/menace-fiscal-qe *Central Bank Activism* by Christina Parajon Skinner https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3817123 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/3/2021 • 55 minutes, 33 seconds
Robert McCauley on the Global Domain of the Dollar and Threats to Its Dominance
Robert McCauley is a Senior Fellow at the Global Policy Center at Boston University and a Senior Research Associate of the Global History of Capitalism project at the Oxford Center for Global History. Robert also worked at the Bank for International Settlements for 25 years and the New York Federal Reserve Bank for 14 years, and he joins Macro Musings to discuss questions surrounding the global domain of the dollar. Specifically, Robert and David talk about how the US currency rose to prominence internationally in the 1950s, the size and influence of the global dollar zone, dilemmas imposed by dollar demand worldwide, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Robert’s Boston University profile: https://www.bu.edu/gdp/profile/robert-mccauley/ Robert’s BIS archive: https://www.bis.org/author/robert_n_mccauley.htm Related Links: *The Global Domain of the Dollar: Eight Questions* by Robert McCauley https://www.bu.edu/gdp/files/2021/02/McCauley2021_Article_TheGlobalDomainOfTheDollarEigh.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/26/2021 • 59 minutes, 20 seconds
Antonio Fatás on Hysteresis and the Business Cycle
Antonio Fatás is a professor of economics at INSEAD, an international business school with campuses in Singapore, France, and Abu Dhabi. Antonio joins David on Macro Musings to talk about hysteresis and the business cycle. Specifically, David and Antonio discuss the history of the academic literature on business cycle and trend, the impact of the Kydland and Prescott model, and how endogenous growth models play into hysteresis. Support Macro Musings and get a free NGDP targeting mug: https://donate.mercatus.org/mug/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=mug Transcript for the episode can be found here. Antonio’s INSEAD profile: https://faculty.insead.edu/fatas/ Antonio’s Twitter: @AntonioFatas Related Links: *Hysteresis and the Business Cycle* by Valerie Cerra, Antonio Fatás, and Sweta Saxena https://faculty.insead.edu/fatas/hysteresis.pdf *Time to build and aggregate fluctuations* by F.E. Kydland and E.C. Prescott https://www.jstor.org/stable/1913386?seq=1 *The Dynamic Effects of Aggregate Demand and Supply Disturbances* by Olivier Jean Blanchard and Danny Quah https://www.jstor.org/stable/1827924?origin=JSTOR-pdf&seq=1 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/19/2021 • 56 minutes, 27 seconds
Matteo Maggiori on the Global Capital Allocation Project, Exorbitant Privilege, and Dollar Runs
Matteo Maggiori is an associate professor of economics at Stanford University and joins David on Macro Musings to talk about global capital flows, reserve currencies, and the international monetary system. Specifically, David and Matteo also discuss the details of the Global Capital Allocation Project, the US and its status as banker to the world, the possibility we could see a major run on the dollar in the near future, and more. Support Macro Musings and get a free mug: https://donate.mercatus.org/mug/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=mug Transcript for the episode can be found here. Matteo’s Twitter: @m_maggiori Matteo’s website: https://www.matteomaggiori.com/ Matteo’s Stanford profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/matteo-maggiori Related Links: The Global Capital Allocation Project: https://www.globalcapitalallocation.com/ *The Rise of the Dollar and Fall of the Euro as International Currencies* by Matteo Maggiori, Brent Neiman, and Jesse Schreger https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/maggiori/files/mns_pandp.pdf *A Model of the International Monetary System* by Emmanuel Farhi and Matteo Maggiori https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/farhi/files/ims.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/12/2021 • 58 minutes, 34 seconds
Scott Skyrm on the Dynamics of the Repo Market in 2021
Scott Skyrm is the Executive Vice President in Fixed Income and Repo at Curvature Securities. Scott joins David on Macro Musings to discuss REPO markets, where they have been and where they are going. Specifically, Scott and David discuss the role of broker-dealers like Curvature Securities in the repo market, how repo markets are tied to treasury markets and government deficit financing, why repo rates have recently entered negative territory, potential reforms to the repo market, and much more. Support Macro Musings and get a free mug: https://donate.mercatus.org/mug/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=mug Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s Twitter: @ScottSkyrm Scott’s Bio: http://curvaturesecurities.com/our-team/#1540493883550-e8ec7543-62d3 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/5/2021 • 47 minutes, 32 seconds
Ed Nelson on Milton Friedman’s Legacy, the Quantity Theory of Money, and His Vision for a Money Supply Growth Rule
Ed Nelson is a Senior Advisor in the Monetary Affairs Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Ed has also previously been a professor and has worked at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, as well as the Bank of England. Returning to the podcast, Ed re-joins Macro Musings to talk about his new book, *Milton Friedman and the Economic Debate in the United States: 1932-1972*. Ed and David specifically discuss the life and work of Milton Friedman, as they explore his journey into monetarism, his contributions to the quantity theory of money, how he envisioned a money supply growth rule, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Ed’s website: https://sites.google.com/site/edwardnelsonresearch/ Ed’s Fed profile: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/edward-nelson.htm Related Links: *Milton Friedman and the Economic Debate in the United States, 1932-1972: Volume 1* by Edward Nelson https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo47674126.html *Milton Friedman and the Economic Debate in the United States, 1932-1972: Volume 2* by Edward Nelson https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo47674466.html *A Monetary and Fiscal Framework for Economic Stability* by Milton Friedman https://www.jstor.org/stable/1810624?seq=1 *Some Unpleasant Monetarist Arithmetic* by Neil Wallace and Thomas Sargent https://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/quarterly-review/some-unpleasant-monetarist-arithmetic *Money Mischief: Episodes in Monetary History* by Milton Friedman https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/261872 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/29/2021 • 57 minutes, 14 seconds
Dan Awrey on *Unbundling Banking, Payments and Money*
Dan Awrey is a professor of law at Cornell Law School, a financial markets regulation scholar, and the editor of the Journal of Financial Regulation. Dan joins David on Macro Musings to discuss how to promote greater financial innovation, financial inclusion, and alleviate the “too big to fail” problem by safely unbundling banking, money, and payments in our financial system. Dan and David also go on to discuss tensions in the global shadow banking system, the history of how banks evolved to play such a central role in our financial system, how the law has reinforced this bundling of the banks’ roles, and much more. Transcript of the episode can be found here. Dan’s Twitter: @DanAwrey Dan’s Cornell Law Profile: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/daniel-awrey Related Links: *Unbundling Banking, Payments and Money* by Dan Awrey https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3776739 *Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar? Designing an Effective Framework for Foreign Currency Liquidity Assistance* by Dan Awrey https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2955763 *The Money Problem* by Morgan Ricks https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo22438821.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/22/2021 • 57 minutes, 42 seconds
Chris Russo on Existing Fed-Treasury Tensions and Potential Solutions for Fixing Them
Chris Russo is a Monetary Policy Program Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and has previously worked at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. He joins Macro Musings to talk about the work he is doing on tensions between the Fed and the Treasury’s management of their respective balance sheets. Specifically, David and Chris discuss what these tensions are and what fixes can be implemented to ameliorate the existing plumbing issues. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Chris’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/christopher-russo Chris’s Github site: https://christopher-russo.github.io/about/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/15/2021 • 56 minutes, 29 seconds
Saule Omarova on Emergency Fiscal Facilities and the Missing Architecture of Government Finance
Saule Omarova is a professor of law and the director of the Jack Clarke Program on the Law and Regulation of Financial Institutions and Markets at Cornell University. Saule joins Macro Musings to talk about the prospects of an emergency fiscal facility, as well as a broader vision for a National Investment Authority. Specifically, Saule and David discuss the need for a third public finance agency, what the mandate of such an authority would be, and how the agency would be structured and held accountable. Saule also answers common objections to her vision such as the potential institutional redundancies, as well as how to prevent cronyism and excessive politicization. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Saule’s Twitter: @STOmarova Saule’s Cornell profile: https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio_saule_omarova.cfm Related Links: *Data For Progress: A National Investment Authority* https://www.dataforprogress.org/a-national-investment-authority *Why We Need a National Investment Authority* by Saule Omarova https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3566462 *The People’s Ledger: How to Democratize Money and Finance the Economy* by Saule Omarova https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3715735 *What Kind of Finance Should There Be?* by Saule Omarova https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3544103 *White Paper: A National Investment Authority* by Saule Omarova and Robert C. Hockett https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3125533 *The Money Problem* by Morgan Ricks https://www.amazon.com/Money-Problem-Rethinking-Financial-Regulation/dp/022633032X David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/8/2021 • 58 minutes, 17 seconds
Pat Parkinson on the 2020 Treasury Market Meltdown and How to Avoid a Potential Sequel
Pat Parkinson is a senior fellow at the Bank Policy Institute and a 30-year veteran of the Federal Reserve system, where he served as director of the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation. During that time, he was also a member of the Basel Committee on Banking and advised Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, and Tim Geithner on financial market issues. Pat joins Macro Musings to discuss the treasury market meltdown in March 2020, as well as what we can do moving forward to avoid this issue from happening again. Specifically, David and Pat outline the implementation of a standing repo facility, changes to the supplemental leverage ratio, expanded central clearing, and increased data collection as possible solutions to this problem. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Pat’s BPI profile: https://bpi.com/people/pat-parkinson/ Related Links: *Enhancing Liquidity of the U.S. Treasury Market Under Stress* by Nellie Liang and Pat Parkinson https://www.brookings.edu/research/enhancing-liquidity-of-the-u-s-treasury-market-under-stress/ *US Treasuries: The Lessons from March’s Market Meltdown* by Colby Smith and Robin Wigglesworth https://www.ft.com/content/ea6f3104-eeec-466a-a082-76ae78d430fd David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/1/2021 • 56 minutes, 38 seconds
Kathy Bostjancic on Priorities for the Fed in 2021 and Beyond
Kathy Bostjancic is the chief US financial economist at Oxford Economics and joins Macro Musings to discuss the outlook for monetary and fiscal policy in 2021 as well as in financial markets. Specifically, David and Kathy discuss the prospects for Fed policy and personnel under the Biden Administration, immediate concerns facing the Fed as the COVID pandemic continues into 2021, what steps the Fed can take to make their new AIT framework credible, how large scale asset purchases have impacted asset prices and the real economy, and much more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Kathy’s Twitter: @BostjancicKathy Kathy’s Oxford Economics profile: https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/about-us/staff/267824/kathy-bostjancic David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/22/2021 • 48 minutes, 48 seconds
Ricardo Reis on Central Bank Swap Lines, Fiscal Sustainability, and Outlooks for Inflation
Ricardo Reis is a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and a returning guest to the podcast. Ricardo rejoins Macro Musings to talk about central bank swap lines, the importance of fiscal sustainability, and the outlook for inflation in advanced economies. David and Ricardo also discuss safe asset alternatives, and how to think about inflation, debt, and deficits in a more nuanced way. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Ricardo’s Twitter: @R2Rsquared Ricardo’s LSE profile: https://personal.lse.ac.uk/reisr/ Related Links: *Central Bank Swap Lines* by Saleem Bahaj and Ricardo Reis https://voxeu.org/article/central-bank-swap-lines *Central Bank Swap Lines During the Covid-19 Pandemic* by Saleem Bahaj and Ricardo Reis https://personal.lse.ac.uk/reisr/papers/20-covicbswaps.pdf *The Constraint on Public Debt When r https://iepecdg.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mpkrg-201112.pdf *Inflating Away the Public Debt? An Empirical Assessment* by Jens Hilscher, Alon Raviv, and Ricardo Reis https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w20339/w20339.pdf *The New Global Financial Safety Net: Struggling for Coherent Governance in a Multipolar System* by Beatrice Weder di Mauro and Jeromin Zettelmeyer https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2946452 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/15/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 37 seconds
Robert Kaplan on the Fed’s New Framework, Inflation, and the Post-COVID Economy
Robert Kaplan is the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Previously, he was a professor and Associate Dean at Harvard Business School, and prior to that was a Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs. Robert is a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins Macro Musings to discuss the Fed's new framework, inflation, interest rates and more. Specifically, David and Robert talk about COVID’s impact on FOMC operations, how demographic trends are impacting productivity, the Fed’s expanding balance sheet, its average inflation targeting framework, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Robert’s Twitter: @RobSKaplan Robert’s Dallas Fed profile: https://www.dallasfed.org/en/fed/bios/kaplan.aspx David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/8/2021 • 41 minutes, 1 second
Daniel Griswold on US Demographic Decline and the Case for Expanding Immigration
Daniel Griswold is a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center and a nationally recognized expert on trade and immigration policy. Dan is also a returning guest is to the podcast, and joins Macro Musings to talk about immigration policy and the outlook for trade policy with the new Biden Administration. Specifically, David and Dan discuss the major demographic decline in the US, and how greater levels of immigration and can solve many of America’s economic concerns. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Dan’s Twitter: @danielgriswold Dan’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/daniel-griswold Related Links: *More Immigration Needed to Offset COVID-19 and America’s Demographic Decline* by Daniel Griswold https://www.mercatus.org/publications/trade-and-immigration/more-immigration-needed-offset-covid-19-and-america%E2%80%99s-demographic *Half a Million Fewer Children? The Coming COVID Baby Bust* by Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine https://www.brookings.edu/research/half-a-million-fewer-children-the-coming-covid-baby-bust/ *World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights* by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division at the United Nations https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf *The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050* by Joel Kotkin https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/298866/the-next-hundred-million-by-joel-kotkin/9781101195703 *Fertility, Mortality, Migration, and Population Scenarios for 195 Countries and Territories from 2017 to 2100: A Forecasting Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study* by Stein Emil Vollset et al. https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30677-2/fulltext *Clashing over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy* by Douglas Irwin https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24475328.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/1/2021 • 49 minutes, 35 seconds
Sam Bell on Fed Policy, Personnel, and Politics in 2021
Sam Bell is the policy director of Employ America, a think tank dedicated to having the economy run at full employment levels. Sam is also known on FOMC Twitter as an influencer when it comes to nominations for the Board of Governors. Sam returns to Macro Musings to talk about what 2021 likely has in store for the Fed. Specifically, Sam and David discuss Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida’s vision for temporary price level targeting, the prospects of Jay Powell and Lael Brainard (and others) for the next Fed chair, the significance of Janet Yellen’s treasury secretary appointment, and the political pressures facing the Fed in 2021. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Sam’s Twitter: @sam_a_bell About Employ America: https://employamerica.org/about/ Related Links: *Monetary Policy Strategies for a Low-Rate Environment* by Ben Bernanke, Michael Kiley, and John Roberts https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pandp.20191082 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/25/2021 • 50 minutes, 44 seconds
Caleb Watney on *Cracks in the Great Stagnation* and How to Boost Economic Growth
Caleb Watney is the director of innovation policy at the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) and he joins Macro Musings to talk about his recent piece, *Cracks in the Great Stagnation* and the reasons why we should all be techno-optimists. Specifically, David and Caleb discuss greater skilled immigration, further government R&D spending, innovative energy solutions, and more as ways to help repair an economy plagued by secular stagnation. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Caleb’s Twitter: @calebwatney Caleb’s PPI profile: https://www.progressivepolicy.org/people/caleb-watney/ Related Links: *Cracks in the Great Stagnation* Caleb Watney https://www.agglomerations.tech/cracks-in-the-great-stagnation/ *The Egghead Gap* by Caleb Watney https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-egghead-gap *Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?* by Nicholas Bloom, Charles Jones, John Van Reenen, and Michael Webb https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20180338 *Is the Rate of Scientific Progress Slowing Down?* by Tyler Cowen and Ben Southwood https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cEBsj18Y4NnVx5Qdu43cKEHMaVBODTTyfHBa8GIRSec/edit *The Productivity J-Curve: How Intangibles Complement General Purpose Technologies* by Erik Brynjolfsson, Daniel Rock, and Chad Syverson https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w25148/w25148.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/18/2021 • 55 minutes, 49 seconds
Scott Sumner on the Princeton School of Macroeconomics and Overcoming Inflationary Fears
Scott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center and a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins the podcast today to talk about his ongoing work on the Princeton School of Macroeconomics as well as his thoughts on monetary policy in 2021. Specifically, David and Scott discuss the economic contributions of various different Princeton economists as well as how the central bank can overcome inflationary fears and establish further institutional credibility. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s automated Twitter: @MoneyIllusion Scott’s blog: https://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/scott-sumner Related Links: *It’s Baaack: Japan’s Slump and the Return of the Liquidity Trap* by Paul Krugman, Kathryn Dominguez, and Kenneth Rogoff https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/its-baaack-japans-slump-and-the-return-of-the-liquidity-trap/ *Great Expectations and the End of the Depression* by Gauti Eggertsson https://www.jstor.org/stable/29730131?seq=1 *The Zero Bound on Interest Rates and Optimal Monetary Policy* by Gauti Eggertsson and Michael Woodford https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/the-zero-bound-on-interest-rates-and-optimal-monetary-policy/ *Methods of Policy Accommodation at the Interest-Rate Lower Bound* by Michael Woodford https://kansascityfed.org/publicat/sympos/2012/mw.pdf *Bernanke’s No-arbitrage Argument Revisited: Can Open Market Operations in Real Assets Eliminate the Liquidity Trap?* By Gauti Eggertsson and Kevin Proulx https://www.nber.org/papers/w22243 *Japanese Monetary Policy: A Case of Self-Induced Paralysis?* by Ben Bernanke https://www.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/bernanke_paralysis.pdf *Implementing Optimal Policy through Inflation-Forecast Targeting* by Lars Svensson and Michael Woodford https://www.nber.org/papers/w9747 *Escaping from a Liquidity Trap and Deflation: The Foolproof Way and Others* by Lars Svensson https://www.nber.org/papers/w10195 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/11/2021 • 59 minutes, 3 seconds
Josh Galper on Dealing with Climate Risk and Its Potential Impact on US Financial Markets
Josh Galper is the managing principal at Finadium, an independent consultancy in capital markets, and is deep in the trenches of the money markets, as well as the financial regulatory space. As a returning guest to the podcast, Josh rejoins Macro Musings to talk about some of the big changes we might see in financial regulation, especially as it relates to climate issues under the new Biden administration. David and Josh also discuss the prospects of negative interest rates in the US, the influence of the Financial Stability Board, and how to deal with Treasury and repo market stress in the future. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Josh’s Twitter: @Finadium Josh’s Finadium profile: https://finadium.com/josh-galper-mba/ Related Links: *Fed Joins Central Bankers Backing Paris Climate Goals* by Martin Arnold https://www.ft.com/content/008a12d2-7736-4db0-af9c-e063a0bcdd7a *Managing Climate Risk in the U.S. Financial System* by the Climate Market Risk Subcommittee, Mark Risk Advisory Committee of the CFTC https://www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/9-9-20%20Report%20of%20the%20Subcommittee%20on%20Climate-Related%20Market%20Risk%20-%20Managing%20Climate%20Risk%20in%20the%20U.S.%20Financial%20System%20for%20posting.pdf *Fixing Financial Data to Assess Systemic Risk* by Greg Feldberg https://www.brookings.edu/research/fixing-financial-data-to-assess-systemic-risk/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/4/2021 • 52 minutes, 30 seconds
Macro Musings Producer Special – Recapping 2020 and Looking Ahead to the Future
As a tumultuous, virus-stricken 2020 comes to an end, David is joined by Macro Musings producer Marc Dupont to discuss the highlights of the show throughout the past year. Specifically, they talk about the big macroeconomic themes and takeaways from the last 12 months, which guests and topics were most popular among listeners, what 2020 may have in store for monetary policy, and more. A special thank you to all of the Macro Musings listeners around the globe who continue to tune in to the show week in and week out, especially during these tough and uncertain times. Stay tuned for more exciting content as we turn a new page in 2021. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Marc’s Twitter: @marc_c_dupont Related Links: Top 10 Macro Musings Episodes in 2020: Adam Tooze on Dollar Dominance, the Eurozone, and the Future of Global Finance - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/adam-tooze-on-dollar-dominance-the-eurozone-and-the-future-of-global-finance Jim Tankersley on the State of the Middle Class and How to Boost Economic Growth - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/jim-tankersley-on-the-state-of-the-middle-class-and-how-to-boost-economic-growth Eric Sims on New Keynesian Modelling and the Future of Macroeconomics in a Low Interest Rate Environment - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/eric-sims-on-new-keynesian-modelling-and-the-future-of-macroeconomics-in-a-low-interest-rate-environment Paul Schmelzing on the ‘Suprasecular’ Decline of Global Real Interest Rates - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/paul-schmelzing-on-the-suprasecular-decline-of-global-real-interest-rates Nathan Tankus on Public Finance in the COVID-19 Crisis: A Consolidated Budget Balance View and Its Implications for Policy - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/nathan-tankus-on-public-finance-in-the-covid-19-crisis-a-consolidated-budget-balance-view-and-its-implications-for-policy Brad Setser on Addressing the Global Dollar Shortage and COVID-19’s Implications for Worldwide Trade Imbalances - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/brad-setser-on-addressing-the-global-dollar-shortage-and-covid-19s-implications-for-worldwide-trade-imbalances Matthew Klein on Global Trade, Inequality, and International Conflict - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/matthew-klein-on-global-trade-wealth-inequality-and-international-conflict Jim Bianco on Policy Responses to the Coronavirus: Details, Implications, and Concerns Moving Forward - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/jim-bianco-on-policy-responses-to-the-coronavirus-details-implications-and-concerns-moving-forward Jon Sindreu on Global Financial Flows and the Balance of Trade - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/jon-sindreu-on-global-financial-flows-and-the-balance-of-trade Scott Sumner on How Central Banks Should Respond to the Coronavirus Threat - https://macromusings.libsyn.com/scott-sumner-on-how-central-banks-should-respond-to-the-coronavirus-threat
12/28/2020 • 41 minutes, 19 seconds
Jeanna Smialek on the Year-End Review of 2020 Financial Markets, the Fed, and US Monetary Policy
Jeanna Smialek covers the Federal Reserve and the economy for The New York Times, and joins Macro Musings to recap and summarize the highs and lows of US monetary policy during 2020. Specifically, David and Jeanna discuss the recent histories of Federal Reserve rate hikes and the persistence of low inflation, the nascent optimism about the economy at the start of 2020, the Fed’s policy response to COVID, and what lessons the Fed will be taking into the future. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jeanna’s Twitter: @jeannasmialek Jeanna’s New York Times archive: https://www.nytimes.com/by/jeanna-smialek Related Links: *Janet Yellen's Lift Off (CMFA Working Paper No. 001)* by George Selgin https://www.alt-m.org/2020/12/04/janet-yellens-lift-off-cmfa-working-paper-no-001/ *Measuring the Natural Rate of Interest: International Trends and Determinants* by Kathryn Holston and Thomas Laubach https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/wp2016-11.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
12/21/2020 • 53 minutes, 58 seconds
Ethan Ilzetzki on Exchange Rate Volatility, the ECB’s Strategy Review, and the Future of the Euro
Ethan Ilzetzki is an associate professor of economics at the London School of Economics and a research affiliate with the Centre for Economic Policy Research. Ethan is also a returning guest to the show, and he re-joins Macro Musings to talk about the European Central Bank’s big strategy review, the future of the Euro, and whether change is afoot in our international monetary system. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Ethan’s Twitter: @ilzetzki Ethan’s website: https://www.ilzetzki.com/ Related Links: *Why Is the Euro Punching Below Its Weight?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen Reinhart, and Kenneth Rogoff https://www.nber.org/papers/w26760 *Will the Secular Decline in Exchange Rate and Inflation Volatility Survive COVID-19?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen Reinhart, and Kenneth Rogoff https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/will-the-secular-decline-in-exchange-rate-and-inflation-volatility-survive-covid-19/ Centre for Macroeconomics Panel of Experts Surveys: https://cfmsurvey.org/surveys Register for the AEA’s 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting: https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/ *Ethan Ilzetzki on the US Dollar as an Anchor Currency* https://macromusings.libsyn.com/56-ethan-ilzetzki-on-the-us-dollar-as-an-anchor-currency David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
12/14/2020 • 52 minutes, 53 seconds
Governor Benjamin Diokno on BSP Policy and the Philippine Economy
Governor Benjamin Diokno is the current head of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, or BSP, which is the central bank of the Republic of the Philippines. The Governor joins David on Macro Musings to shed light on the art and science of central banking from an emerging market perspective, as seen through the experience in the Philippines. Specifically, Governor Diokno and David discuss the structure, mandate, and operating system of the BSP, how the BSP has managed to avoid the zero lower bound, the prospects of a Philippine central bank digital currency, and how a flexible exchange rate has helped the BSP hedge against dollar volatility. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Gov. Diokno’s Twitter: @GovBenDiokno Gov. Diokno’s World Bank profile: https://live.worldbank.org/experts/benjamin-e-diokno Related Links: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas website: https://www.bsp.gov.ph/SitePages/Default.aspx David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
12/7/2020 • 27 minutes, 37 seconds
Sam Hammond and Brink Lindsey on *Faster Growth, Fairer Growth: Policies for a High Road, High Performance Economy*
Sam Hammond is the director of poverty and welfare policy at the Niskanen Center and Brink Lindsey is vice president and director of the Open Society Project at the Niskanen Center. Both are returning guests to the podcast, and they join David again on Macro Musings to talk about their new pro-growth report titled, *Faster Growth, Fairer Growth: Policies for a High Road, High Performance Economy.* Specifically, they detail a number of different policies the US government could adopt to achieve faster and fairer economic growth, including social insurance modernization, child allowances, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Sam’s Twitter: @hamandcheese Sam’s Niskanen profile: https://www.niskanencenter.org/author/samuel-hammond/ Brink’s Twitter: @lindsey_brink Brink’s Niskanen profile: https://www.niskanencenter.org/author/brink-lindsey/ Related Links: *Faster Growth, Fairer Growth: Policies for a High Road, High Performance Economy* by Brink Lindsey and Sam Hammond https://www.niskanencenter.org/faster-growth-fairer-growth-policies-for-a-high-road-high-performance-economy/ *Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?* by Nicholas Bloom, Charles Jones, John Van Reenen, and Michael Webb https://web.stanford.edu/~chadj/IdeaPF.pdf *How Asia Works* by Joe Studwell https://groveatlantic.com/book/how-asia-works/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/30/2020 • 59 minutes, 24 seconds
Bilal Hafeez on Inflation, Innovation, and Economic Recovery after COVID-19
Bilal Hafeez is the CEO and Founder of Macro Hive and previously worked at JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and Nomura. Bilal joins Macro Musings to discuss recent economic developments and the outlook for inflation after the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, Bilal and David discuss the prospects for a K-shaped US recovery, COVID-19’s impact on the Eurozone and the UK, how the launch of the EU’s recovery fund has fared, and how the pandemic has impacted the outlook for the services sector, inflation, and the US dollar. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bilal’s Macro Hive profile: https://macrohive.com/researcher/bilal-hafeez/ Bilal’s website: http://bilalhafeez.com/ Bilal’s Twitter: @bilalhafeez123 Related Links: *The True Economic Consequences of the COVID Peace* by Bilal Hafeez https://macrohive.com/hive-exclusives/the-true-economic-consequences-of-the-covid-peace *EU Enjoys ‘Outrageous Demand’ for First Covid-related Bond* by Tommy Stubbington https://www.ft.com/content/e3553b68-22c8-487c-a7c0-7e1c6dc0ec4b David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/23/2020 • 54 minutes, 11 seconds
Adam Ozimek on the Past, Present, and Future of Remote Work in the Face of COVID-19
Adam Ozimek is the chief economist for Upwork, a global remote freelancing platform, and a returning guest to the podcast. Adam rejoins Macro Musings to talk about some of the lasting impacts of the pandemic on businesses; specifically its influence on remote work. David and Adam also discuss the results of the payment protection program, why the prime age employment to population ratio should become the most important employment measure, the economic geography of remote work, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Adam’s Twitter: @ModeledBehavior Adam’s website: https://adamozimek.com/ Related Links: *The Future of Remote Work*by Adam Ozimek https://www.upwork.com/press/releases/the-future-of-remote-work *COVID-19 and Remote Work: An Early Look at US Data* by Erik Byrnjolfsson, John Horton, Adam Ozimek, Daniel Rock, Garima Sharma, and Hong-Yi TuYe https://www.nber.org/papers/w27344 *Where Remote Work Saves Commuters Most* by Adam Ozimek https://www.upwork.com/press/releases/where-remote-work-saves-commuters-most *When Work Goes Remote* by Adam Ozimek https://www.upwork.com/research/when-work-goes-remote *How Many Jobs can be Done at Home?* by Jonathan Dingel and Brent Neiman https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/BFI_White-Paper_Dingel_Neiman_3.2020.pdf *How Many U.S. Jobs Might be Offshorable?* by Alan Blinder https://www.princeton.edu/~ceps/workingpapers/142blinder.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/16/2020 • 51 minutes, 41 seconds
Alan Cole on Monetary Policy for a Post-COVID Economy
Alan Cole is a senior economist at the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Alan joins David on Macro Musings to discuss his work with the JEC and his thoughts on the economy. Specifically, Alan and David discuss the high savings rate during the COVID-19 crisis, the track record of US monetary policy from the 2008 financial crisis to the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, why the Fed’s commitment to average inflation targeting is an incremental step toward level targeting, and suggestions for the Fed moving forward. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Alan’s Twitter: @AlanMCole Related Links: The JEC’s Social Capital Project: https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/socialcapitalproject *Saving and COVID-19* by Alan Cole https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/analysis?ID=754B52C6-04CD-458B-8755-98D1219398F1 *Stable Monetary Policy to Connect More Americans to Work* by Alan Cole https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/analysis?ID=051267FC-0147-4E31-BE80-946E0543AF82 *Bullard May Be More Right Than Wrong* by Tim Duy https://blogs.uoregon.edu/timduyfedwatch/2020/09/28/bullard-may-be-more-right-than-wrong/ *The Fed’s Mistake* by Adam Ozimek and Michael Ferlez https://www.economy.com/home/products/samples/2018-11-20-Feds-Mistake.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/9/2020 • 50 minutes, 37 seconds
David French on Political Polarization in America and Its Impact on the 2020 Elections
David French is a senior editor of The Dispatch and has written widely on American politics. David has a new book out on the polarization in the United States titled, *Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore our Nation.* He joins Macro Musings for another special presidential election episode to discuss this book as well as what political polarization means for the election, this country, and the economy. Specifically, both Davids talk about the political geography of polarization, the national red state versus blue state dynamics, and how instituting more federalism might be the solution. Transcript for the episode can be found here. David French’s Twitter: @DavidAFrench David French’s Dispatch archive: https://thedispatch.com/people/5849328-david-french Related Links: *Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore our Nation* by David French https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250201973 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
11/2/2020 • 58 minutes, 17 seconds
Michael Strain on the Differing Economic Policies of Trump vs. Biden
Michael Strain is the Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and a previous guest of the show. Michael joins Macro Musings for a special presidential election episode to discuss President Trump's economic record and what a Biden presidency might mean for the economy compared to a second term for President Trump. Specifically, David and Michael discuss the presidential candidates’ past records and campaign goals for trade, taxes, regulations, immigration, and more. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Michael’s Twitter: @MichaelRStrain Michael’s AEI profile: https://www.aei.org/profile/michael-r-strain/ Related Links: The Mercatus Center’s RegData databse: https://www.mercatus.org/publications/regulation/regdata *The triumph of the Trump tax cuts* by Joshua McCabe https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/522813-the-triumph-of-the-trump-tax-cuts David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
10/29/2020 • 38 minutes, 12 seconds
Matt Yglesias on *One Billion Americans*: New Ideas to Revitalize the American Economy
Matt Yglesias is the co-founder of Vox, a senior correspondent who focuses on politics and economic policy, and a returning guest to the podcast. Matt once again joins Macro Musings to discuss his new book, *One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger.* Specifically, David and Matt talk about how to reinvigorate the economy; through enacting better housing and transportation policies, dramatically increasing immigration, reviving America’s forgotten cities, and more. Finally, they also discuss the Fed’s new average inflation targeting regime, and what kind of direction the Fed will take over the new few years. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Matt’s Twitter: @mattyglesias Matt’s Vox profile: https://www.vox.com/authors/matthew-yglesias Matt’s podcast: https://www.vox.com/the-weeds Related Links: *One Billion Americans: The Case For Thinking Bigger* by Matt Yglesias https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/636499/one-billion-americans-by-matthew-yglesias/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
10/26/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 4 seconds
Shruti Rajagopalan on the Past, Present, and Future of the Indian Economy
Shruti Rajagopalan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center where she leads the programs Indian Political Economy Research and the Emergent Ventures India. Shruti joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the past, present and future of the Indian economy. Specifically, Shruti and David discuss India’s mid-20th century experiment with socialism, subsequent reforms from 1980 through the 2000s, and how further reforms to manufacturing and to land and labor markets can accelerate its economic development. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Shruti’s Twitter: @srajagopalan Shruti’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/shruti-rajagopalan Shruti’s podcast, *Ideas of India*: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/tag/ideas-of-india-podcast/https://www.mercatus.org/tags/ideas-india Related Links: *India Grows at Night* by Gurcharan Das https://www.amazon.com/India-Grows-At-Night-Liberal/dp/0670084700 *In India, Don’t Hate the Matchmaker* by Shruti Rajagopalan https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-08-02/netflix-s-indian-matchmaking-is-only-too-accurate *It’s Chiefly Rent Seekers Who Oppose Our Farm Reforms* by Shruti Rajagopalan https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/it-s-chiefly-rent-seekers-who-oppose-our-farm-reforms-11601304066126.html David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
10/19/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 41 seconds
Roberto Perli on Average Inflation Targeting and Improving the Fed’s Framework
Roberto Perli is a partner and the head of global policy at Cornerstone Macro and is formerly a senior staffer at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Roberto joins Macro Musings to discuss the Fed’s new average inflation targeting framework and what it means for monetary policy, markets, and the economy going forward. Specifically, David and Roberto also discuss the current vague nature of FOMC forward guidance, the challenges and credibility concerns of AIT, and how to further improve the Fed’s framework in the future. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Roberto’s Twitter: @R_Perli Roberto’s Cornerstone Macro profile: https://www.cornerstonemacro.com/people/ Related Links: FOMC September meeting press release: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20200916a.htm *Temporary Price-level Targeting: An Alternative Framework for Monetary Policy* by Ben Bernanke https://www.brookings.edu/blog/ben-bernanke/2017/10/12/temporary-price-level-targeting-an-alternative-framework-for-monetary-policy/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
10/12/2020 • 52 minutes, 54 seconds
Megan Greene and Eric Lonergan on Dual Interest Rates and the Prospects of Average Inflation Targeting
Megan Greene is a global economist and Senior Fellow at Harvard University School, and Eric Lonergan is an economist and macro fund manager at M&G Investments. Both Megan and Eric are returning guests of the show, and they re-join Macro Musings to discuss dual interest rates and the potential power it brings to central banks. Specifically, they discuss the current constraints on central banks’ toolkit, how the example of the ECB targeting TLTRO’s illustrates the potential of dual interest rates, why the concern over fiscal versus monetary policy is misunderstood, and whether the Fed’s new average inflation targeting mandate can be successfully implemented. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Megan’s Twitter: @economistmeg Megan’s website: https://economistmeg.com/about/ Megan’s Financial Times archive: https://www.ft.com/megan-greene Eric’s Twitter: @ericlonners Eric’s blog: https://www.philosophyofmoney.net/ Eric’s M&G Investments profile: https://www.mandg.co.uk/investor/fund-managers/eric-lonergan/ Related Links: *Dual Interest Rates Give Central Banks Limitless Firepower* by Eric Lonergan and Megan Greene https://voxeu.org/article/dual-interest-rates-give-central-banks-limitless-fire-power *A Misplaced Faith in the Power of Central Banks* by Greg Ip https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-misplaced-faith-in-the-power-of-central-banks-11583256163 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
10/5/2020 • 57 minutes, 58 seconds
Thorvald Grung Moe on the Life of Marriner Eccles and His Lasting Macroeconomic Legacy
Thorvald Grung Moe is a 30 year veteran is of the Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, and has also worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, the World Bank, and the IMF. Thorvald joins Macro Musings to talk about Marriner Eccles and a paper he has written on him title, *Marriner Eccles in the 1950 Treasury-Federal Reserve Accord: Lessons for Central Bankers.* David and Thorvald specifically discuss Eccles’ views on countercyclical monetary policy and government finance, his role in reforming and centralizing the Fed, and the many other lessons that can be learned from his life, particularly in the realm of macroeconomics. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Thorvald’s Twitter: @finstab Thorvald’s Levy Economics Institute profile: http://www.levyinstitute.org/scholars/thorvald-grung-moe Related Links: *Marriner S. Eccles and the 1951 Treasury – Federal Reserve Accord: Lessons for Central Bank Independence* by Thorvald Grung Moe http://www.levyinstitute.org/pubs/wp_747.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
