
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/
9 Nov 202050min

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/
2 Nov 202058min

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/
29 Okt 202038min

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/
26 Okt 20201h 1min

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/
19 Okt 20201h 6min

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/
12 Okt 202052min

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/
5 Okt 202057min

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/
28 Sep 20201h 2min