The Debate Over Stabilization Policy

This book looks at some of the main issues that have characterised macroeconomics: the debate between 'monetarists' and 'Keynesians'; the response to demand shocks and supply shocks, by which the monetary authorities control aggregrate nominal income and the use and relevance of the money supply as a target; and the consumption function and the determinants of wealth. It shows that Keynesian stabilization policies succeeded in reducing instability due to demand shocks dramatically, but that no aggregrate demand policy can stabilize both price and employment simultaneously after a supply shock. However, by assigning an overall 'social cost' to (excess) unemployment and (initially) unexpected inflation, an optimism path can be derived. In looking at the consumption function and determinants of wealth the empirical evidence is shown to be most consistent with the life-cycle hypothesis. A concluding section is devoted to the impact on private and national society of the 'social security revolution'.Modigliani, Franco is the author of 'The Debate Over Stabilization Policy' with ISBN 9780521267908 and ISBN 0521267900.