Recent Developments in Monetary Policy, Fiscal Policy, and Financial System Design Recent Developments in Monetary Policy, Fiscal Policy, and Financial System Design

A Conference to Honor Ben Friedman A Conference to Honor Ben Friedman

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This conference brings together students and colleagues to honor Ben Friedman's contributions to economics over the four-decade span of his career. The conference participants will present and discuss new work that is characteristic of Ben's contributions to economics, with emphasis on monetary and fiscal policy issues.

Friday, April 22, 2011

7:30 a.m.

Registration and continental breakfast

8:30 a.m.

Welcome and opening remarks

Monetary Policy

8:45 a.m. Tactics and Strategy in Swiss Monetary Policy
Presenters:

Thomas Jordan offsite (Swiss National Bank) Stefan Gerlach offsite (Goethe University Frankfurt)

Paper

Discussant: Lars Svensson offsite (Sveriges Riksbank)
9:45 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m. Can Inflation Targeting Make You Pursue the Wrong Policy?
Presenters:

Adam Posen offsite (Bank of England) Ken Kuttner offsite (Williams College)

Paper

Discussant: Gauti Eggertsson offsite (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
11:15 a.m. The Role of Expectations in Inflation Dynamics
Presenter:

Jeff Fuhrer (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)

Paper

Discussant: Jim Stock offsite (Harvard University)
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:45 p.m. Inflation Targeting: A Canadian Perspective
Presenter:

Angelo Melino offsite (University of Toronto)

Paper

Discussant: David Johnson offsite (Wilfred Laurier University)
2:45 p.m. Get Real: Interpreting Nominal Exchange Rate Fluctuations
Presenter:

Rich Clarida offsite (Columbia University)

Paper

Discussant: Hans-Helmut Kotz offsite (Center for Financial Studies)
3:45 p.m. Break

Fiscal Policy, Investment, and Financial System Design

4:00 p.m. Tax Policy and the Effects of Government Deficits on Economic Activity
Presenter:

Glenn Hubbard offsite (Columbia University)

Paper

Discussant: Alberto Alesina offsite (Harvard University)
5:00 p.m. Reception and dinner

Saturday, April 23, 2011

7:30 a.m. Continental breakfast

The Design of Financial Systems

8:30 a.m.
Natural Expectations and Investment Dynamics
Presenter:

David Laibson offsite (Harvard University)

Paper

Discussant: Paul Willen (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)
9:30 a.m. Break
9:45 a.m. Financial System Design: Some Core Principles
Presenter:

Zvi Bodie offsite (Boston University)

Discussant: Arturo Estrella (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
10:45 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Closing Panel
Panelists:

Ben Friedman offsite (Harvard University) Thomas Jordan offsite (Swiss National Bank) Eric Rosengren (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston) Lars Svensson offsite (Sveriges Riksbank) José Viñals offsite (International Monetary Fund)

12:30 p.m.

Luncheon and adjournment