9/28/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 12 seconds
Carolyn Sissoko on the Collateral Supply Effect and Other Concerns in the Money Market
Carolyn Sissoko is an associate professor of economics at the University of the West of England, and she has written widely on shadow banking, money markets, and the plumbing of the financial system. Carolyn joins Macro Musings to talk about the evolution of money markets over the past few decades, and its implication for both monetary and fiscal policy. Specifically, David and Carolyn discuss the collateral supply effect, the consequences of moving from LIBOR to SOFR, and solutions to other money market concerns. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Carolyn’s Twitter: @csissoko Carolyn’s UWE Bristol profile: https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/CarolynSissoko Related Links: *The Collateral Supply Effect on Central Bank Policy* by Carolyn Sissoko https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3545546 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
9/21/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 44 seconds
Robin Harding on Abenomics and the ‘Japanification’ of Monetary Policy
Robin Harding is the Tokyo Bureau chief for the Financial Times. Until 2015, he was based in Washington D.C., covering the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Treasury, and the IMF for the Financial Times. Robin Macro Musings to talk about the Japanese economy, Abenomics, and the evolution of monetary policy in advanced economies over the past decade. Specifically, Robin and David discuss what the Bank of Japan’s point inflation target has in common with the Fed’s average inflation target, how the Bank of Japan found itself on the frontlines of innovation in monetary policy, and what the legacy of Abenomics portends for the future of monetary policy. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Robin’s Twitter: @RobinBHarding Robin’s Financial Times profile: https://www.ft.com/robin-harding Related Links: *Six Abenomics Lessons for a World Struggling with ‘Japanification’* by Robin Harding https://www.ft.com/content/9f4b1656-95a2-41e0-9c86-70f5b063796d *Abe’s Tenure Marked by Trade Successes and Thwarted Ambitions* by Robin Harding https://www.ft.com/content/125378c8-073c-41b6-9aef-42b985c24784 *Leave Public Debt Worries for Another Day* by Robin Harding https://www.ft.com/content/691cb9f4-b53d-4429-bba4-03ca623c0077 *Methods of Policy Accommodation at the Interest-Rate Lower Bound* by Michael Woodford https://www.kansascityfed.org/publicat/sympos/2012/mw.pdf?sm=jh083112-4 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
9/14/2020 • 53 minutes, 23 seconds
George Selgin on Average Inflation Targeting and *The Menace of Fiscal QE*
George Selgin is the director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins again to talk about his views on the Fed’s new framework and his recent book titled, *The Menace of Fiscal QE.* Specifically, David and George discuss the Fed’s quantitative easing evolution, and how the move to a floor system helped pave the way for fiscal QE to become a more popular policy in the present. Transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *The Menace of Fiscal QE* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/books/menace-fiscal-qe *Mission Creep at the Fed* by Greg Ip https://www.wsj.com/articles/mission-creep-at-the-fed-11598461446 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
9/7/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 9 seconds
BONUS: Employ America’s Webcast Panel on the Federal Reserve’s Updated Framework and Its Implications for Monetary Policy
Macro Musings is back with another bonus episode, as Sam Bell and Skanda Amarnath (Employ America) are joined by Julia Coronado (Macro Policy Perspectives) and David Beckworth (Macro Musings) to talk through the announcement of the Fed’s framework transition towards average inflation targeting. Specifically, this panel of guests discuss the implications of moving to an average inflation targeting regime, whether the shift may cause credibility problems for the central bank, how to continue to improve the Fed’s toolkit, and more. Special thanks to the Employ America team for allowing us to use their webcast audio for this special Macro Musings bonus content. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Employ America’s Twitter: @employamerica Employ America’s website: https://employamerica.org/ Sam Bell’s Twitter: @sam_a_bell Skanda Amarnath’s Twitter: @IrvingSwisher Julia’s Twitter: @jc_econ Julia’s Macro Policy Perspectives profile: https://www.macropolicyperspectives.com/team Related Links: *A New Way to Manage Inflation* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/new-way-manage-inflation *By Doubling Down On Inflation Targeting, the Fed Is At Risk of Forgetting Lessons from 2008 & 2011* by Skanda Amarnath https://medium.com/@skanda_97974/by-doubling-down-on-inflation-targeting-the-fed-is-at-risk-of-forgetting-lessons-from-2008-2011-f877f78acba2 *Securing Macroeconomic and Monetary Stability with a Federal Reserve–Backed Digital Currency* by Julia Coronado and Simon Potter https://www.piie.com/system/files/documents/pb20-4.pdf David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
9/2/2020 • 58 minutes, 40 seconds
Scott Lincicome on the China Shock, Trade Policy, and US Labor Markets
Scott Lincicome is a senior fellow in Economic Studies at Cato Institute where he writes on international and domestic economic issues, including international trade, industrial policy and manufacturing and global supply chains. Scott joins David on Macro Musings to discuss what we've learned so far about the so-called China shock and where we are today in the trade war. Specifically, David and Scott discuss the historical rise of Chinese exports, its impact on US labor markets, how certain policies make it harder for US workers to adjust, and whether the Trump administration marks a genuine regime shift in international trade. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s Twitter: @scottlincicome Scott’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/scott-lincicome Related Links: *Testing the ‘China Shock’: Was Normalizing Trade with China a Mistake?”*by Scott Lincicome https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/testing-china-shock-was-normalizing-trade-china-mistake#:~:text=However%2C%20champions%20of%20the%20emerging,with%20China%20for%20particular%20scorn.&text=It%20finds%20that%20PNTR%20and,that%20PNTR%20critics%20now%20repeat. *Clashing over Commerce* by Douglas Irwin https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24475328.html *Audaciously Hopeful: How President Obama Can Help Restore the Pro‐Trade Consensus* by Dan Ikenson and Scott Lincicome https://www.cato.org/publications/trade-policy-analysis/audaciously-hopeful-how-president-obama-can-help-restore-protrade-consensus *The 'China Shock', Exports and U.S. Employment: A Global Input-Output Analysis* by Robert Feenstra and Akira Sasahara https://www.nber.org/papers/w24022 *Executive Incentives, Import Restrictions, and Competition* by Brian Blank https://www.mercatus.org/publications/trade-and-immigration/executive-incentives-import-restrictions-and-competition David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
8/31/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 35 seconds
Jim Tankersley on the State of the Middle Class and How to Boost Economic Growth
Jim Tankersley is a tax and economics reporter for the New York Times and has written a new book on the middle class titled, *The Riches of This Land: The Untold, True Story of the American Middle Class.* Jim joins Macro Musings to talk about this book, and the state of the middle class in the US. David and Jim also discuss the history and golden era of the middle class as well as the steps policymakers can take to ensure we return to a path of robust economic growth. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jim’s Twitter: @jimtankersley Jim’s New York Times archive: https://www.nytimes.com/by/jim-tankersley Related Links: *The Riches of This Land: The Untold, True Story of the American Middle Class* by Jim Tankersley https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/jim-tankersley/the-riches-of-this-land/9781541767836/ *The Allocation of Talent and U.S. Economic Growth* by Chang-Tai Hsieh, Erik Hurst, Charles Jones, and Peter Klenow https://www.nber.org/papers/w18693 *Populism in Place: The Economic Geography of the Globalization Backlash* by J. Lawrence Broz, Jeffry Freiden, and Stephen Weymouth https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3501263 *Testing the ‘China Shock’: Was Normalizing Trade with China a Mistake?* by Scott Lincicome https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/testing-china-shock-was-normalizing-trade-china-mistake *The China Shock: Learning from Labor-Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade* by David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon Hanson https://economics.mit.edu/files/12751 *The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream* by Tyler Cowen https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250108708 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
8/24/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 34 seconds
Vincent Grossmann-Wirth on the ECB in a Post-COVID Economy
Vincent Grossmann-Wirth is the Deputy Head of Monetary Policy Implementation Division at the Banque de France. Vincent joins Macro Musings to discuss the European Central Bank’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and what may lie ahead for the central bank. Specifically, Vincent and David discuss how the ECB’s structure and operating system compares to the US Federal Reserve System, the various dimensions of the ECB’s response to COVID-19, and what the ECB’s review of its operating framework portends for the future of monetary policy. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Vincent’s Twitter: @VinceGW Vincent’s Banque de France profile: https://www.banque-france.fr/en/economics/economists-and-researchers/vincent-grossmann-wirth Related Links: *Monetary policy measures taken by the Eurosystem in response to COVID-19* by Vincent Grossmann-Wirth https://blocnotesdeleco.banque-france.fr/en/blog-entry/monetary-policy-measures-taken-eurosystem-response-covid-19 *What Monetary Policy Operational Frameworks in the New Financial Environment? A Comparison of the US Fed and the Eurosystem Perspectives, 2007–2019* by Vincent Grossmann-Wirth https://ideas.repec.org/a/mes/ijpoec/v48y2019i4p336-352.html David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
8/17/2020 • 59 minutes, 42 seconds
David Schleicher on the Municipal Trilemma and its Implications for the Current Crisis
David Schleicher is a professor at Yale Law School, and as a returning guest to Macro Musings, he joins to talk about the historical role that the federal government has played in responding to state and local budget crises, including the municipal trllemma it faces. This trilemma says the federal government can only avoid two of the three following harms: (1) moral hazard for state budgets; (2) worsening recessions; (3) reducing future state and local infrastructure investment. Specifically, they discuss this trilemma as well as its implications for the COVID-19 crisis. Transcript for the episode can be found here. David’s Twitter: @ProfSchleich David’s Yale profile: https://law.yale.edu/david-n-schleicher Related Links: *Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stagnation* by David Schleicher https://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/stuck-the-law-and-economics-of-residential-stagnation *Hands On! Part I: The Trilemma Facing the Federal Government During State and Local Budget Crises* by David Schleicher https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3649278 *David Schleicher on Local and State Regulation and Declining Mobility* by Macro Musings https://macromusings.libsyn.com/58-david-schleicher-on-local-and-state-regulation-and-declining-mobility *The Future of Remote Work* by Adam Ozimek https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3638597 *States Continue to Face Large Shortfalls Due to COVID-19 Effects* by Elizabeth McNichol and Michael Leachman https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/states-continue-to-face-large-shortfalls-due-to-covid-19-effects David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
8/10/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 39 seconds
Jon Sindreu on Global Financial Flows and the Balance of Trade
Jon Sindreu is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal where he covers financial markets and the global transportation industry for the Heard on the Street column. Jon joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the role of global financial flows in driving global trade patterns. Specifically, Jon and David discuss the Bernanke view, loanable funds view, and money view of global financial system, as well as the implications for policy. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jon’s Twitter: @jonsindreu Jon’s Wall Street Journal profile: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/jon-sindreu?mod=rsswn Related Links: *Trade Wars Are Class Wars* by Matthew Klein and Michael Pettis https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300244175/trade-wars-are-class-wars *Wages of Destruction* by Adam Tooze https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/295490/the-wages-of-destruction-by-adam-tooze/ *Capital Flows, Asset Prices, and the Real Economy: A "China Shock" in the U.S. Real Estate Market* by Zhimin Li, Leslie Sheng Shen, and Calvin Zhang https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/ifdp/capital-flows-asset-prices-and-the-real-economy-a-china-shock-in-the-us-real-estate-market.htm David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
8/3/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 12 seconds
David Beckworth on Nominal GDP Targeting in the Wake of the COVID-19 Crisis
In this special Macro Musings episode, David is back in the spotlight, as he is interviewed by Claudia Sahm, director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, as a guest on her *Stay-at-Home Macro Podcast*. David and Claudia discuss nominal GDP targeting at length, as they dive into what it is, why it’s important, and how it could be implemented in the wake of COVID-19. They also talk about the communication problems related to introducing NGDP targeting as well as David’s proposal for reforming the Fed’s current policies. Special thank you to Claudia for letting us air this episode as a part of the Macro Musings catalog! Transcript for the episode can be found here. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/david-beckworth Claudia’s Twitter: @Claudia_Sahm Claudia’s Equitable Growth profile: https://equitablegrowth.org/people/claudia-sahm/ Related Links: Link to the original podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rHBQ-o8vDA Homepage for Claudia’s podcast: http://macromomblog.com/sahmpodcast/ *Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/facts-fears-and-functionality-ngdp-level-targeting *Measuring Monetary Policy: the NGDP Gap* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/measuring-monetary-policy-ngdp-gap *COVID-19 Pandemic, Direct Cash Transfers, and the Federal Reserve* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/covid-19-policy-brief-series/covid-19-pandemic-direct-cash-transfers-and-federal *NGDP Targeting and the Public* by Carola Binder https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/spring/summer-2020/ngdp-targeting-public
7/27/2020 • 44 minutes, 33 seconds
Bill Nelson on the Fed’s Policy Tools in the Post-COVID Economy
Bill Nelson is a Chief Economist and Executive Vice President at the Bank Policy Institute, and formerly a Deputy Director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board, where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window analysis, and financial institution supervision. Bill also worked closely with the Bank for International Settlements on liquidity regulations. Bill is a previous guest of Macro Musings, and he returns to the podcast to discuss the Fed’s increasing role in credit policy, the prospects for yield curve control and negative interest rates, and why makeup policy would be uniquely suited to the challenges presently facing the economy. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Bill’s SIFMA profile: https://www.sifma.org/people/bill-nelson/ Bill’s BPI archive: https://bpi.com/tag/bill-nelson/ Bill’s American Banker archive: https://www.americanbanker.com/author/william-nelson-ab3618 Related Links: *Live Live Jay Powell, the New Monarch of the Bond Market* by Robin Wigglesworth https://www.ft.com/content/5db9d0f1-3742-49f0-a6cd-16c471875b5e *Federal Reserve’s “Strategies for Targeting Interest Rates Out the Yield Curve”* prepared by David Bowman, Christopher Erceg, and Mike Leahy, with contributions from William English, Edward Nelson, David Reifschneider, Nathan Sheets, and David Wilcox of Board staff and Brian Sack, Spence Hilton, Allan Malz, Frank Keane, Matt Raskin, Julie Remache, Josh Frost, Nate Wuerffel, Angela O’Connor and Richard Dzina of FRBNY staff https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/FOMC20101013memo08.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/20/2020 • 59 minutes, 18 seconds
Jens Van’t Klooster on ECB Bond Purchasing and the Myth of Central Bank Neutrality
Jens Van’t Klooster is a postdoctoral fellow at KU Leuven and is also a member of the research group, A New Normative Framework for Financial Debt at the University of Amsterdam. Jens has recently coauthored an article titled *The Myth of Market Neutrality: A Comparative Study of the European Central Bank’s and Swiss National Bank’s Corporate Security Purchases.* He joins Macro Musings to talk about this article and some of his other work on central bank purchases and what it may mean for the Fed’s purchase of corporate bonds. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jens’s Twitter: @jvklooster Jens’s website: https://jensvantklooster.com/ Related Links: *The Myth of Market Neutrality: A Comparative Study of the European Central Bank’s and Swiss National Bank’s Corporate Security Purchases* by Jens Van’t Klooster and Clement Fontan https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563467.2019.1657077 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/13/2020 • 1 hour, 9 seconds
Matthew Klein on Global Trade, Inequality, and International Conflict
Matthew Klein is an economics commentator at Barron’s and is the author of a new book with Michael Pettis titled, *Trade Wars are Class Wars: How Rising Inequality Distorts the Global Economy and Threatens International Peace.* Matthew is a returning guest to Macro Musings and he joins once again to talk about his book and the domestic roots of international trade conflicts – in the past as well as today. Specifically, David and Matthew also discuss the history of how industrialized strategies, in countries such as China, have set the stage for trade conflicts in the present day. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Matthew’s Twitter: @M_C_Klein Matthew’s Barron’s profile: https://www.barrons.com/authors/8566 Related Links: *Trade Wars Are Class Wars: How Rising Inequality Distorts the Global Economy and Threatens International Peace* by Matthew Klein and Michael Pettis https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300244175/trade-wars-are-class-wars *The Great Rebalancing: Trade, Conflict, and the Perilous Road Ahead for the World Economy* by Michael Pettis https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691158686/the-great-rebalancing *The Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan Greenspan* by Sebastian Mallaby https://www.cfr.org/book/man-who-knew *Imperialism: A Study* by John Hobson https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/hobson-imperialism-a-study *Communist China’s Capitalism: The Highest Stage of Capitalist Imperialism* by Kenneth Austin https://www.worldeconomics.com/Journal/ViewArticle.aspx?AID=455 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/6/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 8 seconds
Stephen Kirchner on Australian Monetary Policy in the Wake of the Great Recession
Stephen Kirchner is a program director for trade and investment at the United States Center at the University of Sydney, and he was written widely on financial markets and economy policy in Australia. Stephen joins Macro Musings to talk about the journey of monetary policy in Australia that has transpired throughout the last few decades. Specifically, David and Stephen discuss the structure of the Reserve Bank of the Australia, the history of its inflation target, how Australia was able to avoid the worst of the Great Recession, and the actions they have taken to in response to the COVID crisis. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Stephen’s Twitter: @insteconomics Stephen’s US Studies Center profile: https://www.ussc.edu.au/people/stephen-kirchner Stephen’s Substack page: https://stephenkirchner.substack.com/ Related Links: *Money Too Tight to Mention: The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Financial Stability Mandate and Low Inflation* by Stephen Kirchner http://www.institutional-economics.com/images/uploads/EAP.pdf *Cost-Benefit Analysis of Leaning against the Wind* by Trent Saunders and Peter Tulip https://rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2019/2019-05.html *Twenty-five Years of Inflation Targeting in Australia: Are There Better Alternatives for the Next 25 Years?* by Warwick McKibbin and Augustus Panton https://www.brookings.edu/research/twenty-five-years-of-inflation-targeting-in-australia-are-there-better-alternatives-for-the-next-25-years/ *The RBA Needs a New Post-virus Monetary Policy Game* by Richard Holden, Warwick McKibbin, and John Quiggin https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/the-rba-needs-a-new-post-virus-monetary-policy-game-20200505-p54ptw David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/29/2020 • 1 hour, 12 seconds
Daniela Gabor on Financial Globalization, Capital Controls, and the Critical Macrofinance Framework
Daniela Gabor is a professor of economics and macrofinance at the University of West England at Bristol, where she works on shadow banking, capital markets, and transnational banking. Daniela is also a returning guest to the podcast, and she has a new paper out on the burgeoning field of critical macrofinance and how it sheds light on the past great financial crisis (2007-2009) and the present COVID-19 crisis. She re-joins Macro Musings to discuss this paper and how it can offer important insight into the current global economic environment. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Daniela’s Twitter: @DanielaGabor Daniela’s UWE Bristol profile: https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/DanielaGabor Related Links: *Critical Macro-Finance: A Theoretical Lens* by Daniela Gabor http://financeandsociety.ed.ac.uk/article/view/4408 *The Role of Time-Critical Liquidity in Financial Markets* by David Marshall and Robert Steigerwald https://www.chicagofed.org/publications/economic-perspectives/2013/2q-marshall-steigerwald *The Growth of Financial Banking* by Anna Youngman https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/251239?mobileUi=0& *Daniela Gabor on Safe Assets and Shadow Banking* https://macromusings.libsyn.com/103-daniela-gabor-on-safe-assets-and-shadow-banking David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/22/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 13 seconds
Darrell Duffie on Treasury Markets and the Post-COVID Path to Financial Stability
Darrell Duffie is a professor of finance at Stanford University, and he joins Macro Musings to discuss the treasury market problems that emerged in March 2020 and what can be done to avoid them in the future. Specifically, Darrell and David lay out the current state of financial markets, the ability of treasury markets, as currently designed, to handle demand shocks, and how central banking reforms can better ensure financial stability in the future. Register here for the Cato Institute/Mercatus Center Webinar Series - *A Fed for Next Time: Ideas for a Crisis‐Ready Central Bank*: https://www.cato.org/events/fed-next-time-ideas-crisis-ready-central-bank Transcript for the episode can be found here. Darrell’s Twitter: @DuffieDarrell Darrell’s website: https://www.darrellduffie.com/ Darrell’s Stanford profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/darrell-duffie Related Links: Bonus segment with Darrell: https://youtu.be/0Y3MTjgbP74 *Pass-through Efficiency in the Fed’s New Monetary Policy Setting* by Darrell Duffie and Arvind Krishnamurthy https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/passthrough-efficiency-feds-new-monetary-policy-setting *The Failure Mechanics of Dealer Banks* by Darrell Duffie https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.24.1.51 *Still the World’s Safe Haven? Redesigning the U.S. Treasury Market after the COVID-19 Crisis* by Darrell Duffie https://www.brookings.edu/research/still-the-worlds-safe-haven/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/15/2020 • 52 minutes, 42 seconds
Peter Stella on the Fed’s Off-Balance Sheet Transactions and Public Financing of the COVID-19 Crisis
Peter Stella is a former IMF official, where he led the Central Banking and Monetary and Foreign Exchange divisions, and he now hosts a webpage titled *Central Bank Archeology*. Peter is also a former guest of Macro Musings, and rejoins to talk about the COVID-19 crisis, central bank balance sheets, and more. David and Peter also discuss the dangers and challenges of the Fed’s off-balance sheet transactions, how the government should approach crisis financing, and who should be managing the country’s public debt. The transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @Stellar_Consult Peter’s Voxeu profile: https://voxeu.org/users/peterstella0 Peter’s Research Gate archive: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter_Stella Related Links: Peter's *Central Bank Archaeology* website: https://www.centralbankarchaeology.com/ *Macro Musings: Peter Stella on Debt, Safe Assets, and Central Bank Operations* https://macromusings.libsyn.com/144-peter-stella-on-debt-safe-assets-and-central-bank-operations David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/8/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 44 seconds
Adam Tooze on Dollar Dominance, the Eurozone, and the Future of Global Finance
Adam Tooze is a professor of history at Columbia University, and is the author of many books, including his popular account of the 2007-2009 crisis, titled Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crisis Changed the World. Adam joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the COVID-19 crisis, the Eurozone, and the future of central banking. Specifically, Adam and David break down recent events and risks in the global financial system, the future of the dollar as reserve currency, and the implications of the recent German-Franco debt deal for the Eurozone. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Adam’s Twitter: @adam_tooze Adam’s Columbia profile: https://history.columbia.edu/faculty/adam-tooze/ Adam’s website: https://adamtooze.com/ Related Links: *How Coronavirus Almost Brought Down the Global Financial System* by Adam Tooze https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/14/how-coronavirus-almost-brought-down-the-global-financial-system) *The Death of the Central Bank Myth* by Adam Tooze https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/13/european-central-bank-myth-monetary-policy-german-court-ruling/ *Still the World's Safe Haven?* by Darrell Duffie https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/WP62_Duffie_updated.pdf *Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen M. Reinhart, Kenneth S. Rogoff https://www.nber.org/papers/w23134 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/1/2020 • 1 hour, 44 seconds
Alp Simsek on a Risk-Centric View of Demand, Recession, and Speculation
Alp Simsek is an associate professor of economics at MIT, and joins Macro Musings to talk about the link between financial markets, uncertainty and the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, David and Alp discuss the dual absorption problem within financial markets, how supply shocks and demand shocks have inescapably become interwoven phenomenon, and why we should look to using macroprudential policy in the future. The transcript for the episode can be found here. Alp’s Twitter: @alpsimsek_econ Alp’s MIT profile: https://economics.mit.edu/faculty/asimsek Related Links: Bonus segment with Alp: https://youtu.be/eoGxYcWmH9E *A Risk-centric Model of Demand Recessions and Speculation* by Ricardo Caballero and Alp Simsek https://www.nber.org/papers/w23614 *A Model of Asset Price Spirals and Aggregate Demand Amplification of a ‘COVID-19’ Shock* by Ricardo Caballero and Alp Simsek https://www.nber.org/papers/w27044 *Prudential Monetary Policy* by Ricardo Caballero and Alp Simsek https://www.nber.org/papers/w25977 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/27/2020 • 59 minutes, 48 seconds
Thomas Hoenig on Bank Capitalization and Fed Policy after COVID-19
Thomas Hoenig is a former vice chair of the FDIC, former president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, and is currently a distinguished senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Tom’s research has focused on the long-term impact of the politicization of financial services, as well as the effects of government grant privileges on market performance. Tom joins David on Macro Musings to talk about COVID-19, the Fed's response to its economic impact, and the current state of banking in the United States. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Thomas’s Twitter: @tom_hoenig Thomas’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/thomas-hoenig Related Links: Bonus segment with Thomas: https://youtu.be/CrA1WRtu0jc David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/25/2020 • 55 minutes, 56 seconds
Scott Sumner on the Government’s Response to COVID-19 and the Future of Level Targeting
Scott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Professor Emeritus of economics at Bentley University, and a research fellow at the Independent Institute. As a returning guest to the podcast, Scott joins Macro Musings to give his latest thoughts on the COVID-19 crisis and its implications for monetary policy. Specifically, David and Scott discuss how the Fed can conduct more aggressive monetary policy, what a level targeting regime should look like in the future, and the current progression toward negative interest rates. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/scott-sumner Scott’s blog: https://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Related Links: Scott's bonus segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8DXU_1oIsg&feature=youtu.be *Reforming the Fed’s Toolkit and Quantitative Easing Practices: A Plan to Achieve Level Targeting* by Scott Sumner and Patrick Horan https://www.mercatus.org/publications/covid-19-policy-brief-series/reforming-feds-toolkit-and-quantitative-easing-practices *Negative Interest Rates and Negative IOER* by Scott Sumner https://www.econlib.org/negative-interest-rates-and-negative-ioer/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/20/2020 • 50 minutes, 28 seconds
Lev Menand on the Fed’s Lending Facilities and the Legal Concerns Surrounding Them
Lev Menand is a legal scholar at Columbia Law School and has previously worked for the New York Fed, the US Treasury Department, and the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). Lev Joins Macro Musings to talk about his new paper, *Unappropriated Dollars: The Fed’s Ad Hoc Lending Facilities and the Rules that Govern Them*. Specifically, David and Lev discuss opening up public Fed bank accounts, the importance of liquidity and credit facilities, and how Congress is using the CARES Act to skirt the Fed’s current legal mandates. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Lev’s Twitter: @LevMenand Lev’s Columbia Law profile: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/lev-menand Related Links: Bonus segment with Lev: https://youtu.be/N9qndjjju9A *Unappropriated Dollars: The Fed’s Ad Hoc Lending Facilities and the Rules That Govern Them* by Lev Menand https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3602740 *FedAccounts* by Morgan Ricks, John Crawford, and Lev Menand https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3192162 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/18/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 39 seconds
Martin Hellwig on the Recent German Constitutional Court Ruling and Its Potential Eurozone Implications
Martin Hellwig is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about the Eurozone and the implications of the recent German Constitutional Court (GCC) ruling for the future of the monetary union. David and Martin specifically discuss the background of the perceived Eurozone crisis, the power struggle between the GCC and the European Court of Justice, and how this case may lead to a total breakdown of the Eurozone. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Martin’s MPI profile: https://www.coll.mpg.de/martin-hellwig Related Links: Bonus segment with Martin: https://youtu.be/1POrO_8VcM0 *The Leverage Ratchet Effect* by Anat Admati, Peter DeMarzo, Martin Hellwig and Paul Pfleiderer https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/working-papers/leverage-ratchet-effect *German Court Has Set a Bomb Under the EU Legal Order* by Martin Sandbu https://www.ft.com/content/79484c01-b66b-4f81-bdc6-fd4def940821 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/13/2020 • 43 minutes, 18 seconds
Nathan Tankus on Public Finance in the COVID-19 Crisis: A Consolidated Budget Balance View and its Implications for Policy
Nathan Tankus is the director of research at the Modern Money Network, and a research fellow at the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity. Nathan is also the author of a number of articles on the Fed's recent activity at his Substack page titled “Notes on the Crises.” Nathan joins Macro Musings to talk about the post-Keynesian view of money, central bank independence, and the consolidated view of public finance, as well as evaluate the policy responses by the Fed and Congress to COVID-19. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Nathan’s Twitter: @NathanTankus Nathan’s Substack page: https://nathantankus.substack.com/ Related Links: Bonus segment with Nathan: https://youtu.be/VPl0LYgttYI *Monetary, Credit, and Fiscal Policies: A Collection of Statements Submitted to the Subcommittee on Monetary, Credit, and Fiscal Policies by Government Officials, Bankers, Economists, and Others (specifically a comment made by Albert G. Hart) by the Joint Committee on the Economic Report https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/historical/congressional/1949jec_mcfpstate.pdf#page=332 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/11/2020 • 53 minutes, 35 seconds
Anat Admati on the Perils of Corporate Debt and How COVID-19 Relief Efforts Have Gone Wrong
Anat Admati is a professor of finance and economics at Stanford University, and is well-known for her work on leveraging debt in our financial system and how it makes our economy more susceptible to shocks. She’s also a co-author of the popular book, *The Banker’s New Clothes: What Went Wrong with Banking and What to Do About It*. Anat joins Macro Musings again to talk about the COVID-19 crisis from the debt perspective, how the Fed and Congress have responded so far, and how their relief efforts should have been focused differently. The transcript for the episode can be found here. Anat’s Twitter: @anatadmati Anat’s website: https://admati.people.stanford.edu/ Related Links: Bonus segment with Anat: https://youtu.be/4xHmmgoURqg *The Banker’s New Clothes: What’s Wrong with Banking and What to Do about It* by Anat Admati and Martin Hellwig https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691162386/the-bankers-new-clothes *The Leverage Ratchet Effect* by Anat Admati, Peter DeMarzo, Martin Hellwig, and Paul Pfleiderer https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jofi.12588 *Macrofinancial History and the New Business Cycle Facts* by Oscar Jorda, Mortiz Schularick, and Alan Taylor https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/wp2016-23.pdf *Coronavirus Crisis Lays Bare the Risks of Financial Leverage, Again” by Martin Wolf https://www.ft.com/content/098dcd60-8880-11ea-a01c-a28a3e3fbd33 *House of Debt: How They (And You) Caused the Great Recession, and How We Can Prevent It from Happening Again* by Atif Mian and Amir Sufi https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo20832545.html *Collateral Frameworks: The Open Secret of Central Banks* by Kjell Nyborg https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/collateral-frameworks/DE8BACD87F364A66DD496F601BE92FE7 *Bankruptcy for Banks: A Sound Concept That Needs Fine-Tuning* by Mark Roe and David Skeel https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/17/business/dealbook/bankruptcy-for-banks-a-sound-concept-that-needs-fine-tuning.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/6/2020 • 43 minutes, 43 seconds
Kathryn Judge on the CARES Act and the Political Implications of Relief Efforts
Kathryn Judge is the Harvey J. Goldschmid Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, the editor of the Journal of Financial Regulation, and an expert on financial markets, financial regulation, and regulatory architecture. Kathryn joins Macro Musings to discuss the CARES Act, the Fed's role and its limitations regarding COVID-19 relief efforts, and the political implications of relief effort performance. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Kathryn's Twitter: @ProfKateJudge Kathryn's Columbia profile: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kathryn-judge Related Links: Bonus segment with Kathryn: https://youtu.be/iFub37lpq2c *The Design Flaw at the Heart of the CARES Act* by Kathryn Judge https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathrynjudge/2020/04/20/the-design-flaw-at-the-heart-of-the-cares-act/#21495f0e6bed David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/4/2020 • 57 minutes, 33 seconds
Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde on Central Bank Digital Currency and the Current Economic Responses to COVID-19
Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde is a professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania, a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research, a research affiliate with the Center for Economic Policy Research, and a returning guest to the podcast. Jesus specializes in macroeconomic modeling and economic history among other topics, and he joins Macro Musings to talk about COVID-19, central bank digital currency, and developments in the Eurozone. David and Jesus also discuss the history of central banks and the interacting public, how threatening inflation could become a useful tool for a central bank, and the value economic modeling could add to the epidemiological field. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jesus’s UPenn profile: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/ Jesus’s NBER archive: https://www.nber.org/people/jesus_fernandez-villaverde Related Links: Bonus segment with Jesus: https://youtu.be/CA6y9LqjDwQ *Estimating and Simulating a SIRD Model of COVID-19 for Many Countries, States, and Cities* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde & Charles Jones https://web.stanford.edu/~chadj/sird-paper.pdf *Central Bank Digital Currency: Central Banking For All?* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Daniel Sanches, Linda Schilling, & Harald Uhlig https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/central-bank-digital-currency-central-banking-for-all/ *Central Bank Digital Currency in a Nominal World* by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Daniel Sanches, Linda Schilling, & Harald Uhlig https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/CBDC_Nominal.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/29/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 3 seconds
George Selgin on the Fed-Treasury Relationship, New Lending Facilities, and the Fed’s Evolving Role in Response to COVID-19
George Selgin is the Director of the Cato Institute Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins David to break down recent policy actions by the Federal Reserve and some of the resulting challenges, as they break down the Treasury’s recent $454 billion backstop on Federal Reserve lending, the complex array of new Fed lending facilities in response to COVID-19, and the Fed’s evolving role in the global economy. The transcript for the episode can be found here. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: Bonus segment with George: https://youtu.be/Q73pWOeldf4 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/27/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 29 seconds
Mehrsa Baradaran on How COVID-19 is Exposing Existing Societal Wealth Gaps and Financial Access Challenges
Mehrsa Baradaran is a professor of law at the University of California Irvine and researches banking law, financial inclusion, inequality, and the racial wealth gap. Her scholarship includes the books, *How the Other Half Banks* and *The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap.* Mehrsa joins Macro Musings to talk about the impact of COVID-19 and how existing wealth conditions and financial access challenges are exacerbating the crisis. David and Mehrsa also discuss the historical context for the racial wealth gap, why banking deserts are so consequential, and how a postal savings system may be a solution to the financial inclusion problem. Transcripts for the episode can be found here. Mehrsa’s Twitter: @MehrsaBaradaran Mehrsa’s UCI profile: https://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/full-time/baradaran/ Related Links: Link to bonus segment with Mehrsa: https://youtu.be/AcH3c89ZtKY *How the Other Half Banks: Exclusion, Exploitation, and the Threat to Democracy* by Mehrsa Baradaran https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674983960 *The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap* by Mehrsa Baradaran https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674237476 *The U.S. Should Just Send Checks – But Won’t* by Mehrsa Baradaran https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/the-us-should-just-write-checksbut-wont/609637/ *Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Designing an Equitable Financial System with Public Policy* by Mehrsa Baradaran https://rooseveltinstitute.org/rethinking-financial-inclusion-equitable-financial-system-public-policy/ *The Coronavirus Will Be a Catastrophe for the Poor* by Derek Thompson https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-will-supercharge-american-inequality/608419/ Link to Aaron Klein Macro Musings episode: https://macromusings.libsyn.com/aaron-klein-on-real-time-payments-and-financial-regulation Link to *Mapping Inequality* from the Digital Scholar Lab at the University of Richmond: https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/40.464/-94.592 JPMorgan Research: *Racial Gaps in Financial Outcomes* https://institute.jpmorganchase.com/institute/research/household-income-spending/report-racial-gaps-in-financial-outcomes#finding-1 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/22/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 10 seconds
Nicholas Bloom on Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in the Short-run and Long-run
Nicholas Bloom is a professor of economics at Stanford University and a leading scholar on management, productivity, innovation and economic uncertainty. Nick is a previous guest of Macro Musings and returns to share his thoughts on COVID-19 and what it means for the US economy, both in the short-run and in the long-run. David and Nick also discuss the impact of the virus on the future of urban living, on the economics profession as a whole, and who will bear the biggest brunt of these impacts. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Nick’s NBER archive: https://www.nber.org/people/nick_bloom Nick’s Stanford profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/nicholas-bloom Related Links: Bonus segment with Nick: https://youtu.be/q2M0TLwV_Xw *COVID-Induced Economic Uncertainty* by Scott R. Baker, Nicholas Bloom, Steven J. Davis, and Stephen J. Terry. https://www.nber.org/papers/w26983 *U.S. Economic Activity During the Early Weeks of the SARS-Cov-2 Outbreak* by Daniel J. Lewis, Karel Mertens, and Jim Stock. https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr920 *Depression Babies: Do Macroeconomic Experiences Affect Risk-Taking?* by Ulrike Malmendier and Stefan Nagel. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1369049 *Managing with Style* by Marianne Bertrand and Antoinette Schoar. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=376880 *Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?* by Nicholas Bloom, Charles I. Jones, John Van Reenen, and Michael Webb. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3039019 *Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment* by Nicholas A. Bloom, James Liang, John Roberts, Zhichun Jenny Ying https://nbloom.people.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj4746/f/wfh.pdf *How Many Jobs Can be Done at Home?* by Jonathan I. Dingel and Brent Neiman. https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/BFI_White-Paper_Dingel_Neiman_3.2020.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/20/2020 • 53 minutes, 31 seconds
