42 – Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde on European Economic History and Macroeconomic Modeling

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

14 Okt 201957min

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

7 Okt 201958min

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

30 Sep 201956min

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

23 Sep 20191h 2min

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

16 Sep 201949min

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 Sep 201957min

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

2 Sep 201959min

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

26 Aug 201959min