Brad Setser on Addressing the Global Dollar Shortage and COVID-19’s Implications for Worldwide Trade Imbalances
Brad Setser is a senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he works on macroeconomics, global capital flows, and financial crisis issues. Brad has previously served as the deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Treasury, working on Europe’s financial crisis, currency policy, financial sanctions, commodity shocks, and Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, and was the director for international economics on the staff of the National Economic Council and the National Security Council. As a returning guest to the show, Brad joins Macro Musings once again to discuss dollars swap lines and other solutions to the global dollar shortage, the recent implications of COVID-19 on global trade imbalances, and how China should respond to the effects of this crisis. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Brad’s Twitter: @Brad_Setser Brad’s CFR profile: https://www.cfr.org/expert/brad-w-setser Related Links: Bonus segment with Brad Setser: https://youtu.be/YsdynQgWHFg *Addressing the Global Dollar Shortage: More Swap Lines? A New Repo Facility for Central Banks? More IMF Lending?* by Brad Setser https://www.cfr.org/blog/addressing-global-dollar-shortage-more-swap-lines-new-fed-repo-facility-central-banks-more-imf *Why the Dollar Crunch is (mostly) a Rich World Problem* by Claire Jones https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2020/03/24/1585041854000/Why-the-dollar-crunch-is--mostly--a-rich-world-problem/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/15/2020 • 49 minutes, 48 seconds
Alex Tabarrok on COVID-19 Response Efforts, Proposals for Continued Recovery, and Lessons for the Future
Alex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University and a research fellow at the Mercatus Center. Alex joins David Beckworth on the podcast to discuss how best to deal with COVID-19 and what lessons we can learn from it moving forward. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Alex’s Twitter: @ATabarrok Alex’s GMU profile: https://mason.gmu.edu/~atabarro/ Related Links: Bonus segment with Tabarrok: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQUnnumgXvw&feature=youtu.be *Pandemic Policy in Developing Countries: Recommendations for India* by Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok https://www.mercatus.org/publications/covid-19-policy-brief-series/pandemic-policy-developing-countries-recommendations-india Chad Brown’s PIIE archive, which include a series of articles related to COVID-19 and its impact on trade: https://www.piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/chad-p-bown David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/13/2020 • 54 minutes, 30 seconds
Ashoka Mody on COVID-19’s Impacts on Global Trade, Credit Markets and the Broader Eurozone
Ashoka Mody is a professor of international economic policy at Princeton University, has formerly worked at the IMF and the World Bank, and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. In this episode, he joins David to discuss the global economic implications of COVID-19 and what it specifically means for Europe and the Eurozone. Transcript for the episode. Ashoka’s Twitter: @AshokaMody Ashoka’s Princeton profile: https://scholar.princeton.edu/amody/home Related Links: Cover of Ashoka's new paperback book: https://i.imgur.com/1IYWBAk.jpg Bonus segment with Ashoka Mody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZsAetHdzjA&feature=youtu.be *Charting the Crisis* by Ashoka Mody http://econbrowser.com/archives/2020/03/guest-contribution-charting-this-crisis *Euro Tragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts* by Ashoka Mody https://global.oup.com/academic/product/eurotragedy-9780199351381?cc=us&lang=en& *Credit Booms Gone Bust: Monetary Policy, Leverage Cycles, and Financial Crises, 1870-2008* by Alan Taylor and Moritz Schularick https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.102.2.1029 *European Monetary Unification* by Barry Eichengreen https://www.jstor.org/stable/2728243?seq=1 *Pandemics Depress the Economy, Public Health Interventions Do Not: Evidence from the 1918 Flu* by Sergio Correia, Stephan Luck, and Emil Verner https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3561560 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/8/2020 • 55 minutes, 4 seconds
Peter Conti-Brown on the CARES Act and the Expanding Fed-Treasury Relationship in Response to COVID-19
Peter Conti-Brown – a legal scholar and financial historian at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Nonresident Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution – returns to Macro Musings to discuss the new Fed-Treasury relationship that is emerging in the wake of the war against COVID-19. Peter and David breakdown the CARES Act, the aggressive and extensive policies recently taken by the Fed, and the implications for monetary policy moving forward. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Peter’s Twitter: @PeterContiBrown Peter’s Brookings profile: https://www.brookings.edu/author/peter-conti-brown/ Peter’s Wharton profile: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/petercb/ Related Links: *Explaining the New Fed-Treasury Emergency Fund* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.brookings.edu/research/explaining-the-new-fed-treasury-emergency-fund/ *What’s the Fed Doing in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis? What More Could it Do?* by Jeffrey Cheng, Dave Skidmore, and David Wessel https://www.brookings.edu/research/fed-response-to-covid19/ *The Foreign Affairs of the Federal Reserve* by Peter Conti-Brown and David Zaring https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3169870 *Longer-Run Economic Consequences of Pandemics* by Oscar Jorda, Sanjay Singh, and Alan Taylor https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/wp2020-09.pdf Bonus segment featuring Peter Conti-Brown: https://youtu.be/GJF2RlQ8po4 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/6/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 47 seconds
Skanda Amarnath, Yakov Feygin, and Elizabeth Pancotti on Municipal Bond Market Intervention and the CARES Act as Responses to COVID-19
Skanda Amarnath is the Director of Research and Analysis at Employ America, Yakov Feygin is the Associate Director of the Future of Capitalism program at the Berggruen Institute, and Elizabeth Pancotti is a research assistant at the National Bureau of Economic Research and at Tufts University. Together, they have put together proposals on how to better address the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis at the state and local level. They join Macro Musings today to discuss these proposals, a municipal bond market and expanded unemployment insurance, as well as what it all means for making the US economy more of an optimal currency area. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Skanda’s Twitter: @IrvingSwisher Skanda’s Medium profile: https://medium.com/@skanda_97974 Yakov’s Twitter: @BuddyYakov Yakov’s Berggruen Institute profile: https://www.berggruen.org/people/yakov-feygin/ Elizabeth’s Twitter: @ENPancotti Elizabeth’s website: https://sites.google.com/view/elizabethpancotti/home Related Links: *The Fed Can and Should Support State Government Efforts to Respond to COVID-19 Right Now* by Skanda Amarnath and Yakov Feygin https://medium.com/@skanda_97974/the-fed-can-and-should-support-state-government-efforts-to-respond-to-covid-19-right-now-5e5ecf7b7ed8 *Unemployment Benefit Expansions: A Guide for Policy Responses in the Wake of COVID-19* by Elizabether Pancotti https://medium.com/@employamerica/unemployment-benefit-expansions-a-guide-for-policy-responses-in-the-wake-of-covid-19-ec3da6e8701 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/1/2020 • 55 minutes, 37 seconds
Jim Bianco on Policy Responses to the Coronavirus: Details, Implications, and Concerns Moving Forward
Jim Bianco, of Bianco Research, joins Macro Musings to discuss the latest on the economic impact from the coronavirus. David and Jim discuss the details and implications of the $2 Trillion Relief bill, the possibility of higher inflation, renewed threats to Fed independence, and implications for the Eurozone. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Jim’s Twitter: @biancoresearch Jim’s Bloomberg archive: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/authors/ABvwE0aTOvg/jim-bianco Related Links: *The Fed's Cure Risks Being Worse Than the Disease* by Jim Bianco https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-03-27/federal-reserve-s-financial-cure-risks-being-worse-than-disease David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/30/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 23 seconds
Robin Brooks on COVID-19’s Impact on Emerging Markets and the Domestic Policy Response to the Crisis
Robin Brooks is a chief economist at the Institute of International Finance and has previously worked for Goldman Sachs and the IMF. Robin joins Macro Musings to talk about the global economic implications of the novel coronavirus. David and Robin also discuss what is happening to output gap measures, where the global dollar cycle stands today, and the importance of dollar swap lines for emerging markets. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Robin’s Twitter: @RobinBrooksIIF Robin’s IIF profile: https://www.iif.com/About-Us/Our-Leadership Related Links: *Federal Reserve Announces Extensive New Measures to Support the Economy* https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20200323b.htm David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/25/2020 • 53 minutes, 13 seconds
Stan Veuger on Helping Businesses Survive in the Post-Coronavirus Economy
Stan Veuger is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute where he specializes in political economy and public finance. Stan joins us today to discuss his co-authored proposal to save American businesses and American jobs as well as his thoughts on how Europe is handling the crisis. Specifically, David and Stan discuss the Federal Reserve’s ability to support targeted business loans, how the crisis has been panning out in Europe, and the timeline to global recovery. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Stan’s Twitter: @stanveuger Stan’s AEI profile: https://www.aei.org/profile/stan-veuger/ Related Links: *How to Help American Businesses Endure and Jobs Survive* by Stan Veuger and Steven Hamilton https://www.aei.org/economics/how-to-help-american-businesses-endure-and-jobs-survive/ *Throwing a COVID-19 Liquidity Life-Line* by Markus Brunnermeier, Jean-Pierre Landau, Marco Pagano, and Ricardo Reis https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/markus/files/covid_liquiditylifeline.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/23/2020 • 53 minutes, 31 seconds
Claudia Sahm on Direct Payments to Individuals and Other Policy Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis
Claudia Sahm is the Director of Macroeconomic Policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth and formerly was a section chief at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Claudia specializes in macroeconomics and household finance, and joins the show today to talk about what the Fed has recently done and what fiscal policy can do in response to the economic meltdown caused by COVID-19. Specifically, David and Claudia discuss sending out direct payments to individuals, what the Fed’s remaining toolkit may look like, and how the freshly minted Sahm Rule may be of paramount importance as this crisis continues to develop. Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings Claudia’s Twitter: @Claudia_Sahm Claudia’s Equitable Growth profile: https://equitablegrowth.org/people/claudia-sahm/ Related Links: *The Case for a Big Coronavirus Stimulus* by Jason Furman https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-case-for-a-big-coronavirus-stimulus-11583448500?mod=rsswn *Go Big Or Go Home* by Tim Duy https://blogs.uoregon.edu/timduyfedwatch/2020/03/16/go-big-or-go-home/ *COVID-19 Pandemic, Direct Cash Transfers, and the Federal Reserve* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/covid-19-pandemic-direct-cash-transfers-and-federal-reserve David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s Blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/
3/18/2020 • 56 minutes, 29 seconds
James Sweeney on the Money View Framework and COVID-19’s Implications for the Macro Economy
James Sweeney is the chief economist at Credit Suisse and joins us today as a part of our ongoing special coverage to talk about the coronavirus or COVID-19 and its implications for the economy. Specifically, David and James discuss what this pandemic means for the plumbing of the financial system, interest rates, and the type of recession we might experience. Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings James’s Credit Suisse profile: https://www.credit-suisse.com/microsites/conferences/aic/en/speakers/cs-experts/james-sweeney.html Related Links: *Global Money Notes #27: Covid-19 and Global Dollar Funding* by Zoltan Pozsar and James Sweeney https://plus.credit-suisse.com/rpc4/ravDocView?docid=V7k0P32AC-WEqAJ7 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/16/2020 • 50 minutes, 16 seconds
Megan Greene on How to Use Monetary and Fiscal Policy to Fight the Coronavirus Crisis
Megan Greene is a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and a senior fellow in international economics at Chatham House. Formerly, Megan was a chief economist on Wall Street and she currently has a bi-weekly column in the Financial Times on global macroeconomics. She joins the show today to talk about the coronavirus and the appropriate policy response to it as well as the future countercyclical macro policy in the United States. David and Megan also discuss the Fed’s future framework, arguments against the recent 50 basis point rate cut, and why the Fed should consider following the ECB’s lead on TLTROs as well as negative interest rates. Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings Megan’s Twitter: @economistmeg Megan’s website: https://economistmeg.com/about/ Related Links: *Coronavirus May Be Worse Than Wall Street Is Wagering* by Megan Greene https://www.ft.com/content/44c9391c-5489-11ea-a1ef-da1721a0541e David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/11/2020 • 56 minutes, 14 seconds
Ben Moll on the Basics of HANK Models and How They Can Be Applied to Policymaking
Ben Moll is a professor of economics at the London School of Economics, and is well known for his work on income and wealth distribution in macroeconomics and its implications for policy. Ben joins the show today to talk about this work and provide a look into the growing field of heterogeneous agent models. David and Ben also discuss the history of macro thought, the implications of different transmission mechanisms of monetary policy, and what HANK models mean for forward guidance and other more general makeup policies. The transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings Ben’s Twitter: @ben_moll Ben’s LSE website: https://benjaminmoll.com/ Related Links: *Monetary Policy According to HANK* by Greg Kaplan, Ben Moll, and Giovanni Violante https://www.princeton.edu/~moll/HANK.pdf *Household Balance Sheet Channels of Monetary Policy: A Back of the Envelope Calculation for the Euro Area* by Jiri Slacalek, Oreste Tristani, and Giovanni Violante https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=14245 *Heterogeneous Agents Macroeconomics Has a Long History, and it Raises Many Questions* by Beatrice Cherrier https://beatricecherrier.wordpress.com/2018/11/28/heterogeneous-agent-macroeconomics-has-a-long-history-and-it-raises-many-questions/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/9/2020 • 58 minutes, 30 seconds
Scott Sumner on How Central Banks Should Respond to the Coronavirus Threat
Scott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a returning guest to Macro Musings. Scott joins the show today to talk about the recent market turmoil caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus and its implications for monetary policy. David and Scott also discuss how the Fed should respond to a possible pandemic, why monetary policy is preferable to fiscal policy during a crisis, and how to approach the central bank credibility problem. Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings Scott’s blog: https://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/scott-sumner Related Links: *It’s Time for the Fed to Take On the Coronavirus Threat* by David Beckworth https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/02/its-time-for-the-fed-to-take-on-the-coronavirus-threat/ *The Era of Fed Power is Over. Prepare for a More Perilous Road Ahead.* by Greg Ip https://www.wsj.com/articles/shrinking-influence-of-central-banks-ends-decades-of-business-as-usual-11579103829?mod=rsswn David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/2/2020 • 54 minutes, 9 seconds
Paul Schmelzing on the ‘Suprasecular’ Decline of Global Real Interest Rates
Paul Schmelzing is an economic historian, a visiting scholar at the Bank of England and a postdoc at the Yale University School of Management. Paul has written an influential new paper on the long history of interest rates titled, "Eight centuries of global real interest rates, R-G, and the ‘suprasecular’ decline, 1311–2018." Specifically, Paul and David discuss the implications of this paper’s findings for secular stagnation theory, Thomas Piketty’s inegalitarian wealth spiral, and for macroeconomic policy more generally. Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings Paul’s Twitter: @paul_schmelzing Paul’s Harvard profile: https://scholar.harvard.edu/pfschmelzing/bio Related Links: * Eight Centuries of Global Real Interest Rates, R-G, and the ‘Suprasecular’ Decline, 1311–2018* by Paul Schmelzing https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/working-paper/2020/eight-centuries-of-global-real-interest-rates-r-g-and-the-suprasecular-decline-1311-2018 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/24/2020 • 1 hour, 6 seconds
Ernie Tedeschi on Output Gaps, Labor Markets, and the State of the Economy
Ernie Tedeschi is a policy economist and the head of fiscal analysis at Evercore ISI, a macro advisory firm. He is also an occasional contributor to The Upshot section at The New York Times. Previously, Ernie was a senior advisor and an economist at the US Department of Treasury. His research interests include the federal budget, monetary policy, and labor markets. Ernie joins the show to talk about output gaps, full employment, labor markets, and the state of the economy. Specifically, Ernie and David discuss Ernie’s recent articles titled *Participation in the Hot Labor Market* and *Pay is Rising Fastest for Low Earners, One Reason? Minimum Wages.* Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/monetary-policy Ernie’s Twitter: @ernietedeschi Ernie’s blog: https://medium.com/bonothesauro Related Links: *Participation and the Hot Labor Market* by Ernie Tedeschi https://medium.com/@employamerica/participation-and-the-hot-labor-market-a84ef77a3bb1 *Pay is Rising Fastest for Low Earners. One Reason? Minimum Wages.* by Ernie Tedeschi https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/upshot/minimum-wage-boost-bottom-earners.html *Labor Force Participation: Recent Developments and Future Prospects* by Stephanie Aaronson, Tomaz Cajner, Bruce Fallick, Felix Galbis-Reig, Christopher L. Smith, and William Wascher https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2495029 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/17/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 57 seconds
Brent Skorup on Autonomous Vehicles, Flying Cars, and Airspace as a Scarce Resource
Brent Skorup is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center where he specializes in transportation technology, telecommunications, aviation, and wireless policy. Brent also serves on the FCC’s broadband deployment advisory committee and the Texas Department of Transportation’s autonomous vehicle task force, and he has recent spoke on the topic of airspace design at the Global Air Traffic Management Conference in Dubai. He joins the show today to talk about the future of transportation, including flying cars and highways in the sky. Brent and David also discuss the concept of auctioning airspace, the macroeconomic implications of technological innovation, and how to build or improve infrastructure for autonomous vehicles in the future. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02102020/brent-skorup-autonomous-vehicles-flying-cars-and-airspace-scarce-resource Brent’s Twitter: @bskorup Brent’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/brent-skorup Related Links: *Your Flying Car Will Be Here Sooner Than You Think* by Brent Skorup https://www.wsj.com/articles/your-flying-car-will-be-here-sooner-than-you-think-1542327046 *Auctioning Airspace* by Brent Skorup https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/skorup-auctioning-airspace-mercatus-working-paper-v1.pdf *Smart Cities, Dumb Infrastructure* by Korok Ray & Brent Skorup https://www.mercatus.org/publications/technology-and-innovation/smart-cities-dumb-infrastructure *Auto Purchase Trends, Mobility as a Service, and Autonomous Vehicle Adoption* by Brent Skorup https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/auto-purchase-trends-mobility-service-and-autonomous-vehicle-adoption David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/10/2020 • 55 minutes, 34 seconds
Marc Lavoie on Canadian Central Bank Policy, Real-time Payments, and the Post-Keynesian Tradition
Marc Lavoie is a professor of economics at the University of Ottawa and an author a recent article on the Bank of Canada’s operating system. Marc is also the coauthor of a popular textbook titled, *Monetary Economics: An integrated Approach to Credit, Money, Income, Production, and Wealth.* He joins the show today to talk about these works and more. David and Marc also discuss differences between post-Keynesian and mainstream macroeconomics, the history and defining characteristics of Canada’s corridor operating system, and what ideal central bank policy might look like for Canada in the future. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02032020/marc-lavoie-canadian-central-bank-policy-real-time-payments-and-post Marc’s University of Ottawa profile: https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/members/942/profile Marc’s Institute for New Economic Thinking archive: https://www.ineteconomics.org/research/experts/mlavoie Related Links: *A System with Zero Reserves and with Clearing Outside of the Central Bank: The Canadian Case* by Marc Lavoie https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09538259.2019.1616922 *Monetary Economics: An Integrated Approach to Credit, Money, Income, Production and Wealth* by Wynne Godley and Marc Lavoie https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-137-08599-3 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/3/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 1 second
Joseph Gagnon on Central Banks’ Ability to Fight the Next Recession
Joseph Gagnon is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and formerly, a senior staffer at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Joseph is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he joins the show today to discuss his recent policy brief titled, “Are Central Banks Out of Ammunition to Fight a Recession? Not quite.” Specifically, David and Joseph discuss the variety of monetary policy tools available to central banks to combat the next recession (with special emphasis on the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Bank of Japan). Joseph also makes the case that the ECB should adopt a formal review of its monetary policy framework. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01242020/joseph-gagnon-central-banks%E2%80%99-ability-fight-next-recession Joseph’s Twitter: @GagnonMacro Joseph’s PIIE profile: https://www.piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/joseph-e-gagnon Related Links: *Are Central Banks Out of Ammunition to Fight a Recession? Not Quite.* by Joseph Gagnon & Christopher Collins https://www.piie.com/publications/policy-briefs/are-central-banks-out-ammunition-fight-recession-not-quite *Priorities for Review of the ECB’s Monetary Policy Strategy* by Jeremie Cohen-Setton, Christopher Collins, and Joseph Gagnon https://www.piie.com/commentary/speeches-papers/priorities-review-ecbs-monetary-policy-strategy *How Did Quantitative Easing Really Work? A New Methodology for Measuring the Fed's Impact on Financial Markets* by Ramin Toloui https://siepr.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/19-032.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/27/2020 • 57 minutes, 16 seconds
Macro Musings Producers’ Special – A Recap of 2019 and a Glimpse into the Future
Title: Macro Musings Producers’ Special – A Recap of 2019 and a Glimpse into the Future Description: To accompany the new year, David Beckworth is joined by the producers of Macro Musings, Marc and Carter, to talk about the highlights of the podcast throughout 2019, including their personal favorite episodes and the top episodes according to listener statistics. They also discuss some of the most important macroeconomic issues and events of the past year, including the yield curve inversion and ensuing recession speculation, the secular decline of interest rates, the Fed’s big 2019 review, and more. A massive thank you to all of our listeners who have tuned in over the past few years, and we hope you continue to tune in for more exciting content as we navigate through 2020. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Related Links: Producers’ Top 3 Episodes: Robert Graboyes: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/05132019/robert-graboyes-monetary-history-small-coins Bryan Cutsinger: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03292019/civil-war-and-economics-seigniorage Salim Furth: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/06242019/land-use-regulations-rise-nimbyism-and-options-reform Listeners’ Top 3 Episode: Peter Stella: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02182019/peter-stella-debt-safe-assets-and-central-bank-operations Tyler Cowen: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/07222019/tyler-cowen-culture-big-business-united-states Michael Strain: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03042019/populism-mmt-and-billionaires David’s Top 3 Episodes: Donald Kohn: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02012019/burns-powell Paul Tucker: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03252019/paul-tucker-central-bank-independence-and-unelected-power Alex Tabarrok: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/09092019/alex-tabarrok-elements-economic-growth-and-decline-dynamism
1/20/2020 • 56 minutes, 14 seconds
Eric Sims on New Keynesian Modelling and the Future of Macroeconomics in a Low Interest Rate Environment
Eric Sims is the chair of the economics department at the University of Notre Dame and is a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. Eric, along with his colleague, Cynthia Wu, have a number of recent papers addressing monetary policy in low interest rate environments, including a keynote paper presented this past summer at the Chicago Fed Conference that was part of the Fed's big review this year. He joins the show today to talk about this work, focusing on the latest developments in New Keynesian modelling and the current state of macroeconomic research. Specifically, David and Eric discuss the Four Equation New Keynesian Model, the Desirability of NGDP Targeting, and the welfare and cyclical implications of moderate trend inflation. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/eric-sims-new-keynesian-modelling-and-future-macroeconomics-low-interest-rate Eric’s Notre Dame profile: https://www3.nd.edu/~esims1/ Eric’s NBER archive: https://www.nber.org/people/eric_sims Related Links: *On the Desirability of Nominal GDP Targeting* by Julio Garin, Robert Lester, & Eric Sims https://www.nber.org/papers/w21420 *The Four Equation New Keynesian Model* by Eric Sims & Jing Cynthia Wu https://www.nber.org/papers/w26067 *Raise Rates to Raise Inflation? Neo-Fisherianism in the New Keynesian Model* by Julio Garin, Robert Lester, & Eric Sims* https://www.nber.org/papers/w22177 *On the Welfare and Cyclical Implications of Moderate Trend Inflation* by Guido Ascari, Louis Phaneuf, & Eric Sims* https://www.nber.org/papers/w21392 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/13/2020 • 1 hour, 29 seconds
Peter Conti-Brown on *Restoring the Promise of Federal Reserve Governance*
Peter Conti-Brown is an assistant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution. Peter is also a historian and a legal scholar specializing in the study of the Federal Reserve and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins the show today to talk about his new paper, *Restoring the Promise of Federal Reserve Governance*. Specifically, David and Peter discuss the institutional history of the Federal Reserve Board, the lack of transparency in the Fed appointment process, and why we should consider raising Fed governor salaries in the future. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01062020/peter-conti-brown-restoring-promise-federal-reserve-governance Peter’s Twitter: @PeterContiBrown Peter’s Wharton profile: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/petercb/ Related Links: *Restoring the Promise of Federal Reserve Governance* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/conti-brown-fed-governance-mercatus-working-paper-v1.pdf *John Williams May Be One of the Best Central Bankers – But That Doesn’t Mean He Should Run the New York Fed* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.brookings.edu/research/john-williams-may-be-one-of-the-best-central-bankers-but-that-doesnt-mean-he-should-run-the-new-york-fed/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/6/2020 • 55 minutes, 50 seconds
Josh Galper on the Current State of Repo Markets, Key Bottlenecks, and a Balanced Proposal to Restore Stability
Josh Galper is the managing principal of Finadium, an independent consultancy in capital markets based out of New York City. He joins the show today as part of a two week special on the Fed and repo markets, as he helps us take a look at recent repo market stress from the private sector. Specifically, David and Josh discuss the current state of US repo markets, key bottlenecks that have arisen in 2019, and a balanced proposal to restoring stability in capital markets. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12232019/josh-galper-current-state-repo-markets-key-bottlenecks-and-balanced Josh’s Twitter: @Finadium Josh’s Finadium profile: https://finadium.com/josh-galper-mba/ Related Links: Finadium’s homepage: http://finadium.com Finadium’s magazine: http://securitiesfinancemonitor.com *US Repo at Year-End 2019: The Hard Choices Ahead* by Josh Galper https://finadium.com/finadium-us-repo-at-year-end-2019-the-hard-choices-ahead/ *Are New Repo Participants Gaining Ground?* by Adam Copeland, Ira Selig, & Anya Tarascina https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2019/04/are-new-repo-participants-gaining-ground.html Repo week episode one: *George Selgin on Repo Market Stress, Fed Balance Sheet Volatility, and a Standing Repo Facility* https://macromusings.libsyn.com/george-selgin-on-repo-market-stress-fed-balance-sheet-volatility-and-a-standing-repo-facility David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/23/2019 • 53 minutes, 35 seconds
George Selgin on Repo Market Stress, Fed Balance Sheet Volatility, and a Standing Repo Facility
George Selgin is the director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and is a returning guest to the Macro Musings podcast. He joins the show today as part of a two week special on the Fed and repo markets, as he helps us take a look at recent repo market stress from the Fed’s perspective. Specifically, David and George discuss the basics of the Fed’s balance sheet, the problematic nature of the Treasury General Account and foreign repo pools, and how George would tweak standing repo facility proposals to more directly address balance sheet volatility. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12162019/george-selgin-repo-market-stress-fed-balance-sheet-volatility-and-standing George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *Stop the Presses! Or, How the Fed Can Avoid Reserve Shortages without Bulking-Up, Part 1* by George Selgin https://www.alt-m.org/2019/11/12/dtop-the-presses-or-how-the-fed-can-avoid-reserve-shortages-without-bulking-up-part-1/ *Stop the Presses! Or, How the Fed Can Avoid Reserve Shortages without Bulking-Up, Part 2* by George Selgin https://www.alt-m.org/2019/11/14/stop-the-presses-or-how-the-fed-can-avoid-reserve-shortages-without-bulking-up-part-2/ David’s Twitter thread on George’s proposal: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth/status/1202364853480017920 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/16/2019 • 58 minutes, 30 seconds
RE-AIR: Robert Samuelson on Paul Volcker and the Great Inflation
Robert Samuelson is an economics columnist for the Washington Post and spent several decades working at Newsweek, where he wrote on various economic topics. Robert is the author of several books, including *The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream in the Age of Entitlement* and *The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence*. He joins the show today to talk about the latter and its implications for today. David and Robert go in-depth about the Great Inflation, as they discuss the disagreement within macroeconomics during the 60s and 70s, the history and significance of the period, and how Ronald Reagan and Paul Volcker sought to end the inflation. Tributes to Paul Volcker: *Remembering Paul Volcker, The Man Who Tamed Inflation* by Scott Sumner https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/473963-remembering-paul-volcker-the-man-who-tamed-inflation *Paul Volcker’s Legacy* by Scott Sumner https://www.econlib.org/paul-volckers-legacy/ *How Paul Volcker Beat Inflation and Saved an Independent Fed* by Roger Lowenstein https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/how-paul-volcker-beat-inflation-and-saved-an-independent-fed/2019/12/10/7e58d7ae-1b64-11ea-87f7-f2e91143c60d_story.html *Paul Volcker Was Inflation’s Worst Enemy* by John Taylor https://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-volcker-was-inflations-worst-enemy-11575937617 *Paul A. Volcker, Fed Chairman Who Waged War on Inflation, Is Dead at 92* by Binyamin Appelbaum and Robert D. Hershey Jr. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/business/paul-a-volcker-dead.html Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12112019/robert-samuelson-paul-volcker-and-great-inflation Robert’s Washington Post profile & bio: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/robert-j-samuelson/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6e300b47761d Related Links: *The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence* by Robert J. Samuelson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/160295/the-great-inflation-and-its-aftermath-by-robert-j-samuelson/9780812980042/ *The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream in the Age of Entitlement* by Robert J. Samuelson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/160294/the-good-life-and-its-discontents-by-robert-samuelson/9780679781523/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/11/2019 • 57 minutes, 48 seconds
Jim Bianco on Negative Interest Rates, Low Inflation, and Yield Curve Expansion
Jim Bianco is the president of Bianco Research, a provider of data-driven insights into the global economy and financial markets, and is also a columnist for Bloomberg. Jim has 30-plus years of experience on Wall Street, and he joins the show today to talk about Fed policy, negative interest rates, and inflation. David and Jim also discuss the possibility of extending the yield curve, the Fed’s recent forays into the repo market, and what low interest rates mean for the economy moving forward. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12092019/jim-bianco-negative-interest-rates-low-inflation-and-yield-curve-expansion Jim’s Twitter: @biancoresearch Jim’s Bloomberg profile: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ABvwE0aTOvg/jim-bianco Related Links: *A History of Interest Rates* by Dick Sylla and Sidney Homer https://www.wiley.com/en-us/A+History+of+Interest+Rates%2C+4th+Edition-p-9780471732839 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/9/2019 • 59 minutes, 24 seconds
Claudia Sahm on the Sahm Rule and Using Big Data to Inform Policymaking
Claudia Sahm is the director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, and was formerly at the Board of Governors as a section chief in the Consumer Community Affairs Division as well as serving on the staff macro forecast. Claudia specializes in macroeconomics and household finance, and she joins the show today to talk about some of her work. David and Claudia also discuss her experience working at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the conception of the Sahm Rule, and the importance of big data for economic research and policymaking. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12022019/claudia-sahm-sahm-rule-and-using-big-data-inform-policymaking Claudia’s Twitter: @Claudia_Sahm Claudia’s Equitable Growth profile: https://equitablegrowth.org/people/claudia-sahm/ Related Links: *Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy* by the Brookings Institution https://www.brookings.edu/multi-chapter-report/recession-ready-fiscal-policies-to-stabilize-the-american-economy/ *Direct Stimulus Payments to Individuals* by Claudia Sahm https://www.brookings.edu/research/direct-stimulus-payments-to-individuals/ *Are We in a Recession? Experts Agree: Ask Claudia Sahm* by Kate Davidson https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-we-in-a-recession-experts-agree-ask-claudia-sahm-11572789602 *From Transactions Data to Economic Statistics: Constructing Real-Time, High-Frequency, Geographic Measures of Consumer Spending* by Aditya Aladangady, Shifrah Aron-Dine, Wendy Dunn, Laura Feiveson, Paul Lengermann, and Claudia Sahm https://www.nber.org/chapters/c14267 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/2/2019 • 57 minutes, 44 seconds
Carola Binder on Political Pressure and the Twin Deficits of Central Banking
Carola Binder is an assistant professor of economics at Haverford College and is an associate editor of the Journal of Money, Credit, and Central Banking. Carola is also a member of the CEPR Research and Policy Network on Central Bank Communication, and joins the show today to discuss her work on central banking and populism. David and Carola also discuss the link between central bank credibility and popularity, the twin deficits of central banking, and why NGDP targeting could be an easy transition point from current inflation targeting regimes. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11252019/carola-binder-political-pressure-and-twin-deficits-central-banking Carola’s Twitter: @cconces Carola’s blog: https://carolabinder.blogspot.com/ Related Links: *Political Pressure on Central Banks* by Carola Binder https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3244148 *Whose Expectations Augment the Phillips Curve?* by Carola Binder https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2789750 *Federal Reserve Communication and the Media* by Carola Binder https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2835574 *Comment on “Central Bank Accouncements: Big News for Little People” by Michael Lalma and Dmitri Vinogradov* by Carola Binder https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304393219301461 *We Asked Fed Watchers to Rate the Fed’s Communications – Here’s What We Found* by Peter Olson and David Wessel https://www.brookings.edu/research/we-asked-fed-watchers-to-rate-the-feds-communications/ *The Optimal Degree of Commitment to an Intermediate Monetary Target* by Kenneth Rogoff https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/rogoff/files/51_qje85.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/25/2019 • 55 minutes, 23 seconds
Binyamin Appelbaum on *The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society*
Binyamin Appelbaum is the lead writer on business and economics for the editorial board of The New York Times, and he was previously a Washington correspondent for The Times covering the Federal Reserve and other aspects of economic policy. Binyamin is also a returning guest to the show, and joins today to talk about his new book, *The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society*. David and Binyamin also discuss Milton Friedman’s influence on economic thought during the postwar era, the history of the emergence of supply side economics, and the consequences that have arisen from committing too strongly to free market principles. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11182019/binyamin-appelbaum-economists%E2%80%99-hour-false-prophets-free-markets-and Binyamin’s Twitter: @BCAppelbaum Binyamin’s New York Times profile: https://www.nytimes.com/by/binyamin-appelbaum Related Links: *The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society* by Binyamin Appelbaum https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/binyamin-appelbaum/the-economists-hour/9780316512329/ *Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country* by William Greider https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Secrets-of-the-Temple/William-Greider/9780671675561 *More from Less: The Surprising Story of How We Learned to Prosper Using Fewer Resources - and What Happens Next* by Andrew McAfee https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/More-from-Less/Andrew-McAfee/9781982103576 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/18/2019 • 58 minutes, 6 seconds
George Selgin on the Past, Present, and Future of a Real-time Payments System
George Selgin is the director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and is a returning guest to the Macro Musings podcast. Today, George joins the show to talk about recent developments in the payment system. Specifically, George and David discuss the history of attempted payment system solutions, the challenges and costs facing the implementation of a real-time payment system, and why we should care about this issue today. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11112019/george-selgin-past-present-and-future-real-time-payments-system George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *Federal Reserve Announces Plan to Develop a New Round-the-clock Real-time Payment and Settlement Service to Support Faster Payments* - Federal Reserve press release https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/other20190805a.htm David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/11/2019 • 56 minutes, 52 seconds
Henry Curr on Inflation, the Phillips Curve, and A New Monetarism
Henry Curr is the economics editor for The Economist magazine, and the author of a special report by the magazine on the phenomenon of low inflation now facing the global economy. Henry joins the show today to outline this report and the big questions surrounding low inflation. David and Curr also discuss the persistent low inflation of the present around the globe, why the Phillips Curve has broken down as a policy tool, and how technology may be causing inflation to miss its target set by central banks. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11042019/henry-curr-inflation-phillips-curve-and-new-monetarism Henry’s Twitter: @Henry_Curr Henry’s Economist profile: https://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/henry-curr/ Related Links: *Inflation is Losing its Meaning as an Economic Indicator* A Special Report by Henry Curr (note that this link includes many of the various pieces discussed during the episode) https://www.economist.com/special-report/2019/10/10/inflation-is-losing-its-meaning-as-an-economic-indicator *Alexa, How Much is it? Technology is Making Inflation Statistics an Unreliable Guide to the Economy* by Henry Curr https://www.economist.com/special-report/2019/10/10/technology-is-making-inflation-statistics-an-unreliable-guide-to-the-economy *Inflation in Emerging and Developing Economies: Evolution, Drivers, and Policies* Edited by Jongrim Ha, M. Ayhan Kose, and Franziska Ohnsorge https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/publication/inflation-in-emerging-and-developing-economies David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/4/2019 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 41 seconds
Diego Zuluaga on Libra, Real-time Payments, and the Legacy of the Community Reinvestment Act
Diego Zuluaga is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives where he covers financial technology and consumer credit, and before joining Cato, Diego was head of financial services and tech policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. He joins the show today to talk about his work within this policy area. David and Diego also discuss the future of cryptocurrencies, the fragmented nature of the US banking system, and the growing importance of fintech in our daily lives. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10282019/diego-zuluaga-libra-real-time-payments-and-legacy-community-reinvestment Diego’s Twitter: @DiegoZuluagaL Diego’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/diego-zuluaga Related Links: *New York’s Bank: The National Monetary Commission and the Founding of the Fed* by George Selgin https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/new-yorks-bank-national-monetary-commission-founding-fed *Fintech, Regulatory Arbitrage, and the Rise of Shadow Banks* by Greg Buchak, Gregor Matvos, Tomasz Piskorski, and Amit Seru https://www.nber.org/papers/w23288 *Of Libras and Zebras, Part One: What Are the True Financial Risks of the Facebook-Led Digital Currency? (Systemic Risk)* by Diego Zuluaga https://www.alt-m.org/2019/07/11/of-libras-and-zebras-part-one/ *Of Libras and Zebras, Part Two: What Are the True Financial Risks of the Facebook-Led Digital Currency? (Monopoly Risk)* by Diego Zuluaga https://www.alt-m.org/2019/07/16/of-libras-and-zebras-part-two/ *Of Libras and Zebras: What Are the True Financial Risks of the Facebook-Led Digital Curency? (Part III: National Security Risk)* by Diego Zuluaga https://www.cato.org/blog/libras-zebras-what-are-true-financial-risks-facebook-led-digital-currency-part-iii-national *The Community Reinvestment Act in the Age of Fintech and Bank Competition* by Diego Zuluaga https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/community-reinvestment-act-age-fintech-bank-competition David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/28/2019 • 59 minutes, 22 seconds
Frances Coppola on the Macroeconomics of Helicopter Drops
Frances Coppola is a former banker, financial writer, and an author of a recent book titled, *The Case for People’s Quantitative Easing*, and she joins the show today to talk about it. David and Frances also discuss the overall potential effectiveness of helicopter drops, how they would be deployed during future recessions, and the criticisms and concerns that have been levied against them. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10212019/frances-coppola-macroeconomics-helicopter-drops Frances’s Twitter: @Frances_Coppola Frances’s website: http://www.coppolacomment.com/ Related Links: *The Case for People’s Quantitative Easing* by Frances Coppola https://www.wiley.com/en-me/The+Case+For+People's+Quantitative+Easing-p-9781509531301 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/21/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 29 seconds
David Beckworth on the Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting
In this special episode of Macro Musings, the roles are reversed, and David Beckworth joins guest host Cardiff Garcia, host of NPR’s “The Indicator from Planet Money”, to talk about his newest paper, *Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting: A Guide to a Popular Framework for Monetary Policy*. David and Cardiff conduct a deep dive into the plumbing of this potential monetary regime, as they discuss some of the most the important questions surrounding it. Some of these questions include: what is nominal GDP level targeting, and how does it differ from the Fed's current inflation targeting framework? How does NGDP targeting deal with economic downturns and in a more effective manner than inflation targeting? How can this framework be properly communicated and explained to the public? David answers these questions and addresses further concerns and criticisms of NGDP targeting in this unique installment of Macro Musings. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10182019/david-beckworth-facts-fears-and-functionality-ngdp-level-targeting David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/david-beckworth Cardiff’s Twitter: @CardiffGarcia Cardiff’s NPR profile: https://www.npr.org/people/567164716/cardiff-garcia Related Links: *Facts, Fears, and Functionality of Nominal GDP Level Targeting: A Guide to a Popular Framework for Monetary Policy* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/facts-fears-and-functionality-ngdp-level-targeting *The Financial Stability Case for a Nominal GDP Target* by David Beckworth https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/springsummer-2019/financial-stability-case-nominal-gdp-target
10/16/2019 • 1 hour, 8 seconds
Srinivas Thiruvadanthai on the Sectoral Financial Balance Approach to Macroeconomics
Srinivas Thiruvadanthai is a managing director and the director of research at the Jerome Levy Forecasting Center. Sri joins the show today to talk about the sectoral financial balance approach to macroeconomics as well as the safe asset supply challenge. David and Sri also discuss the fallacy of composition in macroeconomics, post-Keynesianism and how it differs from mainstream economic thought, and potential solutions to help ease the cost of being the banker to the world. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10172019/srinivas-thiruvadanthai-sectoral-financial-balance-approach-macroeconomics Sri’s Twitter: @teasri Sri’s JLFC profile: https://www.levyforecast.com/about-us/srinivas-thiruvadanthai/ Related Links: *Monetary Economics: An Integrated Approach to Credit, Money, Income, Production and Wealth* by Wynne Godley and Marc Lavoie http://dl4a.org/uploads/pdf/Monetary+Economics+-+Lavoie+Godley.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/14/2019 • 57 minutes, 43 seconds
Bill Nelson on the Repo Market Stress, the Fed's Operating System, and the Prospects for a Standing Repo Facility
Bill Nelson is a chief economist at the Bank Policy Institute and was previously a deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board, where his responsibilities included monetary policy analysis, discount window policy analysis, and financial institution supervision. Bill has written widely on the Fed’s operating system, and he joins the show today to talk about it, as well as the recent turmoil in money markets. David and Bill also discuss the possibility of the Fed moving back to a corridor system, the stigma surrounding banks using the discount window, and the story of recent supply and demand dislocation in repo markets. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10072019/bill-nelson-repo-market-stress-feds-operating-system-and-prospects-standing Related Links: Link to supply and demand curves mentioned in the episode: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-repo-man-cometh.html *Two Little-Noticed and Self-Inflicted Causes of the Fed’s Current Monetary Policy Implementation Predicament* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/two-little-noticed-and-self-inflicted-causes-of-the-feds-current-monetary-policy-implementation-predicament/ *Fed at a Crossroads* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/fed-at-a-crossroad/ *Bank Regulations and Turmoil in Repo Markets* by Francisco Covas & Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/bank-regulations-and-turmoil-in-repo-markets/ *What Just Happened in Money Markets, and Why it Matters* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/what-just-happened-in-money-markets-and-why-it-matters/ *Impending Money Market Volatility Prompts Warning Light for LCR Tune-Up* by Bill Nelson & Brett Waxman https://bpi.com/impending-money-market-volatility-prompts-warning-light-for-lcr-tune-up/ *Design Challenges for a Standing Repo Facility* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/design-challenges-for-a-standing-repo-facility/ *A Former Fed Insider Explains the Internal Debate over QE3* by Bill Nelson https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2018/02/16/2198845/guest-post-a-former-fed-insider-explains-the-internal-debate-over-qe3/ *Get Up Off The Floor* By Bill Nelson https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/cochranepalermotaylor_currencies_ch9.pdf *FOMC Go Home* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/fomc-go-home/ *Understanding the Fed’s Implementation Framework Debate* by Bill Nelson https://bpi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Understanding_the_Fed’s_implementation_framework_debate_Review05.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/7/2019 • 58 minutes, 21 seconds
Jim Dorn on the History of Monetary Policy in Washington D.C. and its Future
Jim Dorn is the Vice President for Monetary Studies at the Cato Institute and is the director of Cato’s annual Monetary Policy Conference. Jim has written widely on Federal Reserve policy and monetary reform, and has also edited more than 10 books including *The Search for Stable Money* and *The Future of Money in the Information Age*. He joins the show today to talk about the history of monetary policy in Washington D.C. over the past four decades as well as some of his own recent work. David and Jim also discuss the issues covered at the most recent Cato Institute monetary policy conference, the recent mystery of low inflation, and Jim’s idea of an optimal monetary policy regime. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/10022019/jim-dorn-history-monetary-policy-washington-dc-and-its-future Jim’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/james-dorn Related Links: Registration for the Cato Institute Monetary Policy Conference: https://www.cato.org/events/37th-annual-monetary-conference *The Search for Stable Money: Essays on Monetary Reform* edited by James Dorn and Anna Schwartz https://www.amazon.com/Search-Stable-Money-Essays-Monetary/dp/0226158292 *The Future of Money in the Information Age* edited by James Dorn https://www.amazon.com/Future-Money-Information-Age/dp/1882577523 *the Political Economy of Inflation* by Fritz Machlup https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/1983/5/cj3n1-3.pdf *Has Monetarism Failed?* by Karl Brunner https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/803d/c8632bec26142f4c6b54f9e692c6acf2fe72.pdf *Should the Fed Be Constrained?* by Jeffrey Frankel https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/springsummer-2019/should-fed-be-constrained *Improving the Monetary Regime: The Case for U.S. Digital Cash* by Michael Bordo and Andrew Levin https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/springsummer-2019/improving-monetary-regime-case-us-digital-cash David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/30/2019 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds
Gregg Gelzinis on Reforming FSOC and How to Limit Future Financial Crises
Gregg Gelzinis is a policy analyst at the Center for American Progress where he focuses his work on financial institutions, financial markets, consumer finance policy, and financial regulation more broadly, and he joins the show today to talk about these issues. David and Gregg also discuss the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s (FSOC) inception, the tradeoffs between financial regulation and capital requirements, how the Fed could improve its stress testing. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/09232019/gregg-gelzinis-reforming-fsoc-and-how-limit-future-financial-crises Gregg’s Twitter: @FinGregg Gregg’s Center for American Progress profile: https://www.americanprogress.org/about/staff/gelzinis-gregg/bio/ Related Links: *Strengthening the Regulation and Oversight of Shadow Banks: Revitalizing the Financial Stability Oversight Council* by Gregg Gelzinis https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2019/07/18/471564/strengthening-regulation-oversight-shadow-banks/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/23/2019 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 34 seconds
Soumaya Keynes on Trade, Dollar Dominance, and the Highlights of Jackson Hole
Soumaya Keynes is the US economics editor for The Economist magazine, and she is also the co-host of *Trade Talks*, a podcast on all things trade, including trade policy, trade wars, and the future of trade. Soumaya joins the show today to talk about the general topic of trade, but also some other recent economic developments. David and Soumaya also discuss dollar dominance, the effects of trade policy on economic uncertainty, and the highlights, and major themes of the Kansas City Fed’s Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/09162019/soumaya-keynes-trade-dollar-dominance-and-highlights-jackson-hole Soumaya’s Twitter: @SoumayaKeynes Soumaya’s website: https://soumayakeynes.com/ Soumaya’s Economist profile: https://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/soumaya-keynes/ Related Links: *Soumaya Keynes Says Trump Trade Tweets Have Unleashed 'Bigger Uncertainty' Beyond Tariffs* https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/soumaya-keynes-says-trump-trade-tweets-have-unleashed-bigger-uncertainty-beyond *Trade Talks Podcast* hosted by Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Brown (PIIE) https://www.piie.com/trade-talks *18th Street Singers Website* http://www.18thstreetsingers.com/ *Riders on the Storm* by Oscar Jorda and Alan M. Taylor https://www.kansascityfed.org/~/media/files/publicat/sympos/2019/20190806taylorjorda.pdf?la=en *Discussion of “Riders on the Storm” by Oscar Jorda and Alan Taylor* by Kristin Forbes https://www.kansascityfed.org/~/media/files/publicat/sympos/2019/forbes_remarks_jh_2019_08_23.pdf?la=en *Mind the Gap in Sovereign Debt Markets: The U.S. Treasury Basis and the Dollar Risk Factor* by Arvind Krishnamurthy and Hanno Lustig https://www.kansascityfed.org/~/media/files/publicat/sympos/2019/ak%20jacksonhole%20conference%20paper%20on%20sovereign%20debt%20markets%20krishnamurthylustig.pdf?la=en *U.S. Monetary Policy and International Risk Spillovers* by Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan https://www.kansascityfed.org/~/media/files/publicat/sympos/2019/jh_paper_final_sep6.pdf?la=en David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/16/2019 • 49 minutes, 28 seconds
Alex Tabarrok on the Elements of Economic Growth and the Decline of Dynamism
Alex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University and holds the Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center. Alex has written widely on long run economic growth and joins the show today to talk about it. David and Alex also discuss how capital relates to economic growth, the impact of regulation on dynamism, and the important distinction between “catch-up” and “cutting edge” growth. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/09092019/alex-tabarrok-elements-economic-growth-and-decline-dynamism Alex’s Twitter: @ATabarrok Alex’s Mercatus profile: https://asp.mercatus.org/alexander-tabarrok Alex and Tyler’s blog: https://marginalrevolution.com/ Related Links: *Modern Principles of Economics* by Alex Tabarrok and Tyler Cowen https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/product/Loose-leaf--Version-for--Modern-Principles-of-Economics-4E--FlipIt-for-Survey-of-Economics-Six-Months-Access-4E-Online/p/131909872X *Is Regulation to Blame for the Decline in American Entrepreneurship?* by Alex Tabarrok and Nathan Goldschlag https://academic.oup.com/economicpolicy/article/33/93/5/4833996 *Population Growth and Technological Change: One Million B.C. to 1990* by Michael Kremer https://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~walker/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/kremer1993.pdf *Why are the Prices so Damn High?* by Alex Tabarrok and Eric Helland https://www.mercatus.org/publications/healthcare/why-are-prices-so-damn-high *The Value of Health and Longevity* by Kevin Murphy and Robert Topel https://www.nber.org/papers/w11405 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/9/2019 • 57 minutes, 48 seconds
Judge Glock on the Riefler-Keynes Doctrine and Monetary Policy During the Great Depression
Judge Glock is an economic historian and a scholar at the Cicero Institute in San Francisco. Judge’s research is focused on the Great Depression, and he has recently published a paper on an important idea shaping Federal Reserve policy during this time; the Riefler-Keynes Doctrine. He joins the show today to talk about this paper and the Great Depression. David and Judge also discuss the key ideas behind the Riefler-Keynes Doctrine, how it differs from the Real Bills Doctrine, and how this relates to the Fed’s response to the Great Depression. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/09022019/judge-glock-riefler-keynes-doctrine-and-monetary-policy-during-great Judge’s Twitter: @judgeglock Judge’s AIER profile: https://www.aier.org/staff/judge-glock Related Links: *The ‘Riefler-Keynes’ Doctrine and Federal Reserve Policy in the Great Depression* by Judge Glock https://read.dukeupress.edu/hope/article-abstract/51/2/297/137129/The-Riefler-Keynes-Doctrine-and-Federal-Reserve?redirectedFrom=fulltext *Pressuring the Fed is No Surefire Electoral Solution, Says Economic Historian* by Frank Fuhrig https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/pressuring-fed-no-surefire-electoral-solution-says-economic-historian David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/2/2019 • 59 minutes, 53 seconds
Thomas Hoenig on the Federal Reserve and the State of Banking in the US
Thomas Hoenig was vice-chair of the FDIC from 2012-2018 and in the 20 years prior to that he was also president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Thomas is currently a distinguished senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where he focuses on the long-term impact of the politicization of financial services, as well as the effects of government granted privileges and market performance. He joins the show today to talk about his career and some of the current issues in banking. David and Thomas also assess the effectiveness of quantitative easing, the advantages and disadvantages of opening up the Fed’s balance sheet to the public, and the debate between establishing an orderly liquidation authority vs a bankruptcy code. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/08262019/thomas-hoenig-federal-reserve-and-state-banking-us Thomas’ Twitter: @tom_hoenig Thomas’ Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/people/thomas-hoenig Related Links: *"Enormous" Pressure in Next Recession for Wider QE Purchases, Former FOMC Voter Predicts* by Frank Fuhrig https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/%E2%80%9Cenormous%E2%80%9D-pressure-next-recession-wider-qe-purchases-former-fomc-voter-predicts David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/26/2019 • 59 minutes, 31 seconds
Chris Crowe on Hedge Fund Perspectives and the Economic Implications of Brexit
Chris Crowe is head of economic research at Capula Investment Management, a London-based hedge fund, where he covers global economics, primarily the G10 countries plus China. Chris was previously UK economist at Barclays and prior to that he worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He joins the show today to give us the perspective of a macroeconomist from inside a hedge fund on markets, Brexit, and other current events as well as some of his own research. David and Chris also discuss central bank independence, the overall economic impacts of Brexit, and the implications of Jay Powell’s testimony at the Humphrey Hawkins. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/08192019/chris-crowe-hedge-fund-perspectives-and-economic-implications-brexit Related Links: *Safe Asset Supply Failing to Meet Demand, Economist Crowe Says* by Frank Fuhrig https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/safe-asset-supply-failing-meet-demand-economist-crowe-says *The International Impact of the Fed When the United states is a Banker to the World* by David Beckworth and Christopher Crowe https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/rulesforinternationalmonetarystability-ch2.pdf *Central Bank Independence and Transparency: Evolution and Effectiveness* by Christopher Crowe and Ellen Meade https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2008/wp08119.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/19/2019 • 58 minutes, 1 second
Aaron Klein on Real-time Payments and Financial Regulation
Aaron Klein is the director of the Center on Markets and Regulations at the Brookings Institution where, among other things, he focuses on financial regulations and real time payments. Aaron has written widely on real time payments and he joins the show today to talk about this issue, as they discuss the definition of real-time payments, how they could have a positive impact on limiting income inequality, and why the Fed is now interested in setting up its own real-time payments system. David and Aaron also discuss banking reform after the recession, the shadow banking system, and why a lack of bank failures may be a worrying signal. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/08122019/aaron-klein-real-time-payments-and-financial-regulation Aaron’s Twitter: @Aarondklein Aaron’s Brookings profile: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/aaron-klein/ Related Links: *Is China’s New Payment System the Future?* by Aaron Klein https://www.brookings.edu/research/is-chinas-new-payment-system-the-future/ *Round One: What Role Should the Federal Reserve Play in Developing a Faster Payments System?* Symposium featuring James Angel, Aaron Klein and George Selgin https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/round-one-what-role-should-federal-reserve-play-developing-faster-payments-system *Round Two: What Role Should the Federal Reserve Play in Developing a Faster Payments System?* Symposium featuring James Angel, Aaron Klein and George Selgin https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/round-two-what-role-should-federal-reserve-play-developing-faster-payments-system David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/12/2019 • 58 minutes, 31 seconds
Bonus Episode – Watch Party for the Fed’s Historic Interest Rate Cut
In this special bonus episode of Macro Musings, David Beckworth joins Employ America and several other monetary policy enthusiasts on the day of the July FOMC meeting to discuss what would be an historic event – the first interest rate cut executed by the Fed since December 2008, and the market reactions to this event. In addition to their discussion of this eventual rate cut, David and the other Fed watchers also get a chance to talk about Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Fed Board of Governors, the significance and aftermath of the recent Humphrey Hawkins hearing, how the Fed’s decision to cut parallels the European Central Bank, and more. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/08072019/bonus-episode-watch-party-fed%E2%80%99s-historic-interest-rate-cut Related Links: Employ America’s home page: https://employamerica.org/ Sam Bell’s Twitter: @sam_a_bell Skanda Amarnath’s Twitter: @IrvingSwisher Sam & Skanda’s bios: https://employamerica.org/about/ Soumaya Keynes’ Twitter: @SoumayaKeynes Soumaya’s website: https://soumayakeynes.com/ Soumaya’s Economist profile: http://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/soumaya-keynes/ Ryan Avent’s Twitter: @ryanavent Ryan’s Economist profile: https://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/ryan-avent/ Nick Bunker’s Twitter: @nick_bunker Nick’s Indeed profile: https://www.hiringlab.org/author/nbunker/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/7/2019 • 37 minutes, 27 seconds
Evan Koenig on the Fed’s Review Period, Monetary Regimes, and Yield Curves
Evan Koenig is a senior vice president and a principal policy advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas where he has been since 1988. Evan joins the show today to talk about his time at the Fed and some of his research. David and Evan also discuss where the Federal Reserve’s review is going in the next six months, Evan’s preferred version of nominal GDP targeting, and how important the yield curve is relative to other credit indicators. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/08052019/evan-koenig-feds-review-period-monetary-regimes-and-yield-curves Evan’s Dallas Fed bio: https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economists/koenig.aspx Evan’s research profile: https://ideas.repec.org/f/pko435.html Related Links: *Like a Good Neighbor: Monetary Policy, Financial Stability, and the Distribution of Risk* by Evan Koenig https://www.ijcb.org/journal/ijcb13q2a3.pdf *Credit Indicators as Predictors of Economic Activity: A Real-Time VAR Analysis* by N Kundan Kishor and Evan Koenig https://econpapers.repec.org/article/wlyjmoncb/v_3a46_3ay_3a2014_3ai_3a2-3_3ap_3a545-564.htm *Methods of Policy Accommodation at the Interest-Rate Lower Bound* by Michael Woodford https://www.kansascityfed.org/publicat/sympos/2012/mw.pdf?sm=jh083112-4 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/5/2019 • 52 minutes, 37 seconds
Ulrich Bindseil on Central Bank Operating Systems
Ulirch Bindseil is currently the director general of the Directorate General Market Operations at the European Central Bank (ECB), and in November he will become the director general of Market Infrastructure and Payments at the ECB. Ulrich has written widely on central banking operative frameworks, including a textbook, and is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on operating systems. He joins the show today to talk about these frameworks and much more. David and Ulrich also discuss the debate between floor and corridor systems, the principles for evaluating operating frameworks, and the big lessons central bankers have learned from the past decade. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/07292019/ulrich-bindseil-central-bank-operating-systems Ulrich’s ECB paper archive: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/research/authors/profiles/ulrich-bindseil.en.html Ulrich’s ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ulrich_Bindseil Related Links: *Evaluating Monetary Policy Frameworks* by Ulrich Bindseil https://www.kansascityfed.org/~/media/files/publicat/sympos/2016/econsymposium-bindseil-paper2.pdf?la=en *Central Banking Before 1800: A Rehabilitation* by Ulrich Bindseil https://global.oup.com/academic/product/central-banking-before-1800-9780198849995?prevNumResPerPage=60&lang=en&cc=gb David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/29/2019 • 59 minutes, 48 seconds
Tyler Cowen on the Culture of Big Business in the United States
Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University and is the co-author of the popular economics blog, Marginal Revolution. Tyler has published widely in economics and is the author of numerous books including his 2017 book, *The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream.* As a returning guest to the show, however, he joins today to talk about his newest book, *Big Business: A Love Letter to an American Anti-Hero.* David and Tyler also discuss many aspects of big business, including its common critiques, the fallacy of the monopoly in America, and how income inequality has become tied to the firm. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/07222019/tyler-cowen-culture-big-business-united-states Tyler’s Twitter: @tylercowen Tyler’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/tyler-cowen Tyler and Alex’s blog: https://marginalrevolution.com/ Related Links: *Big Business: A Love Letter to an American Anti-Hero* by Tyler Cowen https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250110541 *The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream* by Tyler Cowen https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-complacent-class/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/22/2019 • 58 minutes, 41 seconds
Joe Gagnon on Currency Manipulation, Trade Imbalances, and Libra
Joe Gagnon is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics where he has been since September 2009. Previously, Joe worked for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as a senior economist and the associate director of both the Division of International Finance and the Division of Monetary Affairs, and he has also served at the US Treasury Department. Joe is a returning guest to Macro Musings and joins the show today to talk about the growing interest among U.S. politicians in managing the currency to help facilitate trade imbalances. David and Joe also discuss the policy implications of trade imbalances, the new Libra currency, and how to us countervailing currency intervention to combat currency manipulation. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/07152019/currency-manipulation-trade-imbalances-and-libra Joe’s Twitter: @GagnonMacro Joe’s PIIE profile: https://www.piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/joseph-e-gagnon?author_id=653 Related Links: *Currency Conflict and Trade Policy: A New Strategy for the United States* by Joe Gagnon and Fred Bergsten https://www.piie.com/bookstore/currency-conflict-and-trade-policy-new-strategy-united-states *The Financial Market Effects of the Federal Reserve’s Large-Scale Asset Purchases* by Joe Gagnon, Matthew Raskin, Julie Remache, and Brian Sack https://www.ijcb.org/journal/ijcb11q1a1.htm *A Plan for Economic Patriotism* proposal by Elizabeth Warren https://medium.com/@teamwarren/a-plan-for-economic-patriotism-13b879f4cfc7 *Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen Reinhart, and Kenneth Rogoff* https://www.nber.org/papers/w23134 *Did France Cause the Great Depression* by Douglas Irwin https://www.nber.org/papers/w16350 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/15/2019 • 53 minutes, 45 seconds
Heather Boushey on Income Inequality and Automatic Stabilizers
Heather Boushey is the executive director at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a think tank founded to accelerate cutting edge analysis into whether and how structural changes in the US economy affect economic growth. Heather recently co-edited a book titled, *Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy,* and she joins the show today to discuss it. David and Heather also discuss income inequality, automatic stabilizers for fiscal policy, and how monetary policy intersects with these issues. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/07082019/income-inequality-and-automatic-stabilizers Heather’s Twitter: @HBoushey Heather’s Equitable Growth profile: https://equitablegrowth.org/people/heather-boushey/ Related Links: Equitable Growth’s funded research page: https://equitablegrowth.org/elevating-research/funded-research/ *Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy* by Heather Boushey, Ryan Nunn, and Jay Shambaugh https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ES_THP_AutomaticStabilizers_FullBook_web_20190513.pdf *Public Infrastructure Investments, Productivity and Welfare in Fixed Geographic Areas* by Andrew Haughwout https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr104.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/8/2019 • 56 minutes
Jeffry Frieden on the Rise of Populism, Labor Mobility, and the Eurozone
Jeffry Frieden is a professor of government at Harvard University where he specializes in the politics of international monetary and financial relations. Jeff is the author of many articles and books including *Currency Politics: The Political Economy of Exchange Rate Policy* and *Lost Decades: The Making of America’s Debt Crisis and the Long Recovery*. He joins the show today to talk about some of his work. David and Jeff also explore what has led to the recent rise in populism across the nation, the difficulty of interregional labor mobility and its economic effects, and current issues within the Eurozone. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/07012019/rise-populism-labor-mobility-and-eurozone Jeff’s Twitter: @jafrieden Jeff’s Harvard profile: https://scholar.harvard.edu/jfrieden Related Links: *Currency Politics: The Political Economy of Exchange Rate Policy* by Jeffry Frieden https://press.princeton.edu/titles/10364.html *Lost Decades: The Making of America’s Debt Crisis and the Long Recovery* by Jeffry Frieden https://scholar.harvard.edu/jfrieden/publications/lost-decades-making-americas-debt-crisis-and-long-recovery *Populism in Place: The Economic Geography of the Globalization Backlash* by J. Lawrence Broz, Jeffry Frieden, and Stephen Weymouth https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jfrieden/files/populism_in_place_v1.3_0.pdf *Wall Street is Desperate for Wonks Who Can Explain the Rise of Populism* by Craig Torres https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-04/wall-street-is-desperate-for-wonks-who-can-explain-the-rise-of-populism *Why Has Regional Income Convergence in the U.S. Declined?* by Peter Ganong and Daniel Shoag https://www.nber.org/papers/w23609 *Going to Extremes: Politics After Financial Crises, 1870-2014* by Manuel Funke, Moritz Schularick, and Christoph Trebesch https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2688897 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/1/2019 • 52 minutes, 1 second
Salim Furth on Land Use Regulations, the Rise of NIMBYism, and Options for Reform
Salim Furth is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center where he studies regional, urban, and macroeconomic trends and policies. Salim joins the show today to talk about some of his work on housing supply in the United States and its implications for policy. David and Salim also discuss the problems that arise from rigid zoning laws, the rise of NIMBYism, and possible ways to conduct regulatory zoning reform. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/06242019/land-use-regulations-rise-nimbyism-and-options-reform Salim’s Twitter: @salimfurth Salim’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/people/salim-furth Related Links: *Housing Supply in the 2010s* by Salim Furth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/state-and-local-regulations/housing-supply-2010s *Do Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Limit Housing Supply in Texas?* by Nolan Gray and Salim Furth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/urban-economics/do-minimum-lot-size-regulations-limit-housing-supply-texas *The Link Between Local Zoning Policy and Housing Affordability in America’s Cities* by Kevin Erdmann, Salim Furth, and Emily Hamilton https://www.mercatus.org/publications/urban-economics/link-between-local-zoning-policy-and-housing-affordability-america%E2%80%99s David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/24/2019 • 59 minutes, 27 seconds
Sam Bell and Skanda Amarnath on Gross Labor Income Targeting
Sam Bell and Skanda Amarnath are a part of a new organization called Employ America, a new research and advocacy organization that aims to get better labor market outcomes. Sam is also known on “FOMC Twitter” as an influencer when it comes to nominations for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Skanda is a former hedge fund economist and New York Federal Reserve research economist. Sam and Skanda join the show today to talk about gross labor income targeting and the future path of Federal Reserve policy. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/06172019/sam-bell-and-skanda-amarnath-gross-labor-income-targeting Sam’s Twitter: @sam_a_bell Skanda’s Twitter: @IrvingSwisher About Employ America: https://employamerica.org/about/ Related Links: *Floor It! Fixing the Fed’s Framework with Paychecks, Not Prices* by Skanda Amarnath https://medium.com/@skanda_97974/floor-it-fixing-the-feds-framework-with-paychecks-not-prices-78171423e9c1 *The Quick and Dirty Case for Cutting 50bps at the June 2019 FOMC Meeting* by Skanda Amarnath https://medium.com/@skanda_97974/the-quick-and-dirty-case-for-cutting-50bps-at-the-june-2019-fomc-meeting-c0e06616f0ad *Fed Inches Toward Rate Cut as Trade War Frays Patience* by Christopher Condon and Steve Matthews https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-05/fed-inches-toward-rate-cut-as-trump-s-trade-war-frays-patience David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/17/2019 • 58 minutes, 20 seconds
Daniel Griswold on the USMCA, Tariffs, and the US Trade War
Daniel Griswold is a research fellow and co-director of the Trade and Immigration Project at the Mercatus Center. Dan is a nationally recognized expert on trade and immigration policy and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins the show today to help get us up to speed on the latest developments in issues on the ever-expanding US trade war with the rest of the world. David and Dan also discuss the USMCA, the negative aspects and seriousness of the trade war, and US intellectual property disputes with China. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/06112019/usmca-tariffs-and-us-trade-war Dan’s Twitter: @DanielGriswold Dan’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/daniel-griswold Dan’s blog: https://madabouttrade.com/ Related Links: *Trump’s China Trade War Meets the Retailpocalypse* by Felix Salmon https://www.axios.com/us-china-trade-war-retail-apocalypse-50f85f2a-e287-4f22-936c-ef1c39c8897c.html *The Impact of the 2018 Trade War on U.S. Prices and Welfare* by Mary Amiti, Stephen J. Redding, David Weinstein https://www.nber.org/papers/w25672 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/10/2019 • 58 minutes, 50 seconds
Mike Bird on Japanese Monetary Policy, Yield Curve Control, and the US-China Trade War
Mike Bird is a Hong Kong based reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering financial markets across Asia, and he previously worked in the Journal’s London bureau. Mike is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he joins the show today to talk about some recent developments in the Asian economies. More specifically, David and Mike discuss Japan’s activist monetary policy, yield curve control, and recent events within the Chinese economy. Transcript for the episode: (coming soon) Mike’s Twitter: @birdyword Mike’s Wall Street Journal profile: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/mike-bird Related Links: *Japan Is Giving Up on Activist Monetary Policy* by Mike Bird https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-is-giving-up-on-activist-monetary-policy-11556271835 *The Fed Would Struggle to Match Japan’s Bond Market Control* by Mike Bird https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-fed-would-struggle-to-match-japans-bond-market-control-11557480894 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/3/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
Robert Samuelson on the Great Inflation, Its History and Its Legacy
Robert Samuelson is an economics columnist for the Washington Post and spent several decades working at Newsweek, where he wrote on various economic topics. Robert is the author of several books, including *The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream in the Age of Entitlement* and *The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence*. He joins the show today to talk about the latter and its implications for today. David and Robert go in-depth about the Great Inflation, as they discuss the disagreement within macroeconomics during the 60s and 70s, the history and significance of the period, and how Ronald Reagan and Paul Volcker sought to end the inflation. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/05282019/great-inflation-its-history-and-its-legacy Robert’s Washington Post profile & bio: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/robert-j-samuelson/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6e300b47761d Related Links: *The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence* by Robert J. Samuelson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/160295/the-great-inflation-and-its-aftermath-by-robert-j-samuelson/9780812980042/ *The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream in the Age of Entitlement* by Robert J. Samuelson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/160294/the-good-life-and-its-discontents-by-robert-samuelson/9780679781523/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/27/2019 • 57 minutes, 1 second
Dylan Matthews on Nine Ways to Prevent Future Recessions
Dylan Matthews is a senior correspondent with Vox where he covers a wide array of topics including immigration policy, universal basic income, education policy, effective altruism, animal welfare, and global development. Dylan is one of Vox’s original founders and he has also previously worked for Wonkblog at the Washington Post. He joins the show today to discuss one of his most recent articles on business cycles, titled *The Government Failed to Stop the Last Recession. It Can Prevent the Next One*, as well as some of his other work on the subject. David and Dylan also discuss recessions at length, exploring what we know about them, why we should worry about them, and outlining 9 potential policy options to help prevent recessions in the future. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/05202019/nine-ways-prevent-future-recessions Dylan’s Twitter: @dylanmatt Dylan’s Vox profile: https://www.vox.com/authors/dylan Related Links: *Why I Gave My Kidney to a Stranger – and Why You Should Consider Doing it too* by Dylan Matthews https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/4/11/12716978/kidney-donation-dylan-matthews *The Government Failed to Stop the Last Recession. It Can Prevent the Next One* by Dylan Matthews https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/3/29/18279205/recession-unemployment-inverted-yield-curve-stimulus-policy David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/20/2019 • 58 minutes, 12 seconds
Robert Graboyes on Monetary History of Small Coins
Robert Graboyes is a senior research fellow and health economist at the Mercatus Center and has formerly worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Chase Manhattan Bank. Robert joins the show today to talk about monetary history and specifically the history of small coins. David and Robert also discuss a number of different coins and the history surrounding them, ranging from civil war tokens to early Roman currencies. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/05132019/robert-graboyes-monetary-history-small-coins Robert’s Twitter: @Robert_Graboyes Robert’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/robert-graboyes Related Links: *Anticipations of the General Theory?* by Don Patinkin https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo5964857.html *Notre-Dame and the Myth of Timelessness* By Robert Graboyes https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/notre-dame-and-myth-timelessness Coins discussed during the interview: 20th century token from Kopper’s Stores, a coal mine company store in West Virginia: https://i.imgur.com/T6wBLX7.jpg A coin from Diocletian: https://i.imgur.com/9wZCdj2.jpg Groat (four pence) piece from Henry VII: https://i.imgur.com/bkxbK8j.jpg U.S. Trade Dollar, designed specifically for use only in the Orient: https://i.imgur.com/cXPNwr6.jpg Civil War token, used as private coinage during the wartime inflation and metal shortage: https://i.imgur.com/HzLlIAb.jpg Trade token, origin unknown: https://i.imgur.com/3LFt03B.jpg David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/13/2019 • 57 minutes, 12 seconds
David Andolfatto on a Standing Repo Facility, Safe Asset Shortage, and the Fed's Low Inflation Problem
David Andolfatto is a vice president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank and is published widely in the field of monetary economics. He also blogs at MacroMania, and has recently published on issues such as the zero lower bound, the symmetry of the Fed’s inflation target, a new standing repo facility, and MMT. David is a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he joins the show today to talk about these issues. David and David also discuss the safe asset shortage, average and flexible inflation targeting, and the legal, political, and economic restraint surrounding negative interest rates. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/05062019/safe-assets-symmetric-inflation-and-mmt David Andolfatto’s Twitter: @dandolfa David Andolfatto’s blog: http://andolfatto.blogspot.com/ Related Links: *Is Low Inflation Really a Mystery?* by David Beckworth https://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2019/04/is-low-inflation-really-mystery.html *Why the Fed Should Create a Standing Repo Facility* by David Andolfatto and Jane Ihrig https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2019/march/why-fed-create-standing-repo-facility David Beckworth’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Disclaimer: Anything that David Andolfatto says reflects his own personal views and not the views of the Federal Reserve.
5/6/2019 • 59 minutes, 47 seconds
Alexandra Scaggs on Bond Markets, the Treasury Yield Curve, and MMT
Alexandra Scaggs is a senior writer at Barron’s covering financial markets with a special emphasis on bond markets, and she previously wrote news and commentary for the Financial Times and for Bloomberg. Alexandra joins the show today to talk about the current state of bond markets and what it means for the economy. David and Alexandra also discuss corporate debt, the inversion of the treasury yield curve, and the lasting impact of the modern monetary theory debate. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/04292019/bond-markets-and-macroeconomics Alexandra’s Twitter: @alexandrascaggs Alexandra’s Barron’s profile: https://www.barrons.com/authors/8576 Related Links: *Negative-Yielding Bonds Top $9 Trillion as Growth Worries Return* by Adam Haigh https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-14/negative-yielding-bonds-top-9-trillion-as-growth-worries-return David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/29/2019 • 51 minutes, 54 seconds
Andrew Park on the Implications of Collateralized Loan Obligations
Andrew Park is a senior editor at S&P LCD and is one of the foremost experts on collateralized loan obligations and the leverage loan market. Andrew also writes daily on what’s going on in the collateralized loan obligations (CLO) market and his data is the basis for most of the reporting on this topic in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and by many policymakers. He joins the show today to talk about CLOs and their implications for the financial system and, more generally, the economy. David and Andrew also discuss the leveraged loan market, the differences between CDOs and CLOs, and the Fed’s most recent rate hikes. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/04222019/andrew-park-loans-financial-system-and-economy Andrew’s Twitter: @apark_ Andrew’s Forbes profile & archive: https://www.forbes.com/sites/spleverage/people/andrewparksp/#18bc9eb1102d Related Links: *Wall Street’s Billionaire Machine, Where Almost Everyone Gets Rich* by Tom Metcalf, Tom Maloney, Sally Bakewell, and Christopher Cannon https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-collateralized-loan-obligations/ *U.S. Leveraged Loan Market: Plenty of Risk, But Not Systemic* by Beth MacLean https://www.pimco.com/en-us/insights/viewpoints/us-leveraged-loan-market-plenty-of-risk-but-not-systemic/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/22/2019 • 58 minutes, 12 seconds
Eric Lonergan on Helicopter Drops and How to Improve Monetary Policy
Eric Lonergan is macro hedge fund manager, and economist, and a writer. He has written for Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, and has authored the book *Money (The Art of Living)*. More recently, Eric has also co-authored a new book called *Angrynomics*. He joins the show today to talk about how to improve policymakers’ responses to recessions. David and Eric also discuss helicopter drops, dual interest rates, and how governments can make monetary policy more direct. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/04152019/how-respond-recessions Eric’s Twitter: @ericlonners Eric’s blog: https://www.philosophyofmoney.net/blog/ Related Links: *Money: The Art of Living* by Eric Lonergan https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/money/486535FC2BE6ADB342A82A668584AE71 *Fixing the Euro Zone and Reducing Inequality, Without Fleecing the Rich* by Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth https://hbr.org/2015/01/fixing-the-euro-zone-and-reducing-inequality-without-fleecing-the-rich David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/15/2019 • 56 minutes, 55 seconds
Yair Listokin on the Convergence of Law and Macroeconomics
Yair Listokin is a professor of law at Yale Law School and is the author of a new book titled, *Law and Macroeconomics*. He joins the show today to talk about the book as well as some of his new work. David and Yair also discuss sovereign wealth funds, the legal limits of central banks, and how to expand fiscal policy while making it more effective. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/04082019/law-and-macroeconomics Yair’s Yale Law School profile: https://law.yale.edu/yair-listokin Related Links: *Law and Macroeconomics: Legal Remedies to Recessions* by Yair Listokin http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976054 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/8/2019 • 59 minutes, 34 seconds
Bryan Cutsinger on Seigniorage and the Monetary Economics of the Civil War
Bryan Cutsinger is an economist affiliated with Angelo State as well as Texas Tech University and recently published an article titled *Seigniorage in the Civil War South*. He joins the show today to talk about this article, the monetary history of the Civil War, and the economics of Seigniorage. David and Bryan also discuss how both the North and the South financed the war and why the South made some counterintuitive decisions in how they conducted monetary policy. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03292019/civil-war-and-economics-seigniorage Bryan’s website: https://www.bryancutsinger.com/ Bryan’s George Mason profile: https://economics.gmu.edu/people/bcutsing Related Links: *Seigniorage in the Civil War South* by Bryan Cutsinger and Joshua Ingber https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014498318300470 *The Gold Standard as a Rule: An Essay in Exploration* by Michael Bordo and Finn Kydland https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014498385710194 *Financial Failure and Confederate Defeat* by Douglas Ball https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Failure-Confederate-Defeat-Douglas/dp/0252017552 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
4/1/2019 • 58 minutes, 9 seconds
Paul Tucker on Central Bank Independence and *Unelected Power*
Paul Tucker is a 33-year veteran of the Bank of England where he served as both a member and deputy governor of the Monetary Policy Committee. Currently, Paul is a senior fellow at Harvard and a chair at the Systemic Risk Council. He has also recently authored a book, *Unelected Power: The Quest for Legitimacy in Central Banking and the Regulatory State* and joins the show today to discuss talk about it. David and Paul also discuss central bank independence and justifications for the existence of a regulatory state as well as Paul’s “principles for delegation” criteria. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03252019/paul-tucker-central-bank-independence-and-unelected-power Paul’s website: http://paultucker.me/ Paul’s Harvard University profile: https://ces.fas.harvard.edu/people/001970-paul-tucker Related Links: *Unelected Power: The Quest for Legitimacy in Central Banking and the Regulatory State* by Paul Tucker https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11240.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/25/2019 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 53 seconds
James Broughel on the Social Discount Rate
James Broughel is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and an adjunct professor of law at George Mason University Law School. James specializes in state and federal regulatory procedures, cost-benefit analysis, and economic growth. He joins the show today to talk about a recent symposium he hosted on the social discount rate; what it is, its uses, and the controversy surrounding how to measure it. David and James also discuss cost-benefit analysis in the regulatory world and why the social discount rate matters for policy. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03182019/discounting-future James’ Twitter: @JamesBroughel James’ Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/james-broughel Related Links: *The Social Rate of Time Preference and the Social Discount Rate* by Mark Moore and Adam Vining https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/moore_and_vining_-_mercatus_research_-_a_social_rate_of_time_preference_approach_to_social_discount_rate_-_v1.pdf *The Appropriate Measure of the Social Discount Rate and Its Role in the Analysis of Policies with Long-Run Consequences* by David Burgess https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/burgess_-_mercatus_research_-_the_appropriate_measure_of_the_social_discount_rate_and_its_role_in_the_analysis_of_policies_with_long-run_consequences_-_v1.pdf *The Unsettled Matter of Discounting the Future* by James Broughel https://www.mercatus.org/publications/regulation/social-discount-rate/unsettled-matter-discounting-future *Equity or Efficiency? The Battle for the Soul of Benefit-Cost Analysis* by James Broughel https://www.mercatus.org/publications/regulatory-analysis/equity-or-efficiency-battle-soul-benefit-cost-analysis Amazon link to James’ former band *Levy*: https://www.amazon.com/Levy/e/B001LHXCE2/ref=dp_byline_cont_music_1 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/18/2019 • 1 hour, 12 seconds
Ryan Avent on Hyperinflation and the Fed’s New Dovish Direction
Ryan Avent is an economics columnist with The Economist magazine and is a previous guest of Macro Musings. He joins the show today to talk about some of his recent columns including work on hyperinflation, the Green New Deal, and Fed policy. David and Ryan also discuss the growing popularity of Modern Monetary Theory, the Fed’s dovish change in direction, and why hyperinflation is so devastating to a nation’s economy. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03112019/hyperinflation-and-mmt Ryan’s Twitter: @ryanavent Ryan’s Economist profile: http://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/ryan-avent/ Related Links: *Hyperinflations Can End Quickly, Given the Right Sort of Regime Change* by Ryan Avent https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2019/01/31/hyperinflations-can-end-quickly-given-the-right-sort-of-regime-change *Taking the Fed at its Word: Direct Estimation of Central Bank Objectives using Text Analytics* by Adam Shapiro & Daniel Wilson https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/wp2019-02.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/11/2019 • 55 minutes, 30 seconds
146 – Michael Strain on the Current State of the Economy, the Green New Deal, and Populism on the Left and Right
Michael Strain is the director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, Michael worked in the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Census Bureau and in the Macroeconomics Research Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He joins the show today to talk about recent developments in U.S. economic policy and some of his work on that topic. David and Michael also discuss the consequences of rising populism, MMT’s impact on tax policy, and the issues Americans should be most worried about. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/03042019/populism-mmt-and-billionaires Michael’s Twitter: @MichaelRStrain Michael’s AEI profile: https://www.aei.org/scholar/michael-r-strain/ Related Links: *Economic Shocks and Clinging* by Michael Strain and Stan Veuger https://ideas.repec.org/p/aei/rpaper/1004842.html *Wealth Inequality in the United States Since 1913: Evidence from Capitalized Income Tax Data* by Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman https://gabriel-zucman.eu/files/SaezZucman2014.pdf *Going to Extremes, Politics After Financial Crisis: 1870-2014* by Manuel Funke, Moritz Schularick, and Christoph Trebesch https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2688897 *Modern Monetary Theory is a Joke That’s Not Funny* by Michael Strain https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-01-17/modern-monetary-theory-would-sink-u-s-in-debt David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
3/4/2019 • 1 hour, 21 seconds
145 – George Selgin on *Floored!*
George Selgin is the director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Georgia, and a returning guest to show. For this special live episode, George joins Macro Musings to talk about his new book, *Floored: How a Misguided Fed Experiment Deepened and Prolonged the Great Recession.* David and George also discuss the liquidity coverage ratio, the Fed’s transition from a corridor to a floor system, and the arguments for and against such an operating system. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02252019/floors-and-corridors George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin Related Links: *The Fed Marches On* by George Selgin https://www.alt-m.org/2019/01/31/the-fed-marches-on/ *Balance Sheet News* blog post by Stephen Williamson http://newmonetarism.blogspot.com/2019/02/balance-sheet-news_21.html David Beckworth’s Twitter thread on the Fed’s decision to stick with a floor system: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth/status/1098956723501576192 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/25/2019 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 3 seconds
144 – Peter Stella on Debt, Safe Assets, and Central Bank Operations
Peter Stella is the managing director of Stellar Consulting and was formerly an IMF official where he led the central banking and monetary and foreign exchange divisions. Peter has researched and written extensively on safe assets, collateral, and central banking operations, and he joins the show today to discuss this work. David and Peter also discuss the Fed’s large scale asset purchases, money and payment systems in advanced economies, and why the U.S. Treasury should start issuing bills to the Fed. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02182019/peter-stella-debt-safe-assets-and-central-bank-operations Peter’s Voxeu profile: https://voxeu.org/users/peterstella0 Peter’s Research Gate archive: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter_Stella David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/18/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
143 – Rohan Grey on Digital Currency, Privacy, and Modern Monetary Theory
Rohan Grey is a legal scholar and the research director of the Digital Fiat Currency Institute. He joins the show today to make the case for digital legal tender. David and Rohan also discuss privacy issues related to digital currency, getting the public onboard with a digital currency proposal, modern monetary theory, and how it is different than mainstream economics. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02112019/future-digital-fiat-currency Rohan’s Twitter: @rohangrey Rohan’s Cornell profile: https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/degrees/graduate-legal-studies/JSD-Student-Profiles-Rohan-Grey.cfm Related Links: *Central Bank Digital Currency and the Future of Monetary Policy* by Michael Bordo and Andrew Levin https://www.nber.org/papers/w23711 *Winds of Change: The Case for New Digital Currency* by Christine Lagarde https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2018/11/13/sp111418-winds-of-change-the-case-for-new-digital-currency *The Case for Digital Legal Tender: The Macroeconomic Policy Implications of Digital Fiat Currency* by Rohan Grey and Jonathan Dharmapalan https://www.ecurrency.net/static/resources/201802/TheMacroeconomicImplicationsOfDigitalFiatCurrencyEVersion.pdf *Banking in a Digital Fiat Currency Regime* by Rohan Grey https://custom.cvent.com/20310C03166C4C11B1AA63B0D6300264/files/Event/6230e8320cad4d97a45b8dcdc6c44200/aaeeabdc5cee41f5a8ad0a7e869faed8.pdf *Mobile Finance in Developing Countries: Macroeconomic Implications and Potential* by Rohan Grey http://www.binzagr-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/WP-116.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/11/2019 • 59 minutes, 33 seconds
142 – Donald Kohn on Fed Policy from the 1970s to Today
Donald Kohn is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and currently serves as an external member of the Financial Policy Committee at the Bank of England. Donald is also a 40-year veteran of the Federal Reserve System, serving previously as a governor and then as vice-chair of the Board of Governors from 2002 to 2010. He joins the show today to talk about his journey through the Federal Reserve System in addition to some of his recent work. David and Donald also discuss Fed policy during the ‘80s, expanding the types of assets the Fed could purchase, and the challenges it faces today. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/02012019/burns-powell Donald’s Brookings profile: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/donald-kohn/ Donald’s Federal Reserve History biography: https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/donald_l_kohn Related Links: *The Anguish of Central Banking* by Arthur Burns http://www.perjacobsson.org/lectures/1979.pdf *Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country* by William Greider https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Secrets-of-the-Temple/William-Greider/9780671675561 *Keeping At It: The Quest for Sound Money and Good Government* by Paul Volcker https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/paul-volcker/keeping-at-it/9781541788299/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/4/2019 • 59 minutes, 2 seconds
RE-AIR - Kevin Erdmann on Housing Shortages and Their Role in the Great Recession
Kevin Erdmann is an independent researcher and blogger at Idiosyncratic Whisk, where he explores economic and financial topics such as housing, investment, and speculation. He is also the author of an upcoming book titled, *Shut Out: How a Housing Shortage Caused the Great Recession and Crippled Our Economy*, and he joins the show today to discuss it. David and Kevin also break down the housing shortage problem, as they explore how the limited supply of housing in close access cities may have helped fuel the Great Recession. NOTE: Although stated in the episode, Kevin's book was renamed to Shut Out. Locked Out was simply the working title at the time of the recording. Link to the book: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538122150/Shut-Out-How-a-Housing-Shortage-Caused-the-Great-Recession-and-Crippled-Our-Economy Discount code: 4S18MERC30 Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01282019/were-we-all-wrong-about-great-recession Kevin’s Twitter: @KAErdmann Kevin’s blog: http://idiosyncraticwhisk.blogspot.com/ Related Links: *A Slide Deck on the Bubble and Crisis* by Kevin Erdmann http://idiosyncraticwhisk.blogspot.com/p/a-slide-deck-on-bubble-and-crisis.html *Housing: Part 238 – Home Price Changes Over Time* by Kevin Erdmann http://idiosyncraticwhisk.blogspot.com/2017/06/housing-part-238-home-price-changes.html *Why Do Cities Matter? Local Growth and Aggregate Growth* by Enrico Moretti & Chang-Tai Hsieh https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=housing_law_and_policy David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/28/2019 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 24 seconds
141 – Christine McDaniel on Trade, China, and Intellectual Property
Christine McDaniel is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and was previously the deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Treasury Department and senior trade economist in the White House. Christine is a returning guest to Macro Musings and joins the show today to talk about recent trade developments. David and Christine also discuss the details of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, how Brexit affects trade issues in Europe, and the possibility of blowback from Trump’s trade policies. Transcript for episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01212019/china-usmca-uk-and-more Christine’s Twitter: @christinemcdan Christine’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/christine-mcdaniel Related Links: “Tariff man”: https://imgur.com/a/fcBuvKy *A Weakened China Tries a Different Approach With the U.S.: Treading Lightly* by Keith Bradsher, Alan Rappeport and Glenn Thrush https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/business/china-trade-war.html *Scholars Respond: New Trade Deal with Mexico, Canada* by Christine McDaniel and Daniel Griswold https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/scholars-respond-new-trade-deal-mexico-canada David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/21/2019 • 52 minutes, 36 seconds
140 – Craig Torres on Fed Transparency, Automation, and the Bear Stearns Bailout
Craig Torres is a reporter for Bloomberg News where has earned several rewards for his reporting on Fed policy. Previously, Craig also served as the chief of the Wall Street Journal’s Mexico City bureau, where his work on the collapse of the peso in the mid 90’s made him a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in international reporting. He joins the show today to discuss some the stories he has written while reporting on the Fed and the economy. David and Craig also discuss the Fed’s increase in transparency under Jay Powell, the current state of U.S. monetary policy, and effects of automation on demographics and the economy. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01112019/war-stories-fed Craig’s Twitter: @ctorresreporter Craig’s Bloomberg archive: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AElDlyQuDPM/craig-torres Related Links: *New Blue-Collar Jobs Will Survive the Rise of AI* by Craig Torres https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-01/new-blue-collar-jobs-will-survive-the-rise-of-ai *Housing and Monetary Policy* by John Taylor https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/83de/849c0eaaa1eaa720427e1e1ac0c4782bf693.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/14/2019 • 58 minutes, 32 seconds
139 – Julia Coronado on Inflation, Fed Rate Hikes, and Recent Economic Developments
Julia Coronado is the president and founder of Macro Policy Perspectives, a Wall Street research firm. Previously, she was a chief economist for Graham Capital Management and a senior economist at BNP Paribas. Julia also served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for over a decade, and she joins the show today to talk about the Fed’s latest rate hikes and other recent economic developments. David and Julia also discuss the Fed’s recent financial stability report, why inflation has been persistently low, and ways to improve communications between the Fed and the market. Julia’s Twitter: @jc_econ Julia’s Macropolicy Perspectives profile: https://www.macropolicyperspectives.com/about/ Related Links: Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01072019/micro-foundations-macro-questions(link forthcoming) David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
1/7/2019 • 52 minutes, 14 seconds
BONUS - Brian Goff on Sports Economics
Brian Goff is the distinguished professor of economics at the Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University. He is the author of the Econosports blog at Forbes and most recently the author of a new book titled, *Sports Economics Uncut*. Brian joins the show today to talk about the economics behind professional and collegiate sports across the United States. David and Brian also discuss stadium subsidies, the relationship between salary caps and dynasties, and why there may need to be serious reform at the collegiate sports level. Brian’s blog: https://www.forbes.com/sites/briangoff/#393eb9d01647 Brian’s WKU profile: https://www.wku.edu/economics/staff/brian_goff Related Links: *Sports Economics Uncut* by Brian Goff https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/sports-economics-uncut *eBooks link: https://www.ebooks.com/96329982/sports-economics-uncut/goff-brian/ *Football Still Americans’ Favorite Sport to Watch* by Jim Norman https://news.gallup.com/poll/224864/football-americans-favorite-sport-watch.aspx *Happy 10th Birthday to the Most-Subsidized NFL Stadium in America* by Anne Philpot and Michael Farren https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/happy-10th-birthday-most-subsidized-nfl-stadium-america David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/31/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 43 seconds
138 – Felix Salmon on Charitable Giving and Sovereign Debt
Felix Salmon is a financial journalist at Axios and the host of the Slate Money podcast. In this special holiday episode, Felix joins the show to discuss the economics of charitable giving and one of his other favorite topics, sovereign debt. David and Felix also discuss debt contract innovations, effective altruism, and ways to improve charitable giving across the U.S. and the globe. Felix’s Twitter: @felixsalmon Felix’s website: http://www.felixsalmon.com/ Related Links: Axios Edge newsletter: https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-edge Recipe for Disaster: The Formula that Killed Wall Street by Felix Salmon https://www.wired.com/2009/02/wp-quant/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/24/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 46 seconds
137 – Matt Mitchell on Rent-Seeking and Public Choice
Matt Mitchell is the director and senior research fellow at the Equity Initiative at the Mercatus Center. He joins the show today to talk about rent seeking and how it affects long term economic growth and prosperity. David and Matt also discuss regulatory capture, the rise of patent trolls, and the economics of public choice theory. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12172018/macroeconomics-rent-seeking Matt’s Twitter: @MattMitchell80 Matt’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/matthew-mitchell Related Links: *Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty* by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson https://scholar.harvard.edu/jrobinson/publications/why-nations-fail-origins-power-prosperity-and-poverty *The Political Economy of the Rent-Seeking Society* by Anne Krueger https://www.jstor.org/stable/1808883?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents *Entrepreneurship: Production, Unproductive, and Destructive* by William Baumol https://www.jstor.org/stable/2937617 *Uncontestable Favoritism* by Matt Mitchell https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3210953 *40 Years of Research on Rent Seeking* by Roger Congleton, Arye Hillman, and Kai Konrad https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783540791881 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/17/2018 • 56 minutes, 21 seconds
136 – Josh Galper on LIBOR, Overnight Lending, and the Lehman Brothers Collapse
Josh Galper is the managing principal of Finadium, an independent consultancy in capital markets with unique expertise in securities, finance, collateral, and derivatives. He joins the show today to talk about money markets, overnight interest rates, and some of the big issues in this area. David and Josh also discuss the Lehman Brothers collapse, the “Narrow Bank,” and what we should know about key interest rates; namely the repo rate, LIBOR, interest on excess reserves rate, and SOFR. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12072018/plumbing-monetary-policy Josh’s Twitter: @Finadium Josh’s Finadium profile: https://finadium.com/josh-galper-mba/ Related Links: Finadium’s homepage: http://finadium.com Finadium’s magazine: http://securitiesfinancemonitor.com *Second Report of the Alternative Reference Rates Committee* by the New York Fed https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/Microsites/arrc/files/2018/ARRC-Second-report *The SOFR Transition: Benchmarks, Futures, and P&L* by Finadium https://finadium.com/finadium-report-desc/sofr-transition-benchmarks-futures-profit-loss/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/10/2018 • 50 minutes, 5 seconds
135 – Victoria Guida on Financial Regulation, Jay Powell, and Recent Fed Appointments
Victoria Guida is a reporter for Politico where she covers monetary policy and financial regulation, including extensive coverage of the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the Treasury Department, and Congress. She joins the show today to talk about some of the big developments in monetary policy and financial regulation over the past few years and what kind of policy changes may be on the horizon. David and Victoria also discuss the Financial CHOICE Act, the accomplishments and failures of the current lame duck Congress, and what to expect from the new appointees at the Fed. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12032018/victoria-guida-politics-monetary-policy Victoria’s Twitter: @vtg2 Victoria’s Politico profile: https://www.politico.com/staff/victoria-guida Related Links: *Big Banks, Feeling Unloved in Trump’s Washington, Shake Up Lobbying* by Zachary Warmbrodt https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/banks-lobbying-donald-trump-669706 *A Bank’s Activities, Not Its Assets, Should Decide Regulatory Status* by Thomas Hoenig https://www.americanbanker.com/opinion/a-banks-activities-not-its-assets-should-decide-regulatory-status David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
12/3/2018 • 59 minutes, 48 seconds
134 – Neil Irwin on the Invisible Recession, Monetary Regimes, and the Current Issues Facing the Fed
Neil Irwin is a senior economics correspondent for the New York Times and was formerly a columnist at the Washington Post. He is the author of the book, *The Alchemist: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire*, and he joins the show today to talk about his work as an economics correspondent. David and Neil also discuss the invisible recession of 2016, how monopsony power affects labor market wage setting, and the political fallout from the Great Recession. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11262018/economic-journalism-recession-economics-and-international-monetary-policies Neil’s Twitter: @Neil_Irwin Neil’s New York Times profile: https://www.nytimes.com/by/neil-irwin Related Links: *The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire* by Neil Irwin https://www.amazon.com/Alchemists-Three-Central-Bankers-World/dp/0143124994 *The Policymakers Saved the Financial System. And America Never Forgave Them* by Neil Irwin https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/upshot/financial-crisis-recession-recovery.html *The Most Important Least Noticed Economic Event of the Decade* by Neil Irwin https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/upshot/mini-recession-2016-little-known-big-impact.html *Are Superstar Firms and Amazon Effects Reshaping the Economy?* by Neil Irwin https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/upshot/big-corporations-influence-economy-central-bank.html *Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?* https://www.nber.org/papers/w23134.pdf *What Recovery? The Case for Continued Expansionary Policy at the Fed* by J.W. Mason http://rooseveltinstitute.org/what-recovery/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/26/2018 • 56 minutes, 16 seconds
133 – Adam Ozimek on Population Growth, Declining Business Dynamism and Fed Policy
Adam Ozimek is a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics where he covers U.S. labor markets and demographics while actively blogging and tweeting about a wide range economic issues. He joins the show today to discuss mistakes in Fed policy and demographics. David and Adam also discuss the role demand played in the Great Recession, the link between population growth and inflation, and why the economy is experiencing weak productivity growth. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/11192018/adam-ozimek-inflation-migration-and-productivity Adam’s Twitter: @ModeledBehavior Adam’s blog: https://www.economy.com/dismal/analysis/datapoints Adam’s website: https://www.adamozimek.com Related Links: If you would like access to *The Fed’s Mistake*, you can email Adam at Adam.Ozimek@moodys.com to request the paper. *Population Growth and Inflation* by Adam Ozimek https://www.economy.com/getlocal?q=a7c139c0-2b8c-4abf-9b65-bd8b11392939&app=eccafile *Declining Business Dynamism in the United States: A Look at States and Metros* by Ian Hathaway and Robert Litan https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/declining_business_dynamism_hathaway_litan.pdf *The role of Entrepreneurship in US Job Creation and Economic Dynamism* by Ryan Decker et. al http://econweb.umd.edu/~haltiwan/JEP_DHJM.pdf *The Migration Accelerator: Labor Mobility, Housing, and Aggregate Demand* by Greg Howard http://economics.mit.edu/files/12236 *Aging and the Productivity Puzzle* by Mark Zandi, Adam Ozimek, and Dante DeAntonio https://www.economy.com/dismal/analysis/commentary/300374/Aging-and-the-Productivity-Puzzle/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/19/2018 • 59 minutes, 24 seconds
132 – Scott Sumner on the Lessons Learned for Monetary Policy, Ten Years Later after the Crisis
This week, Scott Sumner joins David Beckworth at the University of Texas at Austin for the Financial Crisis Symposium: “Ten Years Later: What Does the Data Say?” hosted by the Center for Enterprise and Policy Analytics at the McCombs School of Business. In this special live episode, Scott offers his thoughts on what the data tells us about the 2008 Financial Crisis from a monetary policy perspective. David and Scott also discuss using markets to guide monetary policy, why the Fed should conduct retrospective analyses, why we may want to replicate Australian monetary policy, and more. Transcript to this week's episode Scott’s Mercatus profile Scott’s blog Related Links: *Pause Interest-Rate Hikes to Help the Labor Force Grow* by Neel Kashkari David’s blog David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Audio recording provided by the LAITS Audio Development Studio at the University of Texas at Austin
11/12/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 39 seconds
131 – Mike Derby on Recent Economic Trends, Normalizing Monetary Policy and More
Mike Derby is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal who covers the Federal Reserve. He joins the show today to talk about his coverage of recent developments in the economy and in Fed policy. David and Mike also discuss the future of the Fed’s operating framework, what an inversion of the Treasury yield curve portends, and the normalization of monetary policy after the 2008 Financial Crisis. Mike’s Twitter: @michaelsderby Mike’s Wall Street Journal archive: http://www.wsj.com/news/author/8347 Related Links: * Fed’s Evans: U.S. Economy ‘Firing on All Cylinders’* by Michael Derby https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-evans-u-s-economy-firing-on-all-cylinders-1536930039 *Derby’s Take: Watch Out, There’s a Fedspeak Storm Coming* by Michael Derby https://www.wsj.com/articles/derbys-take-watch-out-theres-a-fedspeak-storm-coming-1538386200 *Derby’s Take: Fed Rate-Range Settings Could See More Tweaks* by Michael Derby https://www.wsj.com/articles/derbys-take-fed-rate-range-settings-could-see-more-tweaks-1538127000 *Bank Sues New York Fed Over Lack of Account* by Michael Derby https://www.wsj.com/articles/bank-sues-new-york-fed-over-lack-of-account-1536185523 Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/michael-derby-goes-behind-scenes-recent-fed-news David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
11/5/2018 • 57 minutes, 4 seconds
130 – Don Boudreaux on Free Trade, Protectionism, and the China Shock
Don Boudreaux is a professor of economics at George Mason University as well as the co-director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center. He joins the show today to talk about the future of trade and globalization. David and Don also discuss the history of protectionism in the US, President Trump’s trade policies, and why the China Shock thesis may signal bad economics. Don’s blog: https://cafehayek.com/ Don’s Mercatus Profile: https://www.mercatus.org/donald-j-boudreaux Related Links: *Clashing over Commerce: A History of U.S. Trade Policy* by Doug Irwin https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24475328.html *Tariffs, Immigration, and Economic Insulation: A New View of the U.S. Post-Civil War Era*by Cecil Bohanon and Norman Van Cott https://www.jstor.org/stable/24562083?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents *The China Shock: Learning from Labor Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade* by David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon Hanson https://www.nber.org/papers/w21906 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/29/2018 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds
129 – Nick Bunker on the Economic Recovery, Unemployment Measurement, and the U.S. Labor Market
Nick Bunker is an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab where he focuses on the U.S. labor market and was previously a senior policy analyst at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, an economics think tank. Nick joins the show today to talk about the U.S. labor market and how the government measures unemployment. David and Nick also discuss the decreasing trend of male participation in the labor force, declining labor mobility, and the importance of a larger public database for labor data. Nick’s Twitter: @nick_bunker Nick’s Indeed profile: https://www.hiringlab.org/author/nbunker/ Related Links: *Labor Force Participation: Recent Developments and Future Prospects* by Stephanie Aaronson et al. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Fall2014BPEA_Aaronson_et_al.pdf *The Long-Term Decline in Prime-Age Male Labor Force Participation* by the Council of Economic Advisers https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/page/files/20160620_cea_primeage_male_lfp.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/22/2018 • 1 hour, 59 seconds
128 – Robert Kaplan on the FOMC, the Dallas Fed, and Lessons from the Great Recession
Rob Kaplan is the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Previously, he was a professor and associate dean at Harvard Business School and a vice chairman at Goldman Sachs. Rob joins the show today to talk about his career, the Dallas Fed, and U.S. monetary policy. David and Rob also discuss the inner workings of the FOMC, the future of the Fed’s operating system, and lessons to be learned from the 2008 Financial Crisis. Rob also shares his thoughts on alternative monetary regimes, including nominal GDP targeting. Rob’s Twitter: @RobSKaplan Rob’s Dallas Fed profile: https://www.dallasfed.org/en/fed/bios/kaplan.aspx David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Transcript to this week's episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/robert-kaplan-fomc-dallas-fed-and-lessons-great-recession
10/15/2018 • 46 minutes, 31 seconds
127 – Jared Bernstein on Fiscal Reform, Trade, and the Financial Crisis
Jared Bernstein is a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and previously served as chief economist and economic advisor to Vice President Joe Biden in the Obama Administration. Jared also writes regularly for the Washington Post. David and Jared discuss a wide range of topics including fiscal stimulus, the relationship between fiscal and monetary policy, subsidized employment programs, Trump’s trade agenda, and the direction of economic policy after the 2018 midterm elections. Jared’s Twitter: @econjared Jared’s Washington Post profile: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jared-bernstein/?utm_term=.23a83717b1c3 Related Links: *Populism and the Economics of Globalization* by Dani Rodrik https://drodrik.scholar.harvard.edu/files/dani-rodrik/files/populism_and_the_economics_of_globalization.pdf *Going to Extremes: Politics after Financial Crises, 1870-2014* by Manuel Funke, Moritz Schularick, & Christoph Trebesch https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/1115_eer_slides_sep2016_short.pdf *The New Rules of the Road: A Progressive Approach to Globalization* by Jared Bernstein and Lori Wallach http://jaredbernsteinblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/The-New-Rules-of-the-Road.pdf *Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World* by Adam Tooze https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301357/crashed-by-adam-tooze/9780670024933/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/8/2018 • 46 minutes, 33 seconds
126 – Will Luther on Cash, “Supernotes,” and Cryptocurrencies
Will Luther is an assistant professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University and is the director of the Sound Money Project at the American Institute for Economic Research. Will is also an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins today to talk about a recent debate over the future of cash and the current state of cryptocurrencies. David and Will also discuss the implications of issuing “supernotes” (like $500 and $1000 bills), the existence of stable coins as cryptocurrencies, and opening up the Fed’s balance sheet to the general public. Will’s Twitter: @WilliamJLuther Will’s website: http://www.wluther.com/ Related Links: *Cash, Crime, and Civil Liberties*, A collection of essays by J.P. Koning, Joshua Hendrickson, Will Luther, and James McAndrews https://www.cato-unbound.org/issues/august-2018/cash-crime-civil-liberties *Moneyness*, J.P. Koning’s blog http://jpkoning.blogspot.com/ *The Stable Coin Myth* by Barry Eichengreen https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/stable-coins-unviable-cryptocurrencies-by-barry-eichengreen-2018-09 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
10/1/2018 • 57 minutes, 47 seconds
125 – Sam Hammond on Co-Determination, Corporate Governance, and the Accountable Capitalism Act
Sam Hammond is a policy analyst and covers topics in poverty and welfare for the Niskanen Center. Sam is a previous guest on Macro Musings, and he joins the show today to talk about his new article in National Review which addresses Senator Elizabeth Warren’s new proposal, the Accountable Capitalism Act, and its potentially negative effects. David and Sam also discuss the problematic stereotypes surrounding ‘corporate bigness’, the positive and negative features of co-determination, and why we need universal safety nets. Sam’s Twitter: @hamandcheese Sam’s Medium profile: https://medium.com/@hamandcheese Related Links: *Elizabeth Warren’s Corporate Catastrophe* by Sam Hammond https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/08/elizabeth-warren-accountable-capitalism-act-terrible-idea/ *Big is Beautiful: Debunking the Myth of Small Business* by Robert Atkinson and Michael Lind https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/big-beautiful *Concentration in US Labor Markets: Evidence from Online Vacancy Data* by Ioana Marinescu, Marshall Steinbaum, Bledi Taska & Jose Azar https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3133344 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/24/2018 • 57 minutes, 16 seconds
124 – Brad Setser on Global Economic Imbalances and the Fed’s Role as a Monetary Superpower
Brad Setser is a senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations where he works on macroeconomics, global capital flows, and financial crises. Brad also served as a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Treasury Department from 2011 to 2015 where he worked on Europe’s financial crisis, currency policy, financial sanctions, commodity shocks, and Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. Brad joins the show today to talk about global economic imbalances and why we should care about them. David and Brad also discuss emerging market tensions in Turkey, the implications of running current account deficits, and the economic dangers accompanying the existence of a monetary superpower. Brad’s blog: https://www.cfr.org/blog/Setser Brad’s Twitter: @Brad_Setser Related Links: *Putin’s Unlikely Ally in His Standoff With the West: His Central Banker* by Anatoly Kurmanaev https://www.wsj.com/articles/putins-unlikely-ally-in-his-standoff-with-the-west-his-central-banker-1534773380 *Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?* by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen Reinhart, & Kenneth Rogoff http://www.nber.org/papers/w23134 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Want to get your hands on a signed copy of Tyler Cowen’s new book Stubborn Attachments before it hits bookstores on October 16th? Rate and review your favorite Mercatus podcast, including Macro Musings, Conversations with Tyler, the Hayek Program Podcast, or the Mercatus Policy Download on Apple Podcasts and you’ll be entered to win: get.mercatus.org/podcastcontest/
9/17/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 10 seconds
123 – Adam Posen on Trade, Inflation Targeting, and Central Bank Independence
Adam Posen is the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and was formerly senior fellow at the Bank of England, helping set monetary policy between 2009 and 2012. Adam has also worked at the New York Federal Reserve, has advised many central banks and governments, and is an accomplished scholar in the field of macroeconomics. He joins the show today to discuss some of his research as well as the work of the Peterson Institute. David and Adam also discuss central bank independence, trade policy under the Trump regime, and the differences between the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. Adam’s Twitter: @AdamPosen Adam’s Peterson Institute profile: https://piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/adam-s-posen Related Links: *Inflation Targeting: Lessons from the International Experience* by Ben Bernanke, Thomas Laubach, Frederic Mishkin, & Adam Posen https://press.princeton.edu/titles/6380.html *The Post-American World Economy: Globalization in the Trump Era* by Adam Posen https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2018-02-13/post-american-world-economy David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/10/2018 • 1 hour, 57 seconds
122 – Sebastian Edwards on FDR, Gold, and the Great Depression
Sebastian Edwards is a professor of economics at UCLA, and is a former chief economist for the World Bank. He joins the show today to talk about his new book, *American Default: The Untold Story of FDR, the Supreme Court, and A Battle over Gold*. Sebastian and David also discuss Roosevelt’s plan to ease the U.S. off the gold standard, his attempts to fix the banking sector, and the details and implications of the Gold Clause Cases. Sebastian’s UCLA profile: http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/sebastian.edwards/ Sebastian’s NBER archive: http://www.nber.org/people/sebastian_edwards Related Links: *American Default: The Untold Story of FDR, the Supreme Court, and A Battle over Gold* by Sebastian Edwards https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11230.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
9/3/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 18 seconds
121 – Tim Duy on the Yield Curve, Inflation Targeting, and the Federal Reserve under Jay Powell
Tim Duy is a professor of economics at the University of Oregon, a columnist for Bloomberg, and a former economist at the U.S. Department of Treasury. Tim is also a widely read Fed watcher and a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins the show today to talk about yield curves, Federal Reserve policy, and the future of the Jay Powell Fed. David and Tim also discuss the economic implications of a yield curve inversion, the possibility of new monetary regimes being introduced during Powell’s tenure, and how to combat groupthink at the Fed. Tim’s Twitter: @TimDuy Tim’s blog: http://economistsview.typepad.com/timduy/ Related Links: *Kashkari Isn’t Buying ‘This Time Is Different’ for Yield Curve* by Jeanna Smialek https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-16/kashkari-isn-t-buying-this-time-is-different-for-yield-curve *Sorry, Mr. Trump, But You Had Your Chance for A More Dovish Fed* by Adam Ozimek https://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/2018/07/22/sorry-mr-trump-but-you-had-your-chance-for-a-more-dovish-fed/#78eb6c206f76 *John Williams May Be One of the Best Central Bankers – But That Doesn’t Mean He Should Run the New York Fed* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.brookings.edu/research/john-williams-may-be-one-of-the-best-central-bankers-but-that-doesnt-mean-he-should-run-the-new-york-fed/ *The Fed’s Striking Lack of Diversity and Why it Matters* by Aaron Klein https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/the-feds-striking-lack-of-diversity-and-why-it-matters/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/27/2018 • 57 minutes, 49 seconds
120 - Josh Hendrickson on Using Monetary Policy as a Jobs Guarantee
Josh Hendrickson is an associate professor of economics at the University of Mississippi, where he specializes in monetary economics. He also writes for his blog, The Everyday Economist. Josh is a returning guest to the show, and he joins today to talk about his new paper, *Monetary Policy as a Jobs Guarantee*. David and Josh discuss how monetary policy can be better outsourced to the market as well as the Fed’s past mistakes, and what it can do to improve in the future. Josh’s Twitter: @RebelEconProf Josh’s blog: https://everydayecon.wordpress.com/ Related Links: *Monetary Policy as a Jobs Guarantee* by Josh Hendrickson https://www.mercatus.org/publications/monetary-policy/monetary-policy-jobs-guarantee *What Measure of Inflation Should A Central Bank Target?* by Greg Mankiw and Ricardo Reis https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp170.pdf?5a6c189e978749a5299b76ab370771e5 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/17/2018 • 57 minutes, 13 seconds
119 - Tim Lee on Technological Innovation, Productivity, and Economic Growth
Tim Lee is a senior reporter for Ars Technica covering tech policy, blockchain technologies, and the future of transportation. Tim was formerly with Vox, where he covered tech issues and the economy. He joins the show today to discuss technological innovation, economic growth, and implications for policy. David and Tim also discuss the radical changes coming to transportation, the uncertain future of productivity growth, and how society should respond to the structural changes that may accompany further technological advancement. Tim’s Twitter: @binarybits Tim’s Ars Technica profile: https://arstechnica.com/author/timlee/ Related Links: *9 Radical Changes that are Coming to Transportation* by Tim Lee https://www.vox.com/new-money/2017/4/26/15363592/tesla-uber-google-waymo-spacex-innovation *Self-driving Technology is Going to Change A Lot More Than Cars* by Tim Lee https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/05/self-driving-technology-is-going-to-change-a-lot-more-than-cars/ *Electric, Self-flying, Vertical Takeoff Taxis are Coming to New Zealand* by Tim Lee https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/03/flying-taxis-backed-by-larry-page-could-come-to-new-zealand-in-3-years/ *The Productivity Paradox: Why We’re Getting More Innovation but Less Growth* by Tim Lee https://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/10/24/13327014/productivity-paradox-innovation-growth *The End of the Internet Startup* by Tim Lee https://www.vox.com/new-money/2017/7/11/15929014/end-of-the-internet-startup *The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream* by Tyler Cowen https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-complacent-class/ David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/13/2018 • 1 hour, 5 seconds
118 - Kevin Erdmann on Housing Shortages and a New Understanding of the Great Recession
Kevin Erdmann is an independent researcher and blogger at Idiosyncratic Whisk, where he explores economic and financial topics such as housing, investment, and speculation. He is also the author of an upcoming book titled, *Locked Out: How the Shortage of Urban Housing is Wrecking our Economy*, and he joins the show today to discuss it. Contrary to popular belief, Kevin argues we built too few houses not too many, during the housing bubble. David and Kevin break down this housing shortage problem, as they explore how the limited supply of housing in closed access cities may have helped fuel the Great Recession. Kevin’s Twitter: @KAErdmann Kevin’s blog: http://idiosyncraticwhisk.blogspot.com/ Related Links: *A Slide Deck on the Bubble and Crisis* by Kevin Erdmann http://idiosyncraticwhisk.blogspot.com/p/a-slide-deck-on-bubble-and-crisis.html *Housing: Part 238 – Home Price Changes Over Time* by Kevin Erdmann http://idiosyncraticwhisk.blogspot.com/2017/06/housing-part-238-home-price-changes.html *Housing Constraints and Spatial Misallocation* by Enrico Moretti & Chang-Tai Hsieh https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/mac.20170388&&from=f David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
8/6/2018 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 57 seconds
117 - Morgan Ricks on the Features and Advantages of Federal Reserve Bank Accounts
Morgan Ricks is a law professor at Vanderbilt University and studies financial regulation. Between 2009 and 2010, he was a senior policy advisor and financial restructuring expert at the U.S. Department of Treasury, where he focused primarily on financial stability initiatives and capital market policy in response to the Financial Crisis. Morgan is a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he joins the show today to discuss his most recent paper, *Central Banking for All: A Public Option for Bank Accounts*. David and Morgan also discuss the features and changes that come with Fed bank accounts, how these accounts would positively affect low income families, and how this system could be created. Morgan’s Twitter: @MorganRicks1 Morgan’s Vanderbilt profile: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/morgan-ricks Related Links: *Central Banking for All: A Public Option for Bank Accounts* by Morgan Ricks, John Crawford, and Lev Menand https://greatdemocracyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FedAccountsGDI.pdf David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/30/2018 • 55 minutes, 56 seconds
116 - Ashoka Mody on the Origins of the Euro and the Euro Crisis
Ashoka Mody is a professor of international economic policy at Princeton University and formerly worked at the IMF and the World Bank. He joins the show today to discuss his new book, *EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts*. David and Ashoka also delve deep into the history of the Euro, as they discuss its complicated political origins and why its creation may have been a mistake. Ashoka’s Twitter: @AshokaMody Ashoka’s Princeton profile: https://scholar.princeton.edu/amody/home Related Links: *EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts* by Ashoka Mody https://global.oup.com/academic/product/eurotragedy-9780199351381?cc=us&lang=en& *EMU and International Conflict* by Martin Feldstein https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/europe/1997-11-01/emu-and-international-conflict David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/19/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
115 - Monica de Bolle on the Economic Challenges Facing Argentina and Venezuela
Monica de Bolle is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University. Monica is published widely on the subject of Latin American economies, and she joins the show today to explain some of the recent financial and economic developments in Argentina and Venezuela. David and Monica also analyze the political atmosphere and policy environment that led to Argentina’s current economic hardships and discuss where the country might be if they had not pursued such policies. Monica’s Twitter: @bollemdb Monica’s PIIE profile: https://piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/monica-de-bolle Related Links: *Argentina: Back to the Brink* by Monica de Bolle https://piie.com/blogs/realtime-economic-issues-watch/argentina-back-brink David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/16/2018 • 57 minutes, 7 seconds
114 - Mark Copelovitch on the Political Economy of the Global Recession and the Eurozone Crisis
Mark Copelovitch is an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studies the politics of international trade, money, and finance. He joins the show today to discuss the politics of the global recession and the Eurozone Crisis. David and Mark dive deep into these topics, as they examine how policymakers failed during the Great Recession, and how effects of the Eurozone crisis varied across Europe. They also discuss whether the recent Italian elections can be viewed as a consequence of Eurozone failures. Mark’s Twitter: @mcopelov Mark’s University of Wisconsin-Madison profile: https://polisci.wisc.edu/people/faculty/mark-copelovitch Related Links: *This Time Should Have Been Different: The Causes and Consequences of Macroeconomic Policy Failure in the Great Recession* by Mark Copelovitch https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3059991 *The Monetary Policy Origins of the Eurozone Crisis* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/Beckworth-Eurozone-Crisis-v1.pdf *A Plan to Save the Euro* by Jeffry Frieden https://voxeu.org/article/plan-save-euro *Going to Extremes: Politics After Financial Crises, 1870–2014* by Manuel Funke, Moritz Schularick & Christoph Trebesch https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014292116300587 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/9/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 15 seconds
113 – Dan Griswold on the Benefits and Myths of Immigration
Dan Griswold is a research fellow and co-director for the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center. He is a nationally recognized expert on trade and immigration and is a previous guest on Macro Musings. He joins the show today to discuss his recent policy brief, *The Benefits of Immigration: Addressing the Key Myths* in addition to some of his other work on the issue. Some of the topics Dan and David explore include immigration’s positive effects on economic growth, the importance of immigrants in maintaining demographic stability, and other false narratives surrounding their perceived fiscal impact. Dan’s Twitter: @DanielGriswold Dan’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/daniel-griswold Related Links: *The Benefits of Immigration: Addressing the Key Myths* by Dan Griswold https://www.mercatus.org/publications/benefits-of-immigration-key-myths *The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration* by the National Academies of Sciences https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23550/the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration *The Integration of Immigrants into American Society* by the National Academies of Sciences https://www.nap.edu/catalog/21746/the-integration-of-immigrants-into-american-society *Reforming the U.S. Immigration System to Promote Growth* by Dan Griswold https://www.mercatus.org/publications/reforming-us-immigration-system-economic-growth *Immigrants and Conservatives are Cut from the Same Cloth* by Dan Griswold https://townhall.com/columnists/danielgriswold/2018/04/25/immigrants-and-conservatives-are-cut-from-the-same-cloth-n2474499 *What the June Rate Hikes Mean for the Future of the Fed* by David Beckworth https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/06262018/what-june-rate-hikes-mean-future-fed?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=macromusings David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
7/2/2018 • 58 minutes, 54 seconds
112 – Larry Ball on the Lehman Brothers Collapse and Its Role in the Great Recession
Larry Ball is a professor and department chair of economics at Johns Hopkins University. He is published widely in the field of macroeconomics and joins the show today to discuss his new book, *The Fed and Lehman Brothers: Setting the Record Straight on a Financial Disaster* and its implications for potential future crises. David and Larry also dive deep into the events leading up to the Lehman collapse, the effects it had on the broader economy, and the lessons that can be learned from the fallout ten years later. Larry’s Johns Hopkins profile: http://econ.jhu.edu/directory/laurence-m-ball/ Larry’s NBER archive: http://www.nber.org/people/laurence_ball Related Links: *The Fed and Lehman Brothers: Setting the Record Straight on a Financial Disaster* by Laurence Ball https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/fed-and-lehman-brothers/14BE6C2AD579DC4782EC27F2A6AF2FA6 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/25/2018 • 58 minutes, 38 seconds
111 - Nick Timiraos on the History and Economics of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Nick Timiraos is a national economics correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and covers topics relating to the Federal Reserve. He also covered the housing bust and the government’s response to the mortgage crisis during the Great Recession as well as the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Nick joins the show today to discuss the long and controversial history surrounding the two GSEs on the 10 year anniversary of their conservatorship. David and Nick also discuss the evolution of the U.S. housing market as well as the advent and characteristics of securitization. Nick’s Twitter: @NickTimiraos Nick’s Wall Street Journal profile: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/5585 Related Links: *The U.S. Mortgage Market: Chart Edition* by David Beckworth (includes the market share chart referenced at 25:20 during the episode.) http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-us-mortgage-market-chart-edition.html David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/18/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 47 seconds
110 - Brian Blackstone on the ECB and the Swiss Referendum on Sovereign Money
Brian Blackstone is a Switzerland bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal and previously covered the European Central Bank from the Wall Street Journal’s Frankfurt office as well as the Federal Reserve during the financial crisis. He joins the show today to talk about the Swiss referendum on sovereign money in addition to his insights on the European Central Bank. David and Brian also discuss the effects of an enlarged balance sheet at the Swiss National Bank, whether they should be the only national entity in control of money creation, and how the Swiss economy has fared since the Great Recession. Brian’s Twitter: @Blackstonebrian Brian’s WSJ profile: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/7515 Related Links: *How Switzerland Lost a Currency Battle, but Won the War* by Brian Blackstone and Pat Minczeski https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-switzerland-lost-a-currency-battle-but-won-the-war-1524216601 *Why Italy is Flirting with Euro Exit and Spain Isn’t* by Greg Ip https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-italy-is-flirting-with-euro-exit-and-spain-isnt-1528040526 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/11/2018 • 55 minutes, 32 seconds
109 - Christine McDaniel on International Trade and Intellectual Property
Christine McDaniel is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center with the Program on the American Economy and Globalization. Christine previously held several positions within the U.S. government including deputy assistant secretary at the Treasury Department and senior trade economist in the White House Council of Economic Advisors. She joins the show today to talk about the issues of intellectual property and trade. David and Christine also discuss the importance of reviving the Trans-Pacific Partnership, problems with patent systems across the globe, and the history and current scale of intellectual property theft. Christine’s Twitter: @christinemcdan Christine’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/christine-mcdaniel David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
6/4/2018 • 52 minutes, 26 seconds
108 - Sam Hammond on Welfare Reform and Social Insurance
Sam Hammond is a poverty and welfare policy analyst for the Niskanen Center and has recently published a new paper titled, *The Free-Market Welfare State: Preserving Dynamism in a Volatile World*. He joins the show today to discuss the paper along with some of his other research. Sam and David also discuss the repercussions of the China shock, how to reform America’s welfare system, and the design characteristics that would define an ideal social insurance state. Sam’s Twitter: @hamandcheese Sam’s Medium profile: https://medium.com/@hamandcheese Related Links: *The Free-Market Welfare State: Preserving Dynamism in a Volatile World* by Sam Hammond https://niskanencenter.org/blog/the-free-market-welfare-state-preserving-dynamism-in-a-volatile-world/ *From Tiananmen to Outsourcing: the Effect of rising Import Competition on Congressional Voting Towards China* by John Seungmin Kuk, Deborah Seligsohn, & Jiakun Jack Zhang https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10670564.2017.1363024?journalCode=cjcc20 *Populism and the Economics of Globalization* by Dani Rodrik https://drodrik.scholar.harvard.edu/files/dani-rodrik/files/populism_and_the_economics_of_globalization.pdf *Food Stamp Entrepreneurs* by Gareth Olds https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/16-143_2cf7ba14-5bfa-4c34-85d9-0edc0ddc7ce6.pdf *If You Want to Rebuild Civil Society, Don’t Abolish Welfare – Decentralize it* by Sam Hammond https://niskanencenter.org/blog/rebuild-american-community/ *Diversity and Crowd-Out: A Theory of Cold-glow Giving* by Daniel M. Hungerman http://www.nber.org/papers/w13348.pdf *It Takes a Nation* by Rebecca Blank https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Nation-Rebecca-M-Blank/dp/0691004013 *Filthy Lucre: Economics for People Who Hate Capitalism* by Joseph Heath https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Lucre-Economics-People-Capitalism-ebook/dp/B0058DTHNU David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
5/28/2018 • 57 minutes, 12 seconds
107 - Michael Darda on Inflation, Market Monetarism, and Fed Policy
Michael Darda is a chief economist and market strategist at MKM Partners. Michael is also a frequent guest on financial television and radio and is routinely quoted in “The Wall Street Journal”, “The New York Times”, “Barron’s”, and other financial publications. He joins the show today to talk about his work conducting macroeconomic market research as well as his views on the market itself. David and Michael also discuss his shift from supply-side economics to market monetarism, the Fed’s performance during and after the Great Recession, and the potential effects of a flattening Treasury yield curve. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Michael’s MKM Partners profile: http://www.mkmpartners.com/research/ Michael’s Bloomberg profile: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=48822180&privcapId=40334090
5/21/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 34 seconds
106 – Razeen Sally on Protectionism, International Trade, and China
Razeen Sally is an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and formerly taught at the London School of Economics. He is also the Chairman of the Institute of Policy Studies, the main economic policy think tank in Sri Lanka and a senior advisor to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Finance. Today, he joins the show to discuss the state of international economic affairs and how it specifically relates to Asia. Razeen explains why he believes the U.S. should stay engaged within Asia and also shares his thoughts on China’s demographic problem as well as the effects of the Trump administration’s increased protectionism. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Razeen’s Lee Kuan Yew profile: http://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/our-people/our-faculty/faculty-profile/razeen-sally Razeen’s Twitter: @razeensally Related Links: *Why Global Order Still Needs America in Asia* by Razeen Sally http://ecipe.org/app/uploads/2017/07/Razeen-Sally-Quadrant-July-2017.pdf
5/14/2018 • 59 minutes, 3 seconds
105 – David Andolfatto on Inflation and the Phillips Curve
David is the Vice President of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, and has published widely in the field of monetary economics. He also writes for his blog, MacroMania, where he covers a multitude of economic topics. David joins the show today to discuss the economics behind the Phillips Curve, and to help provide a greater understanding of the debate surrounding it. They also discuss the mystery of low inflation in the United States, the excess money demand problem, and the important role debt plays within international monetary policy. David Beckworth’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David Andolfatto’s Twitter: @dandolfa David Andolfatto’s blog: andolfatto.blogspot.com
5/7/2018 • 59 minutes, 6 seconds
104 - Jim Hamilton on Econometrics, Energy Markets, and Low Interest Rates
Jim Hamilton is a professor of economics at the University of California-San Diego and the author of *Time Series Analysis,* a popular graduate-level econometrics textbook. Today, Jim joins the show to discuss his work in econometrics as well as his research on the role oil plays in the U.S. economy. He also shares his thoughts on how oil will continue to shape the economy in light of the rise of clean energy. David and Jim also discuss recent U.S. monetary policy and why interest rates have been so very low. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Jim Hamilton’s UC San Diego profile: http://econweb.ucsd.edu/~jhamilton/ Jim Hamilton’s Twitter: @JHamilton _UCSD Jim Hamilton's blog: http://econbrowser.com/ *Time Series Analysis* by James Hamilton https://www.amazon.com/Time-Analysis-James-Douglas-Hamilton/dp/0691042896
4/30/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 53 seconds
103 - Daniela Gabor on Safe Assets and Shadow Banking
Daniela Gabor is a professor of economics and finance at the University of West England at Bristol and a monetary economist. She specializes in shadow banking, capital markets, and transnational banking. Today, she joins the show to discuss her new paper, *Chasing Unicorns: The European Single Safe Asset Project*. David and Daniela also discuss merits of equity-based banking, elements of the shadow banking system, and Europe’s quest for a safe asset. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Daniela’s Twitter: @DanielaGabor Daniela’s UWE Bristol profile: https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/DanielaGabor Related Links: *Chasing Unicorns: The European Single Safe Asset Project* by Daniela Gabor http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1024529418759638 *Inside Safe Assets* by Anna Gelpern and Erik Gerding https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/1831/ *The Growth of Financial Banking* by Anna Youngman https://www.jstor.org/stable/1817326?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents *The Repo and Reverse Markets* by Marcia Stigum https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Repo_and_Reverse_Markets.html?id=wJ6OZlHFYDoC *The New York Money Market: Origins and Development* and *The New York Money Market: Uses of Funds* by Margaret Myers et al. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_New_York_Money_Market_Origins_and_de.html?id=InFaAAAAYAAJ https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_New_York_Money_Market_Uses_of_funds.html?id=cXVaAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y
4/23/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 4 seconds
102 – Morgan Ricks on *Money as Infrastructure* and Bank Regulations
Morgan Ricks is a law professor at Vanderbilt University. Previously, he was a senior policy advisor and financial restructuring expert at the U.S. Treasury Department where he focused primarily on financial stability initiatives and capital market policy in response to the financial crisis. Today, he joins the show to discuss his new paper, *Money as Infrastructure* where he contrasts what he calls the “intermediation paradigm” of banking and the “money paradigm.” Morgan also shares his thoughts on the government’s role in money, the history of free banking, and current-day banking regulation. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Morgan’s Twitter: @MorganRicks1 Morgan’s Vanderbilt profile: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/morgan-ricks Related Links: *Money as Infrastructure* by Morgan Ricks https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3070270 *The Money Problem* by Morgan Ricks http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo22438821.html
4/16/2018 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 35 seconds
101 – Ioana Marinescu on Universal Basic Income
Ioana Marinescu is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Today she joins the show to highlight her work on the concept of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). David and Ioana discuss how a UBI would work and how it compares and contrasts with Milton Friedman’s related negative income tax proposal. They also discuss the economic and social effects of a UBI, some experimental evidence of the policy, and the political feasibility of such a program. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ioana’s Twitter: @mioana Ioana’s website: http://www.marinescu.eu/ Related Links: *No Strings Attached: The Behavioral Effects of U.S. Unconditional Cash Transfer Programs* by Ioana Marinescu http://www.marinescu.eu/Marinescu_UBI_review_2017.pdf *The Labor Market Impacts of Universal and Permanent Cash Transfers: Evidence from the Alaska Permanent Fund* by Damon Jones and Ioana Marinescu http://home.uchicago.edu/~j1s/Jones_Alaska.pdf
4/9/2018 • 53 minutes, 39 seconds
100 – Ryan Avent, Cardiff Garcia, and Heather Long on Lessons from the Great Recession
Macro Musings is celebrating its 100th episode, and for this special occasion, we have an all-star panel of guests joining the show! Heather Long is an economics correspondent for the Washington Post and formerly was a senior reporter at CNN. Ryan Avent is a columnist for the Economist Magazine and author of several books including his most recent work, *The Wealth of Humans: Work, Power, and Status in the Twenty-first Century*. Cardiff Garcia is the co-host of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money and was formerly with the Financial Times. Today, they join the show to discuss the top economic issues and lessons in last 10 years since the Great Recession, and what predictions they’ve made that haven’t come true. They also discuss the current trends of stagnant wage growth, the economic insecurity of the American workforce, and the dramatic change in the structure of labor markets. [To sign-up for Mercatus’ NGDP prediction market, go to get.mercatus.org/ngdppredictions/. Just answer a few simple questions, and you’ll receive an email invitation to start forecasting!] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ryan’s Twitter: @ryanavent Ryan’s Economist profile: http://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/ryan-avent/ Ryan on a previous Macro Musings: https://soundcloud.com/macro-musings/ryanavent Cardiff’s Twitter: @CardiffGarcia Cardiff’s NPR profile: https://www.npr.org/people/567164716/cardiff-garcia Cardiff on a previous Macro Musings: https://soundcloud.com/macro-musings/cardiffgarcia Heather’s Twitter: @byHeatherLong Heather’s Washington Post profile: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/heather-long/?utm_term=.26c78de4a68e
4/2/2018 • 59 minutes, 39 seconds
99 – Edward Nelson on Money, its Role within Monetary Policy, and the Monetarist Legacy
Ed Nelson is a senior advisor at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and formerly worked at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank and the Bank of England. Today, he joins the show to discuss his research on the role of money in business cycles. David and Ed also discuss nominal income targeting, Milton’s Friedman’s influence on monetary economics, and Australia’s successful monetary policy performance. [To sign-up for Mercatus’ NGDP prediction market, go to get.mercatus.org/ngdppredictions/. Just answer a few simple questions, and you’ll receive an email invitation to start forecasting!] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ed’s Federal Reserve profile: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/edward-nelson.htm Related Links: *Tobin’s Imperfect Asset Substitution in Optimizing General Equilibrium* by Javier Andrés, J. David López-Salido, and Edward Nelson https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/46d3/a4a1f1b5a6b08158f06edd6c7122fbc23c7f.pdf *Nominal GDP Targeting and the Taylor Rule on an Even Playing Field* by David Beckworth and Josh Hendrickson https://www.mercatus.org/publications/nominal-GDP-targeting-taylor-rule
3/26/2018 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 13 seconds
[Rebroadcast] Daniel Griswold on the Basics of Trade
Daniel Griswold is a Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss the theory of trade, dating back to Adam Smith, and his work on current US trade policy. Daniel and David discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding trade and why Americans should embrace free trade instead of protectionism. This episode was originally aired on May 1, 2017. [To sign-up for Mercatus’ NGDP prediction market, go to get.mercatus.org/ngdppredictions/. Just answer a few simple questions, and you’ll receive an email invitation to start forecasting!] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Daniel Griswold’s blog: madabouttrade.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Daniel Griswold’s Twitter: @DanielGriswold Related links: “Plumbing America’s Balance of Trade” by Daniel Griswold www.mercatus.org/publications/ame…balance-of-trade *Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization* by Daniel Griswold www.amazon.com/Mad-About-Trade-A…ion/dp/193530819X “The China Shock: Learning from Labor-Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade” by David Autor, David Dorn, & Gordon Hanson www.ddorn.net/papers/Autor-Dorn-…son-ChinaShock.pdf
3/19/2018 • 1 hour, 15 seconds
98 - Noah Smith on Immigration Economics
Noah Smith is a Bloomberg View columnist and formerly a professor of finance at Stony Brook University. Today, he joins the show to talk about his journey into the economics blogosphere and some of his recent work on immigration into the United States. . David and Noah discuss some of the false narratives surrounding immigration as well as the impact of immigration on native workers’ wages, labor markets, and the broader economy. [To sign-up for Mercatus’ NGDP prediction market, go to https://get.mercatus.org/ngdppredictions/. Just answer a few simple questions, and you’ll receive an email invitation to start forecasting!] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Noah’s Bloomberg View archive: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/contributors/AR3OYuAmvcU/noah-smith Noah’s blog: http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/ Noah’s Twitter: @Noahpinion "The Economics and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration," National Academy of Science https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23550/the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration
3/12/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 39 seconds
97 - Kevin Hassett on Growth, Technological Change, and the Trump Administration’s Economic Policies
Kevin Hassett is the chair of President Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, a former scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a professor at Columbia University, and a Fed Economist. Kevin has also advised John McCain, George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney on their presidential campaigns. Today, he joins the show today to outline some of the big issues of the past and present facing the U.S. economy. Kevin argues that Obama administration policies exacerbated the sluggish nature of the recovery from the Great Recession and explains how he thinks President Trump’s policies on taxes, deregulation, and infrastructure will lead to stronger economic growth. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Kevin’s AEI profile: https://www.aei.org/profile/kevin-a-hassett/ Kevin’s White House profile: https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/staff/ Related Links: *2018 Economic Report of the President* https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/growing-american-economy-economic-report-president/ *Obama Inconsistent on Pace of Economic Recovery* by Kevin Hassett and Glenn Hubbard https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/obama-inconsistent-on-pace-of-economic-recovery/2012/08/14/45533a3c-e627-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19_story.html?utm_term=.684bf28b0d63
3/5/2018 • 43 minutes, 6 seconds
96 – Brink Lindsey and Steven Teles on Rent-Seeking and the Twin Melees Afflicting the U.S. Economy
Brink Lindsey is the Vice President and Director of the Open Society Project at the Niskanen Center, and Steven Teles is a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center. Today, they join the show to discuss their new book, *The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality.* For Lindsey and Teles, slow growth and inequality are “twin melees” that are harming the economy. They discuss some of the issues at the root of these problems, including excessive occupational licensing laws and zoning regulations, as well as some ways to fix them. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Brink’s Twitter: @lindsey_brink Brink’s Niskanen profile: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/brink-lindsey/ Steven’s Niskanen profile: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/brink-lindsey/ Related links: *The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality* by Brink Lindsey and Steven Teles https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-captured-economy-9780190627768?cc=us&lang=en&
2/26/2018 • 57 minutes, 45 seconds
95 – George Selgin on Fed Floors, Corridors, and Interest on Excess Reserves
George Selgin is the Director of the Cato Institute Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Georgia. Today, George joins the show to discuss the shrinking of the Fed’s balance sheet, the difference between corridor and floor systems in monetary policy, and the Fed’s practice of paying interest on excess reserves. David and George also discuss the issues of legality surrounding interest on reserves as well as why the Fed prefers a floor system to a corridor system and why George doesn’t! David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Alt-M Archive: https://www.alt-m.org/author/selgin/
2/19/2018 • 55 minutes, 51 seconds
94 - Mike Konczal on Expanding the Fed’s Monetary Toolkit
Mike Konczal is a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute where he works on financial reform, unemployment, inequality, and a progressive vision of the economy. He has also recently co-authored a paper with J.W. Mason titled, “A New Direction for the Federal Reserve: Expanding the Monetary Policy Toolkit.” Today, Mike joins the show to discuss the progress of financial regulation, the Federal Reserve’s performance over the past decade, and new tools the Fed could utilize to better stabilize the economy in the present and future. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Mike Konczal’s Twitter: @rortybomb Mike Konczal and J.W. Mason’s Paper: http://rooseveltinstitute.org/expanding-monetary-policy-toolkit/
2/12/2018 • 57 minutes, 59 seconds
93 – Neel Kashkari and Ron Feldman on the Minneapolis Plan and Monetary Policy Reform
Neel Kashkari is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and Ron Feldman is the first vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Today, they join the show to describe the Minneapolis Plan to End Too Big to Fail, the Minneapolis Fed’s proposal to end the problem of systemic risk to the economy posed by excessively large financial institutions. Neel also shares his thoughts on improving Fed transparency and monetary policy. Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we had some audio problems during the recording, but because this conversation is so important and interesting we wanted to bring it you anyway. And, if you prefer, we’ve also made a transcript, which is linked to below. Transcript of today’s conversation https://www.mercatus.org/podcasts/neel-kashkari-ron-feldman-minneapolis-plan-monetary-policy-reform *The Minneapolis Plan to End Too Big to Fail* https://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications/special-studies/endingtbtf Neel Kashkari’s Twitter: @neelkashkari Ron Feldman’s Twiiter: @ronjfeldman Minneapolis Fed’s Twitter: @MinneapolisFed Neel Kashkari’s Medium: https://medium.com/@neelkashkari David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth
2/5/2018 • 49 minutes, 43 seconds
92 - Ángel Ubide on Getting Central Banks Out of Their Comfort Zones
Ángel Ubide is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and formerly was a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Today, he joins the show to discuss his new book *The Paradox of Risk: Leaving the Monetary Policy Comfort Zone.* Ángel argues that the Federal Reserve has become too afraid to take risks when implementing new policies. Instead, he offers alternative proposals aimed to move monetary policy out of its comfort zone. David and Ángel also discuss the Eurozone crisis, the ECB, and using more effective communication, accountability, and greater transparency to minimize biases within monetary policy. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ángel Ubide’s Twitter: @AngelUbide Ángel Ubide’s book: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-paradox-of-risk/9780881327199 “The Latest Central Bank Fad: Asymmetric Inflation Targeting” by David Beckworth(Bull’s Eye images of symmetric and asymmetric targets) http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-latest-central-bank-fad-asymmetric.html
1/29/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 19 seconds
91 - Jesse Eisinger on the Financial Crisis and the Department of Justice
Jesse Eisinger is a senior reporter and editor at ProPublica as well as a Pulitzer Prize winner. Today, he joins the show to discuss his new book *The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives.* Jesse argues that in recent years, the U.S. Justice Department has become excessively timid in prosecuting white collar crime on Wall Street and in the financial sector. David and Jesse discuss why this is a problem for the rule of law as well as some ways to reform the system. [To rate and review this podcast, go to: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/macro…d1099277290?mt=2 Then, leave your information at: www.mercatus.org/macromusings ] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Jesse Eisinger’s Pro Publica Profile: https://www.propublica.org/people/jesse-eisinger Jesse Eisinger’s Twitter: @eisingerj Related links: *The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives* http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Chickenshit-Club/Jesse-Eisinger/9781501121364
1/22/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 29 seconds
90 – Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel on Fed History and the Myth of Its Independence
Sarah Binder is a professor of Political Science at George Washington University and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She research focuses on Congress, Congressional development, and political parties. Mark is the founder and chief investment officer at Potomac River Capital LLC, and formerly was with the World Bank. Today, they join the show to discuss the history and politics behind the creation of the Fed as well as their new book, *The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve.* [To rate an review this podcast, go to: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/macro…d1099277290?mt=2 Then, leave your information at: www.mercatus.org/macromusings ] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Sarah Binder's Brookings profile: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/sarah-a-binder/ Sarah Binder's Twitter: @bindersab Mark Spindel's Twitter: @potomac Related links: *The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve* by Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11123.html
1/15/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 50 seconds
89 – Mike Bird on the Eurozone, Abenomics, and the Fed Balance Sheet
Mike Bird is a reporter for *The Wall Street Journal* and covers global economics and markets from the Journal’s London office. Today, he joins the show to discuss recent developments in central banking across the world. David and Mike discuss how the Eurozone has dealt with some of the serious turmoil it has faced in recent years as well as Japan’s “Abenomics” program geared toward raising inflation and implementing structural reforms. Finally, Mike shares his thoughts on the Fed’s plan to reduce its balance sheet and what impact that will have on the global economy. [To rate an review this podcast, go to: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/macro-musings/id1099277290?mt=2 Then, leave your information at: https://www.mercatus.org/macromusings ] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Mike Bird’s WSJ archive: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/8326 Mike Bird’s Twitter: @Birdyword Related links: “ECB Taper Promises to Set Off Ripples Across Many Markets” by Mike Bird https://www.wsj.com/articles/ecb-stimulus-unwind-could-have-broad-knock-on-effect-1508670002 “A Decade After the Crisis, King Dollar is the World’s Tyrant” by Mike Bird https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-decade-after-the-crisis-king-dollar-is-the-worlds-tyrant-1511697601
1/8/2018 • 1 hour, 4 seconds
BONUS: The Macroeconomics of Star Wars and Star Trek
(REBROADCAST EPISODE) In this week’s special episode, David compares and contrasts the economics of the Star Wars and Star Trek universes. He is joined by Zachary Feinstein, an Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and Manu Saadia, author of *Trekonomics.* Topics include the economic fallout from the destruction of the Death Star, the absence of money in Star Trek, and whether a universe can really eliminate scarcity. Original episode: https://soundcloud.com/macro-musings/feinsteinsaadia David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Manu’s *Trekonomics* website: trekonomics.tumblr.com/ (you can order the book, *Trekonomics,* here as well) Manu’s Twitter: @trekonomics Zach’s faculty profile: sites.wustl.edu/fictionomics/ Zach’s Twitter: @FictionomicsWU Related links: “It’s a Trap: Emperor Palpatine’s Poison Pill” by Zachary Feinstein arxiv.org/pdf/1511.09054.pdf “The Case for the Empire” by Jonathan Last www.weeklystandard.com/the-case-for-…/article/2540
1/1/2018 • 57 minutes, 18 seconds
BONUS: Laura Birg and Anna Goeddeke on Christmas Economics
(REBROADCAST EPISODE) In this week’s special episode, David discusses the economics of Christmas with Laura Birg, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Goettingen, and Anna Goeddke, a professor of economics at the ESB Business School at Reutlingen University. Topics include the dead-weight loss of gift-giving, Christmas’ effects on seasonal GDP, increases in alcohol consumption, and the effect of secularization on Christmas celebrations. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Original episode: https://soundcloud.com/macro-musings/birggoeddeke Anna’s VoxEU profile: voxeu.org/users/annagoeddeke0 Anna’s Twitter: @annagoeddeke Laura’s University of Goettingen profile: www.uni-goettingen.de/en/362254.html Related links: “Christmas Economics – A Sleigh Ride” by Laura Birg and Anna Goeddke (2014) papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?a…stract_id=2526055 “The Seasonal Cycle and the Business Cycle” by Robert Barsky and Jeffrey Miron (1988) www.nber.org/papers/w2688 “The Business Cycle Effects of Christmas” by YI Wen (2001) www.discuto.io/sites/default/fil…christmas2010.pdf We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
12/25/2017 • 54 minutes, 11 seconds
88 – Ricardo Caballero on the Safe Asset Conundrum
Ricardo J. Caballero is a professor of economics at MIT and is widely published in the fields of macroeconomics and international economics. Today, he joins the show to discuss his work on the “Safe Assets Shortage Conundrum” and why this is important to macroeconomic growth and stability. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ricardo Caballero’s MIT profile: https://economics.mit.edu/faculty/caball “The Safe Asset Shortage Conundrum” by Ricardo J. Caballero, Emmanuel Farhi, and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas http://www.jstor.org/stable/44321278?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents “Safe Asset Scarcity and Aggregate Demand” by Ricardo J. Caballero, Emmanuel Farhi, and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.p20161108 “On the Macroeconomics of Asset Shortages” by Ricardo J. Caballero http://www.nber.org/papers/w12753
12/18/2017 • 58 minutes, 34 seconds
87 - Stephen Williamson on New Monetarism and Neo-Fisherism
Stephen Williamson is a professor of economics at the University of Western Ontario and formerly served as a vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Today, Steve joins the show to discuss his work on “New Monetarism,” a research agenda emerging out of the monetarist tradition associated with Milton Friedman. David and Steve also discuss “Neo-Fisherism,” a counterintuitive view that higher interest rates may actually lead to higher inflation. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Stephen Williamson’s University of Western Ontario profile: http://economics.uwo.ca/people/faculty/williamson.html Stephen Williamson’s blog “New Monetarism”: http://newmonetarism.blogspot.com/ Stephen Williamson’s Twitter: @1954swilliamson Related links: “New Monetarist Economics: Models* by Stephen D. Williamson and Randall Wright https://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/sr/sr443.pdf “Neo-Fisherism: A Radical Idea, or the Most Obvious Solution to the Low-Inflation Problem?” by Stephen D. Williamson https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/july-2016/neo-fisherism-a-radical-idea-or-the-most-obvious-solution-to-the-low-inflation-problem *Macroeconomics* by Stephen D. Williamson https://www.amazon.com/Macroeconomics-5th-Stephen-D-Williamson/dp/0132991330
12/11/2017 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 40 seconds
86 - William A. Barnett on Divisia Aggregates and Measuring Money in the Economy
William A. Barnett is the Oswald Distinguished Professor of Macroeconomics at the University of Kansas and Director of the Center for Financial Stability. Today, Bill joins the show to discuss his work on better measurement of monetary aggregates in the economy. David and Bill also discuss Bill’s book *Getting It Wrong,* which argues that old simple-sum aggregates of the money supply are obsolete and that more sophisticated aggregates (called Divisia aggregates) are more appropriate in making decisions related to monetary policy. In Bill’s view, better financial data and better measurement of monetary aggregates would have averted the recent financial crisis. Finally, Bill also explains how he went from being a rocket scientist to a macroeconomist! David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth William Barnett’s University of Kansas profile: https://economics.ku.edu/william-barnett The Center for Financial Stability homepage: http://www.centerforfinancialstability.org/ *Getting It Wrong: How Faulty Monetary Statistics Undermine the Fed, the Financial System, and the Economy* by William Barnett https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/getting-it-wrong
12/4/2017 • 59 minutes, 35 seconds
85 – Caroline Baum on Treasury Yield Curves and the Debt Ceiling
Caroline Baum is an economics columnist at MarketWatch and formerly was a writer for Bloomberg and Dow Jones. Today, she joins the show to discuss how she became a financial journalist as a non-economics major as well as her recent columns on monetary policy and what Treasury bond yields are predicting about the future. She also shares her thoughts on why the debt ceiling should be abolished. Finally, Caroline and David discuss Jerome Powell and Fed leadership in the age of Trump. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Caroline Baum’s MarketWatch archive: https://www.marketwatch.com/topics/journalists/caroline-baum Caroline Baum’s Twitter: @cabaum1 Related links: “Bonds are from Venus; Stocks are from Mars” by Caroline Baum https://www.marketwatch.com/story/bonds-are-from-venus-stocks-are-from-mars-2017-11-14?mg=prod/accounts-mw “It’s Time to Get Rid of the Debt Ceiling” by Caroline Baum https://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-time-to-get-rid-of-the-debt-ceiling-2017-09-07 “Fed Flunks Econ 101: Understanding Inflation” by Caroline Baum https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-flunks-econ-101-understanding-inflation-2017-10-18 “The Federal Reserve is Peddling ‘Tinkering Economics’ " by Caroline Baum https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-federal-reserve-is-peddling-tinker-bell-economics-2017-09-19
11/27/2017 • 49 minutes, 13 seconds
84 - Nick Bloom on Economic Uncertainty and the Productivity Slowdown
Nicholas Bloom is a professor of economics at Stanford University and is the co-director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Today, Nick joins the show to discuss his work on the causes and effects of economic uncertainty as well as how to measure uncertainty in an economy. David and Nick also discuss why productivity has slowed down in recent decades and why Nick is not especially optimistic that productivity will really improve anytime soon. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Nick Bloom’s Stanford University profile: https://people.stanford.edu/nbloom/ Related links: The Economic Policy Uncertainty Index http://www.policyuncertainty.com/ “Fluctuations in Uncertainty” by Nicholas Bloom http://www.nber.org/papers/w19714.pdf “Why has US Policy Uncertainty Risen since 1960?” by Scott R. Baker, Nicholas Bloom, Brandice Canes-Wrone, Steven J. Davis, and Jonathan Rodden https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.104.5.56
11/20/2017 • 53 minutes, 21 seconds
83 - Jeffrey Rogers Hummel on Myths about the Fed and Interest Rates
Jeffrey Rogers Hummel is a professor of economics at San Jose State University and writes on macroeconomics and economic history. Today, Jeff joins the show to discuss his work on the Fed’s interventions during the Great Recession. He also dispels some myths about the extent to which the Fed really influences interest rates. Finally, he explains why he believes that cash plays an important role in society and why recent proposals to abolish cash are misguided. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Jeff Hummel’s San Jose State University profile: http://www.sjsu.edu/economics/faculty/jeff.hummel.html Related links: “Central Bank Control over Interest Rates: The Myth and the Reality” by Jeffery Rogers Hummel https://www.mercatus.org/publications/central-bank-control-interest-rates “Ben Bernanke vs. Milton Friedman: The Federal Reserve’s Emergence as the U.S. Economy’s Central Planner” by Jeffrey Rogers Hummel http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?a=824 “The War on Cash: A Review of Kenneth Rogoff’s *The Curse of Cash*” by Jeffrey Rogers Hummel https://econjwatch.org/articles/the-war-on-cash-a-review-of-kenneth-rogoff-s-the-curse-of-cash
11/13/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 5 seconds
82 - Doug Irwin on the History of US Trade Policy
Douglas Irwin is a professor of economics at Dartmouth College and a leading expert on trade economics. Today, he joins the show to discuss his new book, *Clashing over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy,* which examines the history of American trade policy from the late 1700s to the present. Doug explains how US attitudes toward trade evolved over time and how free trade became the postwar consensus. Specifically, Doug argues that the history of US trade policy has been guided by the “three R’s: revenue, restriction, and reciprocity.” Finally, David and Doug discuss some of Doug’s work on the gold standard and the Great Depression. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Douglas Irwin’s homepage: www.dartmouth.edu/~dirwin/ Douglas Irwin’s Twitter: @D_A_Irwin Related links: *Clashing over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy* by Douglas A. Irwin http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24475328.html “Steve Bannon’s Bad History” by Douglas A. Irwin https://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-bannons-bad-history-1505861920 The Truth About Trade: What Critics Get Wrong About the Global Economy” (Foreign Affairs) by Douglas A. Irwin www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2016…h-about-trade *Free Trade Under Fire (Princeton University Press, fourth edition 2015)* by Douglas A. Irwin www.amazon.com/Free-Trade-under-…rth/dp/0691166250
11/6/2017 • 58 minutes, 42 seconds
81 – Norbert Michel on Smarter Financial Regulation
Norbert Michel is the director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation. Today, Norbert joins the show to discuss a new book of collected essays, which he edited, titled *Prosperity Unleashed: Smarter Financial Regulation.* Norbert pushes back against the narrative that deregulation caused the 2008 financial crisis and argues that excessive regulation hinders growth and actually makes the financial system less safe. He and David discuss policy recommendations made in the book, including reforming the Federal Reserve’s last-resort lending practices, converting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) into a commission, and more. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Norbert Michel’s Heritage profile: http://www.heritage.org/staff/norbert-michel Norbert Michel’s Twitter: @norbertjmichel Related links: *Prosperity Unleashed: Smarter Financial Regulation* edited by Norbert J. Michel http://www.heritage.org/prosperity-unleashed “Reforming Last-Resort Lending: The Flexible Open-Market Alternative” by George Selgin http://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/report/reforming-last-resort-lending-the-flexible-open-market-alternative “Reforming the Financial Regulators” by Mark Calabria, Norbert Michel, and Hester Peirce http://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/report/reforming-the-financial-regulators “Money and Banking Provisions in the Financial CHOICE Act: A Major Step in the Right Direction” by Norbert Michel http://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/report/money-and-banking-provisions-the-financial-choice-act-major-step-the
10/30/2017 • 1 hour, 11 seconds
80 – Karl Smith on Market Power, the Great Variation, and Choices for Fed Chair
Karl Smith is the director of economic research at the Niskanen Center. He joins the show to discuss his thoughts on increasing market power (the ability of firms to influence prices) in the United States. Karl argues that this is at least partially due to what he calls the “Great Variation,” the desire many Americans have had for more individualized consumer goods since the 1960s. Finally, Karl also shares his thoughts on some of President Trump’s choices for Federal Reserve chair. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Karl Smith’s Niskanen profile: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/chief-economist/ Karl Smith’s Twitter: @karlbykarlsmith “Modeled Behavior”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/#661385b4a824 Related links: “Mark-Ups and Market Power” by Karl Smith https://niskanencenter.org/blog/markups-market-power/ “The Great Variation” by Karl Smith https://niskanencenter.org/blog/notes/the-great-variation/ https://niskanencenter.org/blog/notes/just-say-no-kevin-warsh/
10/23/2017 • 59 minutes, 13 seconds
79 - Binyamin Appelbaum on Covering the Fed and Monetary Policy in the Trump Era
Binyamin Appelbaum is an award-winning correspondent for the New York Times and covers the Federal Reserve and other aspects of economic policy. Today, he joins the show to discuss his work on covering the Fed and some ideas to improve Fed transparency. Binyamin also shares his thoughts on who President Trump may choose to fill vacancies on the Federal Reserve. Finally, Binyamin and David discuss what Trump’s trade policies may mean an increasingly globalized world. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Binyamin Appelbaum’s New York Times archive: https://www.nytimes.com/by/binyamin-appelbaum Binyamin’s Twitter: @BCAppelbaum Related links: “U.S. Inflation Remains Low and that’s a Problem” by Binyamin Appelbaum https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/us/politics/us-inflation-remains-low-and-thats-a-problem.html “Yellen and Cohn to Be on Shortlist to Lead Federal Reserve” by Binyamin Appelbaum https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/business/yellen-and-cohn-said-to-be-on-shortlist-for-new-head-of-the-fed.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fbinyamin-appelbaum&mtrref=www.nytimes.com&gwh=92BA8BF1D73950AA0455B7DF58B5E2FB&gwt=pay “A Look at Airbus’s Epic Assembly Line” by Binyamin Appelbaum and Christopher Payne https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/magazine/a-look-inside-airbuss-epic-assembly-line.html “American Companies Still Make Aluminum. In Iceland” by Binyamin Appelbaum https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/us/politics/american-companies-still-make-aluminum-in-iceland.html “Minorities Seen More Likely to Pay High Mortgage Rates” by Binyamin Appelbaum and Ted Millnik http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-09-03/news/0509030121_1_rates-for-mortgage-loans-interest-rates-lending-process
10/16/2017 • 1 hour, 17 seconds
78 - Olivier Blanchard on the State of Macroeconomics
Olivier Blanchard is the C. Fred Bergsten Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the former Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund. Today, he joins the show to discuss working at the IMF in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession. He also shares his thoughts on the limitations of current-day macroeconomic models as well as some suggestions to improve them. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Olivier Blanchard’s MIT profile: https://economics.mit.edu/faculty/blanchar Olivier Blanchard’s PIIE profile: https://piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/olivier-blanchard Olivier Blanchard’s Twitter: @ojblanchard1 Related links: “Do DSGE Models Have a Future?” by Olivier Blanchard https://piie.com/publications/policy-briefs/do-dsge-models-have-future “On the Need for (At Least) Five Classes of Macro Models” by Olivier Blanchard https://piie.com/blogs/realtime-economic-issues-watch/need-least-five-classes-macro-models “Will Interest Rates Lead to Fiscal Crisis?” by Olivier Blanchard https://piie.com/publications/policy-briefs/will-rising-interest-rates-lead-fiscal-crises “Getting Serious About Wage Inflation in Japan” by Olivier Blanchard and Adam Posen https://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints-archive/Viewpoints/Getting-serious-about-wage-inflation-in-Japan “Monetary Policy: Science or Art?” by Olivier Blanchard https://economics.mit.edu/files/742
10/9/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 3 seconds
77 - JW Mason on Economic Recovery and Potential GDP
JW Mason is an assistant professor of economics at John Jay College and a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. Today, he joins the show to discuss his recent paper, “What Recovery? The Case for Continued Expansionary Policy at the Fed?” JW argues that the recovery from the Great Recession was unusually weak. Furthermore, the American economy is still not at full employment, and, as a result, potential GDP is continually underestimated. In order to get the economy back to full employment, JW argues greater monetary expansion is needed. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth JW Mason’s website: http://jwmason.org/ JW’s Twitter: @JWMason1 “What Recovery? The Case for Continued Expansionary Policy at the Fed?” http://rooseveltinstitute.org/what-recovery/
10/2/2017 • 59 minutes, 51 seconds
76 – Caroline Freund on the Decline in Global Trade and Trump’s Trade Policy
Caroline Freund is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). Previously, she served as the chief economist for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank. She joins the show to discuss her career in trade policy and her work on the slowdown in global trade since the Great Recession. Finally, she also shares her thought on President Trump’s trade policies. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Caroline’s PIIE profile: https://piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/caroline-freund?author_id=906 Caroline’s Bloomberg archive: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/contributors/AQnL_eq2K8M/caroline-freund Caroline’s Twitter: @CarolineFreund Related links: *Rich People, Poor Countries: The Rise of Emerging-Market Tycoons and Their Mega Firms* by Caroline Freund (assisted by Sarah Oliver) https://piie.com/bookstore/rich-people-poor-countries-rise-emerging-market-tycoons-and-their-mega-firms “The Global Trade Slowdown and Secular Stagnation” by Caroline Freund https://piie.com/blogs/trade-investment-policy-watch/global-trade-slowdown-and-secular-stagnation “Invest in minds, not miners” by Caroline Freund and Christine McDaniel https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-07-06/the-u-s-needs-to-invest-in-minds-not-miners “U.S. Needs Trade Deals, Not ‘Remedies’” by Caroline Freund https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-08-14/u-s-needs-china-trade-deals-not-remedies “The China Shock: Learning from Labor Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade” by David H. Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson http://www.nber.org/papers/w21906 "Trump's Trade Pullout Roils Rural America" by Adam Behsudi http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/07/trump-tpp-deal-withdrawal-trade-effects-215459
9/25/2017 • 1 hour, 51 seconds
75 - Larry Summers on Secular Stagnation, Fiscal Policy, and Fed Policy
Lawrence Summers is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus of Harvard University. Previously, he served as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton and Director of the National Economic Council under President Obama. In today’s episode, he joins the show to discuss his work as both an academic and a policymaker. He also shares his thoughts on monetary and fiscal policy since the recent financial crisis and Great Recession. Finally, he explains why he has recently become more open to nominal GDP targeting. You can read the transcript to the full interview here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sya7syeqgjp1gxq/Summers_transcript.doc?dl=0 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Lawrence Summers’ website: http://larrysummers.com/ Larry Summers’ Washington post archive: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/lawrence-summers/?utm_term=.2cf6f67e2ce9 Larry Summers’ Twitter: @LHSummers Related links: “Inflation and Activity – Two Explorations and Their Monetary Policy Implications” by Olivier Blanchard, Eugenio Cerutti, and Lawrence Summers https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2015/wp15230.pdf “The Permanent Effects of Fiscal Consolidation” by Antonio Fatas and Larry Summers http://www.nber.org/papers/w22374 “5 Reasons Why the Fed Might Be Making a Mistake” by Larry Summers https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/14/larry-summers-5-reasons-why-the-fed-may-be-making-a-mistake/?utm_term=.3e48ce5bd142 *** [Also, be sure to subscribe to Mercatus’ “Conversations with Tyler” podcast, hosted by Tyler Cowen. Tyler also interviewed Larry Summers and discussed a wide range of topics, including trade policy, immigration, asset-pricing, monopolies, and even table tennis. You can listen to that conversation here: https://soundcloud.com/conversationswithtyler/28-larry-summers-on-macroeconomics-mentorship-and-avoiding-complacency You can also find previous episodes of “Conversations with Tyler” at https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler]
9/18/2017 • 38 minutes, 51 seconds
74 - Eric Hilt on Debates in Economic History and the Cliometric Revolution
Eric Hilt is a professor of economics and economic historian at Wellesley College. Today, he joins the show to discuss his new journal article *Economic History, Historical Analysis, and the “New History of Capitalism,”* which examines the growing debate between economic historians and historians of capitalism over issues such as slavery and economic growth. Eric also shares his thoughts on the “Cliometric Revolution,” which transformed the way many economic historians conduct their analysis. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Eric Hilt’s Wellesley profile: http://www.wellesley.edu/economics/faculty/hilte Related links: *Economic History, Historical Analysis, and the “New History of Capitalism”* by Eric Hilt. Journal of Economic History, June 2017. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/E17BEA48B930F6F25F328B5A79332A6E/S002205071700016Xa.pdf/economic_history_historical_analysis_and_the_new_history_of_capitalism.pdf *Economic Effects of Runs on Early 'Shadow Banks': Trust Companies and the Impact of the Panic of 1907* by Carola Frydman, Eric Hilt, and Lily Y. Zhou. NBER, July 2012 http://www.nber.org/papers/w18264 *Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Slavery* by Robert Fogel and Stanley Engerman https://www.amazon.com/Time-Cross-Economics-American-Slavery/dp/0393312186 *Railroads and American Economic Growth: Essays in Econometric History* by Robert Fogel *Old South, New South: Revolutions in the Southern Economy since the Civil War* by Gavin Wright https://www.amazon.com/Old-South-New-Revolutions-Southern/dp/0807120987
9/11/2017 • 59 minutes, 31 seconds
73 - JW Verret on Rules-Based Monetary Policy and the CHOICE Act
JW Verret is an associate law professor at the Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University and a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center. Previously, he served as the chief economist on the House Financial Services Committee. Today, he joins the show to discuss his experience working on Capitol Hill and his thoughts on the CHOICE Act, the current legislation designed to replace the Dodd-Frank Act. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth JW Verret’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/j-w-verret JW Verret’s GMU profile: https://www.law.gmu.edu/faculty/directory/fulltime/verret_jw Related links: “Demystifying the Foggy Haze of Federal Reserve Policymaking” by JW Verret http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/finance/341412-demystifying-the-foggy-haze-of-federal-reserve-policymaking
9/4/2017 • 57 minutes, 45 seconds
72 – Adam Millsap on Regional Business Cycles, State Fiscal Health, and Labor Mobility
Adam Millsap is an assistant director at the L. Charles Hilton Center at Florida State University and a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center. Today, he joins the show to discuss how different regional economies can lead to business cycles at the regional and state levels, rather than the federal level. This creates difficulty for monetary policy at the federal level as looser monetary policy may be appropriate for states like West Virginia, but may not be appropriate for states like California. He and David also discuss the decline of inter-state labor mobility and how bad regulation deters people from moving to areas with better job prospects. Description: David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Adam Millsap’s website: http://adammillsap9.wixsite.com/personal Adam Millsap’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/adam-millsap Adam Millsap’s Twitter: @AA_Millsap Related links: “Recessions Don’t Have the Same Impact on Every City” https://www.forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2016/07/19/recessions-dont-have-the-same-impact-on-every-city/#58f3a28478d2 “State Fiscal Rankings https://www.mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings
8/28/2017 • 57 minutes, 38 seconds
71 – Betsey Stevenson on Challenges in the U.S. Labor Market
Betsey Stevenson is an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan and previously served as the chief economist at the U.S. Labor Department. Today, she joins the show to discuss her experience working at the Labor Department at a time of high unemployment as well as her more recent research on challenges in the U.S. labor market. Specifically, she talks about the problem of decreased male labor force participation and why “manly men need to do more girly jobs.” David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: https://macromusings.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Betsey Stevenson’s University of Michigan profile: http://fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/betsey-stevenson Betsey Stevenson’s Twitter: @BetseyStevenson Related links: “Manly Men Need to More Girly Jobs” by Betsey Stevenson https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-12-07/manly-men-need-to-do-more-girly-jobs “Want to Help the Economy? Learn to Trust” by Betsey Stevenson https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-05/want-to-help-the-economy-learn-to-trust “Trust in Public Institutions over the Business Cycle” by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers http://users.nber.org/~bstevens/Papers/TrustinPublicInstitutions.pdf
8/21/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 12 seconds
70 - Greg Mankiw on Macroeconomists as Scientists and Engineers
Greg Mankiw is a professor of economics at Harvard University and served as the chair of the Council on Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush. Today, he joins the show to discuss the history of macroeconomics and how macroeconomists function as both scientists, who formulate and test theories, and as engineers, who set out to solve real world problems. Greg also shares his thoughts on the debate between the New Keynesian School and New Classical School and how that debate has shaped how we think about economics. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Greg Mankiw’s Harvard profile: https://scholar.harvard.edu/mankiw/home Greg Mankiw’s blog: https://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/ Related links: “The Macroeconomist as Scientist and Engineer” by Greg Mankiw https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mankiw/files/macroeconomist_as_scientist.pdf Macroeconomics by Greg Mankiw https://www.amazon.com/Macroeconomics-N-Gregory-Mankiw/dp/1464182892
8/14/2017 • 58 minutes, 3 seconds
69 – Edward Harrison on the Political Economy of the Eurozone
Edward Harrison is a consultant with Global Macro Advisers and founder of the investment news blog *Credit Writedowns.* Today, he joins the show to discuss the political forces that led to the establishment of the Eurozone and the turmoil that has plagued it since the Great Recession. Edward also shares his thoughts on whether the Eurozone will survive. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: https://macromusings.com/ Edward’s blog: https://pro.creditwritedowns.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Edward Harrison’s Twitter: @edwardnh Related links: “Macron Will Need to Target Reforms Like a Laser” by Edward Harrison http://www.businessinsider.com/macron-will-need-to-target-reforms-like-a-laser-2017-5 “Some Pre-European Debt Crisis Signs are Popping Up Again” by Edward Harrison http://www.businessinsider.com/some-pre-european-debt-crisis-signs-are-popping-up-again-2017-4
8/7/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 28 seconds
68 - Scott Sumner on Fed Performance since the Great Recession
In this week’s episode in front of a live audience, Scott Sumner, the director of the Program on Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center and blogger at *The Money Illusion,* returns to the show to share his thoughts on the Federal Reserve’s performance from the Great Recession to the present. Scott explains how forecast targeting and price level targeting could have mitigated the economic decline in 2008 and 2009. He also shares his thoughts on how the cognitive biases of central bankers can cause them to make mistakes in evaluating the stance of monetary policy and offers some solutions to address this problem. Note: this episode was recorded as part of a special Mercatus Center event in June 2017. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David's blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scott-sumner Scott's blog: www.themoneyillusion.com/ Related links: *The Midas Paradox: Financial Markets, Government Policy Shocks, and the Great Depression* by Scott Sumner https://www.amazon.com/Midas-Paradox-Financial-Government-Depression/dp/1598131508 “Nudging the Fed Toward a Rules-Based Policy Regime” by Scott Sumner https://www.mercatus.org/publication/nudging-fed-toward-rules-based-policy-regime “Demystifying the Fed” by Scott Sumner https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2017-07-10/the-federal-reserve-needs-to-learn-from-its-monetary-mistakes “Inflation Forecasting Targeting: Implementing and Monitoring Inflation Targets” by Lars Svensson http://www.nber.org/papers/w5797
7/31/2017 • 52 minutes, 54 seconds
67 – Lisa Cook on Households in the Great Recession, Economic Growth in Africa, & Patents
Lisa Cook is an Associate Professor of Economics at Michigan State University and formerly served as a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama. Today, she joins the show to discuss her work on how the Great Recession affected households in the U.S. She also shares her thoughts on the prospects for economic development in Africa. Finally, she and David also discuss the U.S. patent system and whether the system is in need of reforms. (Note: We experienced some technical difficulties during the record of this episode. You’ll notice a slight change in audio quality around the 5 minute mark.) David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Lisa Cook’s profile: https://msu.edu/~lisacook/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Lisa Cook’s Twitter: @drlisadcook Related links: “Consumer Finance and the Financial and Economic Crises: Implications from Household Surveys in Michigan” by Lisa Cook https://msu.edu/~lisacook/mich_cons_fin_jconed_022511.pdf “Were the Nigerian Banking Reforms of 2005 A Success ... And for the Poor?” by Lisa Cook http://www.nber.org/papers/w16890 “Violence and Economic Activity: Evidence from African American Patents, 1870-1940” by Lisa Cook http://lisadcook.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pats_paper17_1013_final_web.pdf
7/24/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 32 seconds
66 - Ryan Cooper on Economic Anxiety, Populism, and Population Growth
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at *The Week.* He joins the show to discuss how bad economic policy has hindered strong economic recovery from the Great Recession. Furthermore, Ryan argues economic anxiety stemming from the Great Recession has given rise to populist and even extremist political movements throughout the world. Finally, Ryan and David discuss the folly of limiting population growth as a means of combating climate change and how slowing population growth presents many long-term economic challenges. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Ryan Cooper’s *The Week* archive: http://theweek.com/authors/ryan-cooper David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ryan Cooper’s Twitter: @ryanlcooper “The Great Recession Clearly Gave Rise to Right-Wing Populism” by Ryan Cooper http://theweek.com/articles/685813/great-recession-clearly-gave-rise-rightwing-populism “The Federal Reserve is Still Wrecking America” by Ryan Cooper http://theweek.com/articles/696914/federal-reserve-still-wrecking-america “Why America is About to Start Freaking Out about Babies” by Ryan Cooper http://theweek.com/articles/625705/why-america-about-start-freaking-about-babies
7/17/2017 • 59 minutes, 39 seconds
65 - Stephen Miller on Financial Crises, Capital Requirements, and the US Banking System
Stephen Matteo Miller is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss his work on the history of financial crises as well as the evolution of the U.S. banking system since the late 1800s. Steph stresses the importance of capital requirements (how much capital or equity a bank holds relative to its liabilities) in combating financial crises. Furthermore, he argues that higher and simpler capital requirements, rather than more regulation, are the keys to a more market-disciplined banking system. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Stephen Miller’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/stephen-matteo-miller David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Stephen Miller’s Twitter: @SMatteoMiller Related links: “Ending Too-Big-to-Fail May Require More Than the Minneapolis Fed Too-Big-to-Fail Plan” by Stephen Miller https://www.mercatus.org/publications/too-big-to-fail-minneapolis-fed “A Primer on the Evolution and Complexity of Bank Regulatory Capital Standards” by Stephen Miller and James Barth https://www.mercatus.org/publications/primer-bank-regulatory-capital-standards *“To Establish a More Effective Supervision of Banking”: How the Birth of the Fed Altered Bank Supervision* by Eugene White http://www.nber.org/papers/w16825.pdf
7/10/2017 • 59 minutes, 11 seconds
64 - Ricardo Reis Defends Macroeconomics
Ricardo Reis is a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and the editor of the prominent Journal of Monetary Economics. He joins the show to discuss the state of macroeconomics, which has recently come under attack from many commentators who claim the discipline lacks empirical rigor and has failed to accurately forecast economic conditions. Ricardo gives a nuanced defense of macroeconomics, arguing macroeconomic research is, indeed, quite vibrant and empirical. Furthermore, he argues that although there have been shortcomings, macroeconomics has greatly improved over the past few decades in its ability to forecast and inform policy debates. David Beckworth’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Ricardo Reis’s LSE profile: http://personal.lse.ac.uk/reisr/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth “Is Something Really Wrong with Macroeconomics?” by Ricardo Reis http://personal.lse.ac.uk/reisr/papers/17-wrong.pdf “Achieving Price Stability by Manipulating the Central Bank's Payment on Reserves” by Robert Hall and Ricardo Reis http://www.nber.org/papers/w22761 “When Economics Failed” by Noah Smith https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-04-04/when-economics-failed
7/3/2017 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 18 seconds
63 - Matt Yglesias on the Politics of Fed Policy
Matt Yglesias is a columnist and editor for the news website Vox, which he co-founded in 2014. Today, he joins the show to talk about the politics shaping Fed policy. Matt discusses why he thinks President Barack Obama’s biggest policy failure was in failing to appoint members to the Fed's Board of Governors. He also shares his thoughts on where the Left and Right currently stand on monetary issues. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Matt Yglesias’s Vox archive: https://www.vox.com/authors/matthew-yglesias David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Matt Yglesias’s Twitter: @MattYglesias Related links: “Obama’s Biggest Economic Policy Mistake” by Matt Yglesias https://www.vox.com/2014/9/17/6219247/obamas-biggest-economic-policy-mistake “Fed Up” by Matt Yglesias (Feature in *Democracy: A Journal of Ideas*) http://democracyjournal.org/magazine/20/fed-up/
6/26/2017 • 59 minutes, 31 seconds
62 – Mandel and Swanson on *The Coming Productivity Boom*
In this week’s episode, David is joined by two guests, who make a case for economic optimism. Michael Mandel, chief economist at the Progressive Policy Institute, and Bret Swanson, president of Entropy Economics and visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, are the co-authors of the new paper, “The Coming Productivity Boom: Transforming the Physical Economy with Information.” Michael and Bret argue that, despite the slowdown in productivity of the last few decades, innovations in information technology such as artificial intelligence are going remake our economy for the better. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Michael Mandel’s homepage: http://www.progressivepolicy.org/author/mmandel/ Brett Swanson’s homepage: http://www.bretswanson.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Michael Mandel’s Twitter: @MichaelMandel Bret Swanson’s Twitter: @JBSay Related links: “The Coming Productivity Boom: Transforming the Physical Economy with Information” by Michael Mandel and Bret Swanson http://www.techceocouncil.org/clientuploads/reports/TCC%20Productivity%20Boom%20FINAL.pdf
6/19/2017 • 57 minutes, 51 seconds
61 - Steve Horwitz on Monetary Disequilibrium and Austrian Business Cycle Theory
Steven Horwitz is a professor of economics at Ball State University and a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss monetary disequilibrium (the condition when the supply and demand for money are not aligned, which leads to either inflation or deflation). David and Steve also examine Austrian Business Cycle Theory – a theory of how “malinvestment” caused by bad policy leads to an unsustainable boom and inevitable bust. Steve also explains how monetary disequilibrium led to the Great Recession and offers some solutions for minimizing business cycles in the future. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Steve Horwitz’s personal website: http://myslu.stlawu.edu/~shorwitz/ Steve Horwitz’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/steven-horwitz David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Related links: *Microfoundations and Macroeconomics: An Austrian Perspective* by Steven Horwitz https://www.amazon.com/Microfoundations-Macroeconomics-Perspective-Steven-Horwitz/dp/0415569575 “An Introduction to U.S. Monetary Policy* by Steven Horwitz https://www.mercatus.org/publication/introduction-us-monetary-policy
6/12/2017 • 59 minutes, 25 seconds
60 – Matt Klein on Greece, Optimal Currency Areas, and Safe Assets
Matt Klein is a columnist for the Financial Times and blogger at FT Alphaville. Today, he joins the show to discuss his work on the Eurozone, optimal currency areas, and safe assets. David and Matt examine the monetary policy problems and debt burdens facing the Eurozone area and Greece, in particular. They also chat about the possibility of the United States becoming less of an optimal currency, which would make Fed policy more challenging. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Matt Klein’s bio: https://ftalphaville.ft.com/meet-the-team#matthew-c-klein David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Matt Klein’s Twitter: @M_C_Klein Related links: “Is the United States Becoming Less of an Optimal Currency Area?” by David Beckworth http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2017/05/is-united-states-becoming-less-of.html “Will Nevada Ever Recover from the Housing Boom?” by Matt Klein https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2017/03/06/2185515/will-nevada-ever-recover-from-the-housing-bust/ “The IMF Implies Greece Should Have Left the Euro Long Ago” by Matt Klein https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2017/02/07/2184043/the-imf-implies-greece-should-have-the-left-the-euro-long-ago/
6/5/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 48 seconds
59 - Jay Shambaugh on the Macroeconomic Trilemma (“The Impossible Trinity”)
Jay Shambaugh is a professor of economics and international affairs at The George Washington University and a former member on the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Today, he joins the show to discuss his work on the “Macroeconomic Trilemma” (or “Impossible Trinity”): the problem that a country cannot maintain a fixed exchange rate, free movement of capital, and an independent monetary policy all at once. He also shares stories from his time at the CEA as well as thoughts on current monetary policy both for the U.S. and the Eurozone. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Jay Shambaugh’s GW profile: https://www2.gwu.edu/~iiep/about/faculty/jshambaugh/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Jay Shambaugh’s Twitter: @JayCShambaugh Related links: “The Euro’s Three Crises” by Jay C. Shambaugh https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/the-euros-three-crises/ “Financial Stability, the Trilemma, and International Reserves” by Maurice Obstfeld, Jay C. Shambaugh, & Alan M. Taylor http://www.nber.org/papers/w14217
5/29/2017 • 1 hour, 1 second
58 – David Schleicher on Local and State Regulation and Declining Mobility
David Schleicher is an Associate Professor of Law at Yale Law School and is an expert in election law, land use, local government law, urban development, transportation, and local regulation of the sharing economy. He joins the show to discuss his new journal article, “Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stability,” which argues that government regulations, such as occupational licensing and land-use laws, have led to a significant decline in inter-state mobility. Schleicher describes the negative macroeconomic implications of this trend and explains how we can reverse it. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David Schleicher’s Yale profile: https://law.yale.edu/david-n-schleicher David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth David Schleicher’s Twitter: @ProfSchleich Related links: “Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stability” by David Schleicher https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2896309
5/22/2017 • 55 minutes, 57 seconds
57 – Paul Krugman on Liquidity Traps, the Great Recession, and Isaac Asimov
Paul Krugman is a Nobel Laureate in economics, a columnist at *The New York Times,* and a Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He joins the show to discuss his work on liquidity traps, Japan’s Lost Decade, and lessons from the Great Recession. Paul also explains how Isaac Asimov’s science fiction inspired him to become an economist. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Paul Krugman’s CUNY profile: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/stonecenter/Paul-Krugman Paul Krugman’s blog: https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/ Paul Krugman’s NYT archive: https://www.nytimes.com/column/paul-krugman David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Paul Krugman’s Twitter: @paulkrugman Related links: “It’s Baaack: Japan’s Slump and the Return of the Liquidity Trap” by Kathryn M. Dominguez, Kenneth S. Rogoff, and Paul R. Krugman https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/its-baaack-japans-slump-and-the-return-of-the-liquidity-trap/ "Debt, Deleveraging, and the Liquidity Trap: A Fisher-Minsky-Koo approach" by Gauti Eggertsson and Paul Krugman https://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/LISCenter/pkrugman/The-Quarterly-Journal-of-Economics-2012-Eggertsson-1469-513.pdf “The New York Economic Geography, Now Middle-Aged” by Paul Krugman https://www.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/aag.pdf *Global Inequality: A New Approach for the Age of Globalization* by Branko Milanovic http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674737136
5/15/2017 • 1 hour, 44 seconds
56 – Ethan Ilzetzki on the U.S. Dollar as an Anchor Currency
Ethan Ilzetzki is an assistant professor of economics at the London School of Economics and a research affiliate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research. He joins the show to discuss exchange rate regimes, anchor currencies, and the new Triffin dilemma. Ethan points out how the U.S. dollar is connected to a staggering 70 percent of global GDP. David and Ethan discuss what the dollar’s dominant role in the global economy means for U.S. monetary policy, both at home and abroad. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Ethan Ilzetzki’s LSE profile: http://personal.lse.ac.uk/ilzetzki/index.htm/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Ethan Ilzetzki’s Twitter: @ilzetzki Related links: “Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?” by Ethan Ilzetzki (with Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff) http://personal.lse.ac.uk/ilzetzki/index.htm/Research/Ilzetzki&Reinhart&Rogoff.pdf “How Big (Small?) are Fiscal Multipliers?” by Ethan Ilzetzki (with Enrique G. Mendoza and Carlos A. Vegh) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030439321200116X
5/8/2017 • 59 minutes, 57 seconds
55 – Daniel Griswold on the Basics of Trade
Daniel Griswold is a Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss the theory of trade, dating back to Adam Smith, and his work on current US trade policy. Daniel and David discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding trade and why Americans should embrace free trade instead of protectionism. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Daniel Griswold’s blog: https://madabouttrade.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Daniel Griswold’s Twitter: @DanielGriswold Related links: “Plumbing America’s Balance of Trade” by Daniel Griswold https://www.mercatus.org/publications/american-balance-of-trade *Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization* by Daniel Griswold https://www.amazon.com/Mad-About-Trade-America-Globalization/dp/193530819X “The China Shock: Learning from Labor-Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade” by David Autor, David Dorn, & Gordon Hanson http://www.ddorn.net/papers/Autor-Dorn-Hanson-ChinaShock.pdf
5/1/2017 • 59 minutes, 10 seconds
54 – Josh Zumbrun on Challenges and Angst Facing the Economics Profession
Josh Zumbrun is a national economics correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. David and Josh discuss what seems to be the diminished status of economists in a populist era and what role economists will play in the Trump Administration. Josh also shares his thoughts on life as an economics journalist in the digital age. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Josh Zumbrun’s WSJ archive: http://topics.wsj.com/person/Z/josh-zumbrun/7972 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Josh Zumbrun’s Twitter: @JoshZumbrun Related links: “How to Restore Faith in Economics” by Noah Smith https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-03-15/how-to-restore-faith-in-economics “Donald Trump’s Cabinet Won’t Include Chairman of CEA” by Josh Zumbrun https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trumps-cabinet-wont-include-chairman-of-cea-1486670755?tesla=y
4/24/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 54 seconds
53 – James Bullard on Life as a Fed Bank President and Monetary Policy in 2017
In this week’s episode, Jim Bullard, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, joins the show to discuss his work as a Federal Reserve executive and as a researcher in monetary policy. Bullard shares his thoughts on why inflation has been so persistently low since 2008 and whether the Fed should pursue a more symmetric inflation target. He and David also discuss the Fed’s plans for monetary policy in 2017. In Bullard’s view, the Fed should focus on reducing its balance sheet before it turns to raising rates further. (Note: this episode was recorded on April 5, 2017) Interview transcript: https://www.mercatus.org/podcasts/04172017/macro-musings-53-james-bullard-federal-reserve David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Jim Bullard’s Federal Reserve profile: https://www.stlouisfed.org/from-the-president David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth St. Louis Fed’s Twitter: @stlouisfed Related links: “Comments on the FOMC's Amendments to Its Statement on Longer-Run Goals” by James Bullard https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2016/february/bullard-comments-fomc-amendments-statement-longer-run-goals “Current Monetary Policy, the New Fiscal Policy and the Fed’s Balance Sheet” by James Bullard https://www.stlouisfed.org/~/media/Files/PDFs/Bullard/remarks/Bullard_Economic_Club_of_Memphis_24_Mar_2017.pdf?la=en “Everything the Market Thinks About Inflation Might be Wrong” by Jon Sindreu (Wall Street Journal) https://www.wsj.com/articles/everything-the-market-thinks-about-inflation-might-be-wrong-1488796206 “As Debate Rages, Simple Analogy Shows How Fed Controls Inflation” by David Beckworth (The Hill) http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-budget/324054-as-debate-rages-simple-analogy-shows-how-central-banks-still-control The Dallas Fed Trimmed Mean Inflation Rate https://www.dallasfed.org/research/pce
4/17/2017 • 58 minutes, 2 seconds
52 – Tyler Cowen on Complacency, Immobility, and Stagnation
Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University as well as the general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss his new book, *The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream.* Tyler argues that restlessness and willingness to take risks have been key traits throughout American history. However, in the last few decades, American society has become more risk-averse. While we may have become more comfortable with less risk-taking, this complacency has led to less innovation and dynamism in the economy. Such stasis is causing economic stagnation and other woes throughout the United States. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Tyler Cowen’s blog: http://marginalrevolution.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Tyler Cowen’s Twitter: @tylercowen Related links: *The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream* by Tyler Cowen https://www.amazon.com/Complacent-Class-Self-Defeating-Quest-American/dp/1250108691 *How Complacent Are You? Take the Quiz!* http://tylercowen.com/complacent-class-quiz/ “Why the Global Shortage of Safe Assets Matters” by David Beckworth http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-global-shortage-of-safe-assets.html "The Making of Hawks and Doves: Inflation Experiences on the FOMC" by Ulrike Malmendier, Stefan Nagel, and Zhen Yan http://www.nber.org/papers/w23228
4/10/2017 • 55 minutes, 10 seconds
51 – George Selgin on Reforming Open Market Operations and Normalizing Fed Policy
George Selgin, director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, returns to *Macro Musings* to discuss his new proposal to reform how the Fed conducts open-market operations. He proposes abolishing the current primary dealer system and expanding the Fed’s number of counterparties. David and George also discuss the Fed’s plans for 2017 and whether it will seek to reduce its large balance sheet. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ George Selgin’s Cato archive: www.cato.org/people/george-selgin George Selgin’s Alt-M archive: https://www.alt-m.org/author/selgin/ (contains George’s monetary policy primer posts) David’s Twitter: twitter.com/DavidBeckworth George Selgin’s Twitter: twitter.com/georgeselgin Related links: *Money: Free and Unfree* by George Selgin https://www.amazon.com/Money-Free-Unfree-George-Selgin/dp/1944424296 “Reforming Last-Resort Lending: The Flexible Open-Market Alternative” by George Selgin (as part of *Prosperity Unleashed: Smarter Financial Regulation* published by the Heritage Foundation) http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2017-02/13_ProsperityUnleashed_Chapter13.pdf
4/3/2017 • 57 minutes, 25 seconds
50 - Steve Hanke on Hyperinflations
Steve Hanke is a professor of applied economics and co-director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He is also a senior fellow and director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the Cato Institute. Steve joins the show to discuss his work on the history of hyperinflations. David and Steve discuss what exactly constitutes hyperinflation as well as historical examples of hyperinflation from 1940s Hungary to present-day Venezuela. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Steve Hanke’s Cato profile: https://www.cato.org/people/steve-hanke David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Steve Hanke’s Twitter: @steve_hanke Related links: Venezuela Enters the Record Book: the 57th Entry in the Hanke-Krus World Hyperinflation Table (contains full list of world hyperinflations) https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/articles/hanke-sae-december-2016.pdf
3/27/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 6 seconds
49 - Jeffrey Frankel on Recession-Dating, the Plaza Accords, and Globalization
Jeffrey Frankel is a professor and economist at Harvard University and the director of the Program in International Finance and Macroeconomics at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He joins the show to discuss serving on the NBER’s Business Cycle Dating Committee, which officially declares the start and end of recessions. David and Jeff also discuss the monetary history of the Plaza Accord, an international agreement in 1985 to devalue the U.S. dollar. Jeff also shares his thoughts on globalization in the past few decades and current-day challenges facing it. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Jeff Frankel’s Harvard profile: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/jeffrey-frankel Jeff Frankel’s NBER publications: http://www.nber.org/authors/jeffrey_frankel David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Related links: “Globalization of the Economy” by Jeffrey Frankel https://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/jfrankel/NyeGlobWPwFigPost.pdf “Globalization and Chinese Growth: End of Trends” by Jeffrey Frankel http://scholar.harvard.edu/frankel/publications/globalization-and-chinese-growth-ends-trends “The Plaza Accord: 30 Years Later” by Jeffrey Frankel https://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/jfrankel/PlazaAccord-PIIE2016.pdf
3/20/2017 • 1 hour, 7 seconds
48 - Jason Furman on Fiscal Stimulus, the Platinum Coin, and Male Labor Force Participation
Jason Furman is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama. He joins the show to reflect on his time in the Obama Administration. Among other things, Jason and David discuss the efficacy of fiscal policy, the fiscal multiplier, and whether the platinum coin was ever seriously considered. They also discuss the problem of declining male labor force participation, its causes, and possible solutions. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Jason Furman’s PIIE profile: https://piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/jason-furman David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Jason Furman’s Twitter: @jasonfurman Related links: “The New View of Fiscal Policy and Its Application” by Jason Furman http://voxeu.org/article/new-view-fiscal-policy-and-its-application “The Long-Term Decline in US Prime-Age Male Labor Force Participation” by Jason Furman http://voxeu.org/article/long-term-decline-us-prime-age-male-labour-force-participation-and-policies-address-it
3/13/2017 • 59 minutes, 3 seconds
47 – Larry White on India’s Demonetization and Austrian Macroeconomics
Larry White is a professor of economics at George Mason University and has written widely on monetary theory, free banking, and the Austrian School of Economics. Today, he joins the show to discuss the recent demonetization efforts in India to crack down on corruption. White argues that India’s efforts to end the circulation of large notes and begin the circulation of new notes is having pernicious effects on the Indian population. He and David also discuss Austrian Business Cycle Theory, how this theory was developed by great economists such as Ludwig von Mises, and how the theory may have played a role in the lead up to the Great Recession. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Larry White’s GMU profile: http://economics.gmu.edu/people/lwhite11 Larry White’s Alt-M archive: https://www.alt-m.org/author/white/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Larry White’s Twitter: @lawrencehwhite1 Related links: “India’s Currency Cancellation: Seigniorage and Cantillon Effects” by Larry White and Shruti Rajagopalan https://www.alt-m.org/2016/11/28/indias-currency-cancellation-seigniorage-and-cantillon-effects/ *Free Banking in Britain: Theory, Experience and Debate 1800-1845* by Larry White https://www.amazon.com/Free-Banking-Britain-Experience-1800-1845/dp/0255363753 *The Clash of Economic Ideas: The Great Policy Debates and Experiments of the Last Hundred Years* by Larry White https://www.amazon.com/Clash-Economic-Ideas-Debates-Experiments/dp/110762133X *The Theory of Money and Credit* by Ludwig von Mises https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Money-Credit-Ludwig-Mises/dp/1442175958
3/6/2017 • 58 minutes, 52 seconds
46 – Tim Duy on the Art of Fed Watching and the Future of U.S. Monetary Policy
Tim Duy is a professor of economics at the University of Oregon and a widely read “Fed Watcher.” Today, he joins the show to discuss writing on the Federal Reserve and how to interpret statements from Fed officials. In particular, Tim stresses the importance of the Fed Chair’s post-FOMC meeting press conferences. He also warns against taking too much stock in FOMC minutes. David and Tim also discuss the proper role of the Fed’s balance sheet in stabilizing monetary policy. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Tim Duy’s homepage: http://pages.uoregon.edu/duy/ Tim’s “Fed Watch” blog: http://economistsview.typepad.com/timduy/ Tim’s Bloomberg archive: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/contributors/AC6KX2KfHjM/timothy-a-duy David’s Twtter: @davidbeckworth Tim’s Twitter: @TimDuy
2/27/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 41 seconds
45 – Hester Peirce on *Reframing Financial Regulation*
Hester Peirce is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and director of Mercatus’ Financial Markets Working Group. She joins the show to discuss the new Mercatus book, *Reframing Financial Regulation: Enhancing Stability and Protecting Consumers*, which she coedited. The book examines the problems with the United States’ current financial regulation regime (including the Dodd-Frank Act) and offers alternative policies that rely less on a centralized regulation and more on market discipline. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Hester’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/hester-peirce David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Hester’s Twitter: @HesterPeirce *Reframing Financial Regulation: Enhancing Stability and Protecting Consumers* edited by Hester Peirce and Benjamin Klutsey https://www.mercatus.org/publications/reframing-financial-regulation
2/20/2017 • 55 minutes, 2 seconds
44 - Sebastian Mallaby on Alan Greenspan's Legacy
Sebastian Mallaby is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a contributing columnist for the Washington Post. Today, he joins the show to discuss his new book, *The Man Who Knew: the Life and Times of Alan Greenspan,* a biography of the former Fed Chairman. Sebastian describes Greenspan’s humble origins, his rise to power, and his public career that spanned several decades. David and Sebastian discuss the degree to which Greenspan should be praised for the economic stability of the Great Moderation and blamed for the Great Recession. They also chat about Greenspan’s musical talents, his relationship with Ayn Rand, and his reputation as a “ladies man.” David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Sebastian’s bio: http://www.cfr.org/experts/financial-crises-regional-security-economics/sebastian-mallaby/b4452 Sebastian’s Washington Post archive: http://www.cfr.org/experts/financial-crises-regional-security-economics/sebastian-mallaby/b4452 David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Sebastian Mallaby: @scmallaby *The Man Who Knew: the Life and Times of Alan Greenspan* by Sebastian Mallaby http://www.cfr.org/international-finance/man-knew/p37530
2/13/2017 • 58 minutes, 42 seconds
43 – Eswar Prasad on Chinese Monetary Policy – Past and Present
Eswar Prasad is the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy and Professor of Economics at Cornell University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He joins the show to discuss his new book, *Gaining Currency: The Rise of the Renminbi,* which examines the rise of China’s currency, the renminbi (RMB), and its role in global finance. Prasad argues that the RMB is on the road to becoming a reserve currency, but it will not challenge the US dollar’s dominance as a safe haven currency. David and Eswar also discuss China’s interesting history as the first country with paper money and a fiat currency. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Eswar’s Cornell homepage: http://prasad.dyson.cornell.edu/ Eswar’s Brookings homepage: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/eswar-prasad/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Eswar’s Twitter: @EswarSPrasad Related links: *Gaining Currency: The Rise of the Renminbi* by Eswar S. Prasad https://global.oup.com/academic/product/gaining-currency-9780190631055?cc=us&lang=en&
2/6/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 37 seconds
42 – Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde on European Economic History and Macroeconomic Modeling
Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde is a professor of economics and director of graduate studies of economics at the University of Pennsylvania. He joins the show to discuss both his extensive work in economic history as well as macroeconomic modeling. David and Jesus discuss the economic history of Germany in the 1920s and 1930s and the events that led to the rise of the Nazis as well as more recent events such as the struggles facing the Eurozone. They also discuss debates surrounding the usefulness of current-day macroeconomic models. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Jesus’ webpage: http://economics.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Related links: “The econometrics of DSGE models” by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde http://economics.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/econometricsDSGE.pdf “Computing DSGE Models with Recursive Preferences and Stochastic Volatility” by Dario Caldara, Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, Juan Rubio-Ramirez, and Wen Yao https://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2012/201204/201204pap.pdf “The Trouble with Macroeconomics” by Paul Romer https://paulromer.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WP-Trouble.pdf
1/30/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 15 seconds
41 - Gauti Eggertsson on the Zero-Lower Bound and Liquidity Traps
Gauti Eggertsson is a professor of economics at Brown University. Previously, he worked at the research departments at the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He joins the show to discuss his work on the history of liquidity traps and extremely low and even negative interest rates. He and David discuss examples from the Great Depression to Japan in the 1990s to today. Gauti also shares his thoughts on the Fed’s quantitative easing (QE) program and why it failed to return the economy back to normal. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Gauti’s Brown University homepage: https://sites.google.com/site/gautieggertsson/home David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Related links: “The Zero Bound on Interest Rates and Optimal Monetary Policy” by Gauti Eggertsson and Michael Woodford https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/the-zero-bound-on-interest-rates-and-optimal-monetary-policy/ “Great Expectations and the End of the Depression” by Gauti Eggertsson https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr234.pdf “The Fed’s Dirty Little Secret” by David Beckworth http://people.wku.edu/david.beckworth/fed_dirty.pdf “Japan’s Trap” by Paul Krugman https://www.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/japans_trap.pdf
1/23/2017 • 1 hour, 4 seconds
40 - Anat Admati on Debt, Equity, and Financial Instability
Anat Admati is the George G.C. Parker Professor of Finance and Economics at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and co-author of the book, *The Bankers’ New Clothes: What’s Wrong with Banking and What to Do About It.* She joins the show to discuss her book, which argues that America’s banking system continues to be dangerously fragile even in the aftermath of the Dodd-Frank Act. Anat argues that banks take on too much leverage and that they should be required to hold more equity. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Anat’s Stanford profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/anat-r-admati David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Anat’s Twitter: @anatadmati Related: *The Bankers’ New Clothes: What’s Wrong with Banking and What to Do About It* by Anat Admati and Martin Hellwig http://bankersnewclothes.com/ Anat’s paper, “It Takes a Village to Maintain a Dangerous Financial System” http://bankersnewclothes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Takes-a-Village-May-2016.pdf
1/16/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 53 seconds
39 - Allan Meltzer on the Monetarist Counterrevolution and Economic Reforms
In this week’s special episode recorded in front of a live audience, David interviews the renowned monetary economist, Allan Meltzer. Meltzer, a professor of political economy at Carnegie Mellon University and one of the founders of the monetarist school of thought discusses his long career in academia and policy. David and Allan also discuss current central bank policy, both in the United States and abroad, and how monetary policy can become more rules-based. Finally, Allan also argues many of our current economic problems are real, not nominal, and he hopes a Trump Administration can address some of these woes. Note: this episode took place before the December 2016 interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Allan Meltzer’s bio: http://tepper.cmu.edu/our-faculty-and-research/about-our-faculty/faculty-profiles/am05/meltzer-allan David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Related links: “A History of the Federal Reserve (Volumes I and II)” by Allan Meltzer (University of Chicago Press) http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo3634061.html http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo6887672.html “Keynes’s Monetary Theory: A Different Interpretation” by Allan Meltzer (Cambridge University Press) https://www.amazon.com/Keyness-Monetary-Theory-Different-Interpretation/dp/0521022754
1/9/2017 • 53 minutes, 48 seconds
38 - Ylan Mui on the Fed Beat and Trumponomics
Ylan Mui covers White House economic policy for the Washington Post. Previously, she covered the Federal Reserve. Today, she joins the show to discuss what it is like to attend Fed press conferences and write on the technical nuances of Fed policy. David and Ylan also discuss what a Trump Administration might mean for economic issues ranging from trade to infrastructure spending to monetary policy. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Ylan’s archive: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/ylan-q-mui/ David's Twitter: @davidbeckworth Ylan's Twitter: @ylanmui
1/2/2017 • 1 hour, 18 seconds
37 - Laura Birg and Anna Goeddeke on Christmas Economics
In this week’s special episode, David discusses the economics of Christmas with Laura Birg, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Goettingen, and Anna Goeddke, a professor of economics at the ESB Business School at Reutlingen University. Topics include the dead-weight loss of gift-giving, Christmas’ effects on seasonal GDP, increases in alcohol consumption, and the effect of secularization on Christmas celebrations. [Note: We will be taking a break next week for the holidays, but we will be back the following Monday, January 2, with the Washington Post’s Ylan Mui!] David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Anna’s VoxEU profile: http://voxeu.org/users/annagoeddeke0 Anna’s Twitter: @annagoeddeke Laura’s University of Goettingen profile: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/362254.html Related links: “Christmas Economics – A Sleigh Ride” by Laura Birg and Anna Goeddke (2014) https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2526055 “The Seasonal Cycle and the Business Cycle” by Robert Barsky and Jeffrey Miron (1988) http://www.nber.org/papers/w2688 “The Business Cycle Effects of Christmas” by YI Wen (2001) https://www.discuto.io/sites/default/files/christmas2010.pdf We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
12/19/2016 • 54 minutes, 23 seconds
36 - The Macroeconomics of Star Wars and Star Trek
In this week’s special episode, David compares and contrasts the economics of the Star Wars and Star Trek universes. He is joined by Zachary Feinstein, an Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and Manu Saadia, author of *Trekonomics.* Topics include the economic fallout from the destruction of the Death Star, the absence of money in Star Trek, and whether a universe can really eliminate scarcity. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Manu’s *Trekonomics* website: https://trekonomics.tumblr.com/ (you can order the book, *Trekonomics,* here as well) Manu’s Twitter: @trekonomics Zach’s faculty profile: https://sites.wustl.edu/fictionomics/ Zach’s Twitter: @FictionomicsWU Related links: “It’s a Trap: Emperor Palpatine’s Poison Pill” by Zachary Feinstein https://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.09054.pdf “The Case for the Empire” by Jonathan Last http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-case-for-the-empire/article/2540
12/12/2016 • 58 minutes, 16 seconds
35 - Peter Conti-Brown on *The Power and Independence of the Federal Reserve*
Peter Conti-Brown is an Assistant Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joins the show to discuss his new book, *The Power and Independence of the Federal Reserve,* which exams the evolution of the Federal Reserve and what central bank independence really means. Peter also shares his thoughts on what a Trump presidency might mean for monetary policy. David’s bio: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Peter’s UPenn bio: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/30645/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Peter’s Twitter: @PeterContiBrown Related links: *The Power and Independence of the Federal Reserve* by Peter Conti-Brown https://www.amazon.com/Power-Independence-Federal-Reserve/dp/0691164002 *America’s Bank: The Epic Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve* by Roger Lowenstein https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bank-Struggle-Federal-Reserve/dp/1594205493
12/5/2016 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 45 seconds
34 – JP Koning on Goldbugs, African Monetary History, and Fedcoin
JP Koning is an economic consultant and writer. He joins the show to discuss fascinating stories in monetary history in Libya, Zimbabwe, and Switzerland. He also shares his thoughts on Blockchain technology and Fedcoin, a hypothetical cryptocurrency stabilized by the Federal Reserve. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ JP’s blog “Moneyness”: http://jpkoning.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth JP’s Twitter: @JP_Koning Related links: “What Happens When a Central Bank Splits in Two?” by JP Koning http://jpkoning.blogspot.com/2016/06/what-happens-when-central-bank-is-split.html “A Modern Example of Gresham’s Law” by JP Koning http://jpkoning.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-modern-example-of-greshams-law.html “Fedcoin” by JP Koning http://jpkoning.blogspot.ca/2014/10/fedcoin.html
11/28/2016 • 59 minutes, 55 seconds
33 - Mark Calabria on Housing Policy and the Behavioral Case for Monetary Rules
Mark Calabria is the director of Financial Regulation Studies at the Cato Institute. Before joining Cato in 2009, he worked as a member of the senior staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. He joins the show to discuss working on Capitol Hill amidst the 2008 financial crisis. Mark also discusses his recent Cato paper where he argues insights from behavioral economics suggest monetary policy should be more rules-based. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Mark’s Cato Institute profile: https://www.cato.org/people/mark-calabria Mark’s Alt-M archive: http://www.alt-m.org/author/calabria/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Mark’s Twitter: @markcalabria Related links: “Yes, the Fed has a Diversity Problem” by Mark Calabria https://www.cato.org/blog/yes-federal-reserve-has-diversity-problem “Behavioral Economics and Fed Policymaking” by Mark Calabria https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/2016/9/cj-v36n3-6.pdf
11/21/2016 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 37 seconds
32 - Roger Farmer on the Natural Rate of Unemployment Hypothesis and Prosperity for All
Roger Farmer is a Distinguished Professor of Economics at UCLA. He joins the show to discuss his new book, Prosperity for All: How to Prevent Financial Crises. He and David also discuss his criticism of the natural rate of unemployment hypothesis, an important proposition in mainstream macroeconomics. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Roger’s personal website: http://www.rogerfarmer.com/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Roger’s Twitter: @farmerrf Related links: Roger’s UCLA profile http://www.econ.ucla.edu/faculty/regular/Farmer.html Prosperity for All: How to Prevent Financial Crises by Roger Farmer https://global.oup.com/academic/product/prosperity-for-all-9780190621438?cc=us&lang=en& “The Natural Rate Hypthesis: An Idea Past Its Sell-by Date” by Roger Farmer http://www.nber.org/papers/w19267
11/14/2016 • 58 minutes, 43 seconds
31 – Mark Koyama on the Macroeconomics of Ancient Rome
Mark Koyama is an Assistant Professor of Economics at George Mason University and a Senior Fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center. He joins the show to discuss his research on the economic history of ancient Rome from the rise of the Roman Republic to the transition to the Roman Empire to the Empire’s eventual fall. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Mark’s Medium page: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama Mark’s GMU profile: http://economics.gmu.edu/people/mkoyama2 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Mark’s Twitter: @MarkKoyama Related links: “The Roman Market Economy” by Peter Temin (2012, Princeton University Press) http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9896.html “Peter Temin and the Malthusian Hypothesis for the Limits of Roman Growth” by Mark Koyama https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/peter-temin-and-the-malthusian-hypothesis-for-the-limits-of-roman-growth-12489edce93a#.ijytapey2 “Why did the Roman Economy Decline?” by Mark Koyama https://medium.com/art-marketing/why-did-the-roman-economy-decline-225deada66ea#.xnwksin86
11/7/2016 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 5 seconds
30 - Rudi Bachmann on German Macroeconomics, Walter Eucken, and Ordoliberalism
Rüdiger (Rudi) Bachmann is a Stepan Family Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame. He joins the show to discuss the economic history of his native Germany. David and Rudi also discuss how the German approach to macroeconomics is distinctly different from the approach taken in the United States. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Rudi’s Notre Dame webpage: https://www3.nd.edu/~rbachman/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Related links: Rudi on his work on economic uncertainty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XDlzBgf1uE NYT Upshot Article: “How Economists Came to Dominate the Conversation” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/24/upshot/how-economists-came-to-dominate-the-conversation.html?_r=0 Peter Bofinger’s Vox EU article: “German Macroeconomics: The Long Shadow of Walter Eucken” http://voxeu.org/article/german-macroeconomics-long-shadow-walter-eucken
10/31/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 55 seconds
29 - Narayana Kocherlakota on the FOMC, the 2008 Crisis, and Monetary Rules
Narayana Kocherlakota is the Lionel W. McKenzie Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester, and he previously served as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He joins the show to discuss to discuss what it is like working as a Fed president and a member of the Federal Open Market Committee. He also shares some of his thoughts on the drawbacks of current proposals on establishing monetary rules. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Narayana’s website: https://sites.google.com/site/kocherlakota009/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Narayana’s Twitter: @kocherlakota009 Related links: Narayana’s profile, speeches, and articles as Fed president: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about/more-about-the-fed/presidents-of-the-minneapolis-fed/narayana-kocherlakota Narayana’s Bloomberg archive: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/contributors/APvwpZqjDaA/narayana-kocherlakota/articles Narayana’s Brookings article: Rules vs. Discretion: A Reconsideration https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/rules-versus-discretion-a-reconsideration/ Responses to the Brookings article by John Taylor and George Selgin: https://economicsone.com/2016/09/17/kocherlakota-on-the-fed-and-the-taylor-rule/ http://www.alt-m.org/2016/09/22/rules-discretion-audacity-critique-kocherlakota/
10/24/2016 • 59 minutes, 12 seconds
28 - Izabella Kaminska on Blockchain Technology and the Economics of Star Trek
Izabella Kaminska is a writer for the Financial Times at its premier blog, FT Alphaville. She joins the show to discuss her work on blockchain technology as well as current proposals on monetary and fiscal policy. Finally, Izabella and David, who are both big sci-fi fans, talk about economics in the Star Trek and Star Wars sagas. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Izabella Kaminska’s Twitter: @izakaminska David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Izabella Kaminska’s FT bio and archive: http://ftalphaville.ft.com/meet-the-team/izabella-kaminska/ Related links: “You see, money doesn’t exist in the 24th century” – Izabella Kaminska http://ftalphaville.ft.com/2015/10/12/2142030/you-see-money-doesnt-exist-in-the-24th-century/ Even lower rates? “Thanks but no thanks” say banks everywhere – Izabella Kaminska http://ftalphaville.ft.com/2016/07/11/2168870/even-lower-rates-thanks-but-no-thanks-say-banks-everywhere/ Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek – Manu Saadia https://www.amazon.com/Trekonomics-Economics-Star-Manu-Saadia/dp/1941758754 It’s a Trap: Emperor Palpatine’s Poison Pill – Zachary Feinstein https://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.09054.pdf
10/17/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 27 seconds
27 - Claudio Borio on Financial Stability, the Triffin Dilemma, and International Monetary Policy
Claudio Borio is the director of the monetary and economic department at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). He joins the show to discuss his career in monetary policy, banking, and macroprudential regulation. In particular, he and David discuss problems afflicting the Eurozone and how to address massive financial imbalances across the world. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Claudio’s bio and research: https://www.bis.org/author/claudio_borio.htm David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Related links: “Revisiting Three Intellectual Pillars of Monetary Policy” by Claudio Borio http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/2016/5/cj-v36n2-1.pdf
10/10/2016 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 5 seconds
26 – Andy Levin on Federal Reserve Reform
Andrew Levin is a professor of economics at Dartmouth College and a former Federal Reserve Board economist. For two years, he worked as a special adviser to Chairman Ben Bernanke and Vice Chair Janet Yellen. He joins the podcast to discuss his experiences at the Fed and the need for more accountability. His ideas include increasing transparency, setting term limits, and fostering diversity of thought and background among its members. David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Andy Levin’s Twitter: @AndrewTLevin David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Andy Levin’s bio: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~alevin/ Related links: Dartmouth College Q&A with Professor Andy Levin http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2016/09/qa-with-economics-professor-andrew-levin How Andy proposes to reform the Fed: http://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-levins-4-radical-fed-changes-2016-4 http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-04-11/former-yellen-adviser-proposes-sweeping-reform-of-fed-system http://www.wsj.com/articles/former-fed-adviser-activists-lay-out-a-plan-for-change-at-the-fed-1460400788 https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomchistorical2008.htm
10/3/2016 • 57 minutes, 30 seconds
25 - Morgan Ricks on *The Money Problem,* Financial Regulation, and Shadow Banking
Morgan Ricks is a law professor at Vanderbilt University and an expert on financial regulation. From 2009-2010, he was a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Treasury Department where he focused on financial stability initiatives. Morgan joins the show to discuss his new book, “The Money Problem: Rethinking Financial Regulation,” which argues that shadow banking institutions create large sums of private sector money through issuing short-term debt. This rapid expansion creates instability to the financial system and to the broader economy. To solve this problem, Morgan proposes that only properly chartered, FDIC-insured banks be allowed to issue short-term liabilities. Although there may be more bureaucracy in insuring the financial system under this proposal, Morgan argues there would be less need for higher capital requirements and other regulations. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Morgan Ricks’ Vanderbilt profile: http://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/morgan-ricks David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Morgan Ricks’ Twitter: @MorganRicks1 Related links: The Money Problem: Rethinking Financial Regulation https://www.amazon.com/Money-Problem-Rethinking-Financial-Regulation/dp/022633032X David’s review of The Money Problem in National Review (gated) https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2016-09-12-0100/morgan-ricks-the-money-problem “A Simpler Approach to Financial Reform” by Morgan Ricks http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2316900 “A Former Treasury Adviser on How to Really Fix Wall Street” by Morgan Ricks in The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/article/98659/wall-street-term-out-panic
9/26/2016 • 58 minutes, 48 seconds
24 - Ryan Avent on *The Wealth of Humans,* Job Automation, and Globalization
Ryan Avent is an economics columnist for The Economist and author of the new book, The Wealth of Humans: Work, Power, and Status in the Twenty-First Century. He joins the show to discuss his new book, which explores how the Digital Revolution is dramatically changing the economy and our lives. He also discusses how he previously worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and as a private sector consultant before moving to journalism. Finally, David and Ryan talk about economic angst both in the United States and abroad as well as some sound macroeconomic policies to address this. David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Ryan Avent’s Twitter: @ryanavent Ryan Avent’s website: http://www.ryanavent.com/blog/?page_id=6 Related links: http://www.economist.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Humans-Status-Twenty-first-Century/dp/1250075807
9/19/2016 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 17 seconds
23 - Michael Bordo on Anna Schwartz, Financial Crises, and Life as a Monetary Historian
Michael D. Bordo is a professor of economics and the director of the Center for Monetary and Financial History at Rutgers University, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He has also been a visiting scholar at numerous central banks across the world. Michael, a prolific scholar, joins the show to discuss a long career in monetary economics, including his research with the legendary Anna Schwartz. He shares his thoughts on the Great Recession and how it compares with the Great Depression. Additionally, he challenges the notion that financial crises like the 2007-2009 crisis are necessarily followed by slow recoveries. David and Michael also chat about the history of American banking law and how restrictions on interstate-branch banking until the 1990s hindered economic growth. Finally, Michael gives some advice about how to be a successful monetary historian! David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Michael Bordo’s homepage: https://sites.google.com/site/michaelbordo/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Related links: Michael Bordo in The Wall Street Journal: “Financial Recessions Don’t Lead to Weak Recessions” http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444506004577613122591922992 “A Lesson from the Great Depression that the Fed Might have Learned: A Comparison of the 1932 Open Market Purchases with Quantitative Easing” http://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/S01_P1_Arunima-Sinha.pdf “A Fiscal Union for the Euro: Some Lessons from History” http://www.nber.org/papers/w17380 “Under What Circumstances can Inflation be a Solution to Excessive National Debt: Some Lessons from History” http://docplayer.net/6583440-Under-what-circumstances-can-inflation-be-a-solution-to-excessive-national-debt-some-lessons-from-history.html
9/12/2016 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 20 seconds
22 - Peter Ireland on the Chicago School, Federal Reserve Policy Targets, and Monetary Aggregates
Peter Ireland is the Murray and Monti Professor of Economics at Boston College, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of the Shadow Open Market Committee. He joins the show to discuss his experience as a student at the University of Chicago as well as the nuts and bolts of how the Federal Reserve sets out to achieve its short-, medium-, and long-term objectives. David and Peter also discuss the role of monetary aggregates in monetary policy. Economists largely don’t pay much attention to the traditional simple-sum measures of the money supply anymore, but Ireland argues that more complex measures of money, called Divisia indices, can teach us a lot about the stance of monetary policy. [To learn more about the upcoming conference, Monetary Rules for a Post-Crisis World, co-hosted by the Mercatus Center and the Cato Institute, and register, please click the link below. You can also watch the conference online by clicking the link.] http://mercatus.org/content/register-monetary-rules-post-crisis-world David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Peter Ireland’s personal website: https://www2.bc.edu/peter-ireland/ Peter Ireland’s Boston college profile: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/economics/faculty-and-staff/faculty-listing/peter-ireland.html David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Peter Ireland’s Twitter: @PIrelandatBC Related links: The Shadow Open Market Committee http://shadowfed.org/ A “Working” Solution to the Question of Nominal GDP Targeting by Peter Ireland and Michael Belongia https://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir:103357/datastream/PDF/view
9/5/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 39 seconds
21 – Hugh Rockoff on Optimal Currency Areas, “Yellowbacks,” and Free Banking
Hugh Rockoff is a professor of economics at Rutgers University and has done extensive work in U.S. monetary history. He joins the show to discuss the criteria for an ideal monetary union and argues that the U.S. didn’t really become an optimal currency area until the 1930s. David and Hugh then discuss whether a present-day example, the Eurozone, fits these criteria. They also talk about interesting chapters in U.S. monetary history, including the Civil War, the Free Banking Era, and the bimetallism debate of the late 1800s. [To learn more about the upcoming conference, Monetary Rules for a Post-Crisis World, co-hosted by the Mercatus Center and the Cato Institute, and register, please click the link below. You can also watch the conference online by clicking the link.] http://mercatus.org/monetaryconference?utm_source=MacroMusingsPodcast&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=MonetaryRules David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Hugh Rockoff’s homepage: http://econweb.rutgers.edu/rockoff/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Related links History of the American Economy by Hugh Rockoff and Gary M. Walton https://www.amazon.com/History-American-Economy-Economics-Titles/dp/1111822921 “How Long Did It Take the United States to Become an Optimal Currency Area?” (National Bureau of Economic Research) http://www.nber.org/papers/h0124 “The Wizard of Oz as a Monetary Allegory” (The Journal of Political Economy) https://www.unc.edu/~salemi/Econ006/Rockoff.pdf The Free Banking Era: A Re-Examination (Dissertations in American Economic History) https://www.amazon.com/Free-Banking-Era-Re-Examination-Dissertations/dp/0405072155
8/29/2016 • 1 hour
20 - Douglas Irwin on Free Trade, the Gold Standard, and American Economic History
Douglas Irwin, professor of economics at Dartmouth College and author of Free Trade Under Fire (Princeton University Press, 2015), joins the show to discuss the economic arguments for free trade and the reasons for the heated politics surrounding trade. He describes the history of U.S. trade policy from the Embargo Act of 1808 to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930 to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Finally, he and David discuss the role of the inter-war gold standard during the Great Depression. [To learn more about the upcoming conference, Monetary Rules for a Post-Crisis World, co-hosted by the Mercatus Center and the Cato Institute, and register, please click the link below. You can also watch the conference online by clicking the link.] http://mercatus.org/monetaryconference?utm_source=MacroMusingsPodcast&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=MonetaryRules David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Douglas Irwin’s homepage: https://www.dartmouth.edu/~dirwin/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Douglas Irwin’s Twitter: @D_A_Irwin Related links: “The Truth About Trade: What Critics Get Wrong About the Global Economy” (Foreign Affairs) https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2016-06-13/truth-about-trade Free Trade Under Fire (Princeton University Press, fourth edition 2015) https://www.amazon.com/Free-Trade-under-Fire-Fourth/dp/0691166250 “The Welfare Cost of Autarky: Evidence from the Jeffersonian Trade Embargo,” 1807-09. Review of International Economics. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dirwin/docs/Embargo.pdf “Did France Cause the Great Depression?” (NBER Working Paper) http://www.nber.org/papers/w16350
8/22/2016 • 57 minutes, 50 seconds
19 - Nick Rowe on Monetary Basics, Milton Friedman’s Thermostat, and More
Nick Rowe is a professor of economics at Carleton University in Ottawa, a member of the CD Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council and of Carlton University’s Centre for Monetary and Financial Economics, and a popular blogger at "Worthwhile Canadian Initiative." He developed an interest in macroeconomics as he came of age in the United Kingdom during the high inflation period from the late 1960s to 1970s. Nick joins the show to discuss some of the basics of monetary economics and argues that money is the critical factor that distinguishes macroeconomics from microeconomics. He also shares his thoughts on helicopter money, which he thinks is “small beer” or not as big a deal as commentators make it out to be. Finally, David and Nick also discuss some helpful analogies Nick has used to illustrate economic concepts including “Milton Friedman’s thermostat” – how a good thermostat works like a good central bank! David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Nick Rowe’s blog: http://worthwhile.typepad.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavdBeckworth Nick Rowe’s Twitter: @MacRoweNick Related links Centre for Monetary and Financial Economics (homepage) http://carleton.ca/economics/research/cmfe/ “What Makes a Central Bank? Asymmetric Redeemability and the Will to Act as One.” http://worthwhile.typepad.com/worthwhile_canadian_initi/2009/10/what-makes-a-bank-a-central-bank.html “Helicopter Money is Small Beer, and Normal” http://worthwhile.typepad.com/worthwhile_canadian_initi/2016/05/helicopter-money-is-small-beer.html “Is Money a Liability?” http://worthwhile.typepad.com/worthwhile_canadian_initi/2012/03/is-modern-central-bank-money-a-liability.html “Milton Friedman’s Thermostat” http://worthwhile.typepad.com/worthwhile_canadian_initi/2010/12/milton-friedmans-thermostat.html
8/15/2016 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds
18 - Jason Taylor on the Great Depression, World War II, and “The Big Push”
Jason Taylor, professor of economics at Central Michigan University and editor-in-chief of "Essays in Economic & Business History," is an expert in U.S. economic history, particularly during the Great Depression and World War II. He joins the show to discuss the causes of the Great Depression and the policy responses under Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. David and Jason look at policies ranging from the international gold standard to the National Industrial Recovery Act. They also explore the possibility that large public spending during the New Deal and World War II may have facilitated a “Big Push” that helped modernize the American South. Finally, Jason and David also examine parallels between the Great Depression and the Great Recession. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth Jason’s webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/taylo2je/ Jason's article, "Did New Deal and World War II Public Capital Investments Facilitate a "Big Push" in the American South? https://www.jstor.org/stable/40752762?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
8/8/2016 • 58 minutes, 34 seconds
17 - Brad DeLong on Hamiltonian Political Economy and American Economic History
J. Bradford DeLong – professor of economics at UC-Berkeley, research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury during Bill Clinton’s presidency – joins the show to discuss his new book, “Concrete Economics: The Hamilton Approach to Economic Growth and Policy.” Brad’s book, co-authored with Stephen Cohen, argues that rather than relying on abstract theory, Hamilton economics is based on facts that demonstrate how the American economy has benefited from pragmatic government policies throughout its history. David and Brad also discuss Brad’s education at Harvard and how he is a “speed reader”! David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Brad DeLong’s blog: http://delong.typepad.com/ Brad DeLong’s UC Berkeley profile https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/faculty/812 David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Brad DeLong’s Twitter: @DeLong Related links "Concrete Economics: The Hamilton Approach to Economic Growth and Policy (2016)" by Stephen S. Cohen and J. Bradford DeLong https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Economics-Hamilton-Approach-Economic/dp/1422189813 "The End of Influence: What Happens When Other Countries Have the Money" by Stephen S. Cohen and J. Bradford DeLong (2010) https://www.amazon.com/End-Influence-Happens-Other-Countries/dp/B004MKLS28 Brad DeLong’s Journal of Economics article, “The Triumph of Monetarism?” (2000) https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.14.1.83
8/1/2016 • 46 minutes, 27 seconds
16 - David Andolfatto on Life at the Fed, Equity-Based Finance, and the Blockchain
David Andolfatto is a vice president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank and a professor of economics at Simon Fraser University. He joins the show to discuss life at the St. Louis Fed, equity-based finance as a means of averting financial crises, and challenges in using monetary policy to drive nominal growth. Finally, David also clarifies some of the misconceptions surrounding Blockchain technology and explains what this technology may mean for Federal Reserve policy. David Beckworth’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth David Beckworth’s Blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David Andolfatto’s Twitter: @dandolfa David Andolfatto’s Blog: http://andolfatto.blogspot.com/ Related links The Diamond-Dybvig Model on bank runs: https://www.macroeconomics.tu-berlin.de/fileadmin/fg124/financial_crises/literature/Diamon_Dybvig_Bank_Runs__Deposit_Insurance__and_Liquidity.pdf David Andolfatto on “A Dirty Little Secret” about monetary policy: http://andolfatto.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-dirty-little-secret.html
7/25/2016 • 59 minutes, 55 seconds
15 - Robert Hall on GDP Measurement and the Long Slump
Robert Hall, professor of economics at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, has written on macroeconomic issues since the 1960s. Bob is also the chairman of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Committee on Business Cycle Dating, which maintains the chronology of U.S. business cycles. He joins the show to discuss the difficulties of measuring gross domestic product and dating the beginning and end of recessions. David and Bob also talk about the pros and cons of nominal GDP targeting and price level targeting. Finally, Bob shares his thoughts on why our economy has performed so lethargically since the Great Recession. David’s Twitter: @davidbeckworth David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Keywords: interview, macroeconomics, Federal Reserve, Great Stagnation, GDP Related links: Robert Hall’s bio: http://stanford.edu/~rehall/ Robert Hall's list of publications: http://www.stanford.edu/~rehall/All_publications.htm Robert Hall and Gregory Mankiw on nominal GDP targeting: http://www.stanford.edu/~rehall/Nominal%20Income%20Targeting%201994.pdf (Photo Credit: Peter Tenzer)
7/18/2016 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 14 seconds
14 - Mark Thoma on Fiscal Policy, Econometrics, and Political Business Cycles
In this week’s episode, David speaks with Mark Thoma, professor of economics at the University of Oregon and author of the popular blog, “Economist’s View.” Mark discusses his journey into econometrics and the application of econometric techniques to macroeconomic and monetary issues. Looking back at the 2008 crisis, Mark makes the case that fiscal stimulus should have been much stronger. He and David also discuss the role of monetary policy and financial regulation during this time. Finally, Thoma also explains some of his work on political business cycles: instances where politicians affect policy to increase the likelihood of being reelected. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Mark Thoma’s blog: http://economistsview.typepad.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Mark Thoma’s Twitter: @MarkThoma Related links Mark Thoma’s Webpage: http://pages.uoregon.edu/mthoma/ Mark Thoma’s CBS archive: http://www.cbsnews.com/search/author/mark-thoma/ Mark Thoma’s Fiscal Times archive: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Authors/T/Mark-Thoma David’s first blog post: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/2007/08/liquidityholics-of-world.html
7/11/2016 • 1 hour, 46 seconds
13 - Joseph Gagnon on Quantitative Easing in the United States and Abroad
As a Federal Reserve official, Joseph Gagnon played a critical role in providing the intellectual justification for the Fed’s quantitative easing (QE) programs. Now a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Joe joins the show to discuss the events leading up to the decision to implement QE and its consequences. He and David also discuss how the Fed’s QE compares and contrasts with the QE implemented by the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank. Finally, Joe shares some of his thoughts on Brexit’s wider implications. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Joseph Gagnon’s biography: https://piie.com/experts/senior-research-staff/joseph-e-gagnon David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Joseph Gagnon’s Twitter: @GagnonMacro Note: this recording was taped before the Brexit vote on June 23. Related Links “Large-Scale Asset Purchases by the Federal Reserve: Did They Work?” https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr441.pdf “Quantitative Easing: An Underappreciated Success” https://piie.com/system/files/documents/pb16-4.pdf
7/4/2016 • 56 minutes, 8 seconds
12 - Will Luther on Bitcoin, Vodka, and the Emergence of Money
What is money and where does it come from? Will Luther, assistant professor of economics at Kenyon College, joins the show and explains the two competing theories on the origins of money. The first theory posits governments are needed to provide credibility for money as a medium of exchange. The second theory, the spontaneous order theory, argues market actors will arrive at an acceptable medium of exchange on their own. David and Will discuss historic examples of both public and private money, including the Somali shilling and the brief use of vodka as a form of currency in Russia in the 1990s. Will also explains how Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency work and how cryptocurrency may affect future macroeconomic policy. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Will Luther’s webpage: http://www.wluther.com/ David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Will Luther’s Twitter: @WilliamJLuther Related links: “Synthesizing State and Spontaneous Order Theories of Money” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2140208 “The Monetary Mechanism of Stateless Somalia” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2047494 “Regulating Bitcoin: On What Grounds?” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2631307 “On the Origins of Money” https://mises.org/library/origins-money-0
6/27/2016 • 54 minutes, 31 seconds
11 - Robert Hetzel on Milton Friedman, the Monetarist-Keynesian Debate, and the 2008 Crisis
Robert Hetzel is a senior economist and research advisor at the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank where he has worked since 1975. He joins the show to discuss the rise of monetarism and how Milton Friedman, his dissertation advisor, shaped his thinking on macroeconomics. Monetarism challenged the conventional Keynesian consensus in the 1970s and caused Keynesians to reformulate their views into a new doctrine called, “New Keynesianism.” However, in the wake of the Great Recession, “Old Keynesianism” has made a comeback. Hetzel pushes back against the Keynesian resurgence and explores other explanations of the 2008 crisis. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Robert Hetzel's biography: https://www.richmondfed.org/research/economists/bios/hetzel_bio Related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/~/media/richmondfedorg/publications/research/economic_quarterly/2012/q2/pdf/hetzel.pdf https://www.richmondfed.org/~/media/richmondfedorg/publications/research/economic_quarterly/2009/spring/pdf/hetzel2.pdf https://www.amazon.com/Program-Monetary-Stability-Milton-Friedman/dp/0823203719
6/20/2016 • 54 minutes, 43 seconds
10 - Lars Christensen on the Eurozone Crisis and International Monetary Policy
Lars Christensen, an internationally renowned Danish economist and Senior Fellow at London’s Adam Smith Institute, discusses the poor monetary policy that has plagued the Eurozone. Christensen, the coiner of the term “market monetarism,” argues that Europe from the beginning was not an optimal region for its members to share a single currency and that the European Central Bank’s decisions have greatly worsened the Eurozone’s economic pain. This suffering, consequently, has led to the rise of extremist movements throughout the region. Lars and David also turn their conversation to the lesser-known “dollar bloc,” the group of countries that either use the U.S. dollar or peg their currencies to the dollar. David's blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Lars Christensen’s blog: https://marketmonetarist.com David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Lars Christensen’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaMoMVPY
6/13/2016 • 57 minutes, 26 seconds
09 - Josh Hendrickson on Measuring Money in the Economy
Josh Hendrickson, assistant professor of economics at the University of Mississippi, joins the show to discuss whether money matters anymore. It may come as a surprise to the layman, but most monetary economists don’t pay close attention to the money supply. Instead, they prefer to look at economic slack, inflation, and interest rates when considering monetary policy. Hendrickson pushes back against this view by making the case that money does still matter both theoretically and empirically. He shows how new modeling approaches and better money measurements point to an important role for money. The run on the shadow banking system during the crisis and the subsequent collapse in its money supply are used to illustrate these points. Finally, Josh and host David Beckworth discuss the importance of Twitter and blogging in building a professional brand. David's blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Josh Hendrickson’s blog: https://everydayecon.wordpress.com/ David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Josh Hendrickson’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebelEconProf Links from today’s show: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Quantity-Money-Other-Essays/dp/0202060306 http://economics.olemiss.edu/files/2013/05/Mismeasurement5b.pdf http://www.centerforfinancialstability.org/getting_wrong.php
6/6/2016 • 58 minutes, 30 seconds
08 - Greg Ip on Risks, Financial Disasters, and Helicopter Money
Can trying to be safe actually be dangerous? Greg Ip, chief economics commentator of the Wall Street Journal, says yes in his new book, Foolproof: How Safety Can be Dangerous and How Danger Makes Us Safe. When we try to be too safe, we become complacent. Ip argues that the stability of the ‘80s and ‘90s made us take risks that culminated in the 2008 disaster. Being too safe can also explain non-economic problems such as forest fires and football injuries. Ip also shares his thoughts on Fed policy and the possibility of a “helicopter drop” of money. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Greg Ip’s WSJ archive: http://www.wsj.com/news/author/8223 Greg Ip’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/greg_ip Links from today's show http://www.amazon.com/Foolproof-Safety-Dangerous-Danger-Makes/dp/0316286044 http://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Economics-Economy-Profits/dp/0470621664 http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/ http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/03/21/the-time-and-place-for-helicopter-money/
5/30/2016 • 57 minutes, 59 seconds
07 - George Selgin on the Productivity Norm, Deflation, and Monetary History
George Selgin, director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, makes the case that central banks, rather than focusing on the price level or inflation rate, should instead allow inflation to reflect changes in productivity growth. According to this productivity norm, deflation can actually be a good thing if it reflects improved productivity. Selgin examines the Great Deflation of the late 1800s and dispels some of the popular myths surrounding that period. He also discusses what the Fed got wrong in the lead-up to the recent financial crisis. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Georg Selgin’s Cato archive: http://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin George Selgin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/georgeselgin Links from today’s show: http://www.iea.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/files/upldbook98pdf.pdf https://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/sr/sr331.pdf http://voxeu.org/article/historical-look-deflation http://hope.dukejournals.org/content/27/4/705.full.pdf+html (subscription required)
5/23/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 38 seconds
06 - Ramesh Ponnuru on the Politics of Monetary Policy
National Review senior editor Ramesh Ponnuru discusses his adventure into monetary economics. He shares his thoughts on some of the current-day misconceptions surrounding Federal Reserve policy and makes the case for a more nuanced, yet rules-based approach toward monetary policy. *Note: The host and guest briefly mention 2016 presidential candidate Ted Cruz and Cruz's views on monetary policy. This episode was recorded before Cruz suspended his presidential campaign. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ David's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Ramesh Ponnuru's NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/author/ramesh-ponnuru Ramesh's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rameshponnuru Links from today's show: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/opinion/subprime-reasoning-on-housing.html https://www.nationalreview.com/nrd/articles/300951/monetary-regime-change https://www.nationalreview.com/nrd/articles/378042/right-goal-central-banks http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2015-08-14/fallible-fed-needs-a-few-good-rules https://newrepublic.com/article/97013/obama-federal-reserve-inflation-loose-money
5/16/2016 • 51 minutes, 42 seconds
05 - Miles Kimball on Negative Interest Rates, Equity Requirements, and Schools of Thought in Macro
Miles Kimball, professor of economics at the University of Michigan and blogger at “Confessions of a Supply-Side Liberal,” joins the show to discuss negative interest rates. Kimball explains how the natural rate of interest can go below zero and why central banks should act accordingly. He also makes the case for higher equity requirements for financial institutions. David's blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Miles Kimball’s blog: http://blog.supplysideliberal.com/ David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Miles Kimball's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mileskimball Links from today’s show: http://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/56311827170/the-medium-run-natural-interest-rate-and-the https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2015/wp15224.pdf https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19721014/National%20Institute%20Economic%20Review-2015-Kimball-R5-R14.pdf http://bankersnewclothes.com/
5/9/2016 • 59 minutes, 53 seconds
04 - Cardiff Garcia on Economics Journalism, Safe Assets, and Inflation
Cardiff Garcia, the US editor of the Financial Times blog, Alphaville, discusses the world of economics journalism, the 2008 crisis, and current monetary policy, both in the United States and abroad. He also shares his thoughts on the demand for so-called “safe assets” in a time of crisis and the difficulties of inflation-targeting. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ http://ftalphaville.ft.com/ David's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBeckworth Cardiff's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CardiffGarcia
5/2/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 52 seconds
03 - John Cochrane on Finance, the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level, and Blogging
In this episode, John Cochrane, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and blogger at The Grumpy Economist, discusses his journey into economics and finance with host David Beckworth. They also discuss the controversial fiscal theory of the price level, which argues that fiscal policy, not monetary policy set by central banks, primarily determines inflation. David’s blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ John Cochrane’s blog: http://johnhcochrane.blogspot.com/ John Cochrane’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnHCochrane Links from today’s conversation: http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/papers/Campbell_Cochrane_By_Force_of_Habit_(JPE).pdf http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/papers/New_Structure.pdf http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic500592.files/sargent%20wallace.pdf
4/25/2016 • 57 minutes, 29 seconds
02 - John Taylor on the Taylor Rule, the 2008 Crisis, and Fed Reform
John Taylor of Stanford University and the Hoover Institution joins host David Beckworth to discuss Taylor's famous monetary rule for central banks in setting interest rates in response to changes in inflation and output. They discuss how Taylor discovered the rule and how it has performed over time. Taylor also shares his thoughts for improving current Federal Reserve policy. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com John Taylor's blog: http://economicsone.com/ Links from today's conversation: http://web.stanford.edu/~johntayl/Papers/Discretion.PDF http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/yellen20120606a.htm http://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/jmcb_lecture.pdf http://www.hoover.org/press-releases/hoover-press-getting-track-how-government-actions-and-interventions-caused-prolonged https://huizenga.house.gov/uploadedfiles/3189.fed.reform.section.by.section.pdf
4/18/2016 • 56 minutes, 43 seconds
01 - Scott Sumner on *The Midas Paradox*, the Fed, and More
Welcome to Macro Musings, a new podcast exploring the important macroeconomic issues of the past, present, and future. In the inaugural episode, Scott Sumner joins host David Beckworth to talk about Scott's new book *The Midas Paradox*, which advances a bold new explanation of what caused the Great Depression. They also discuss Scott's path into macro and monetary economics as well as what the Fed got wrong in 2008. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com Scott's blog: http://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Links from today's conversation: http://www.amazon.com/The-Midas-Paradox-Government-Depression/dp/1598131508 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/opinion/subprime-reasoning-on-housing.html?_r=0