Macro Musings

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/bu

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-eco

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/

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

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: “In

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_ne

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

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 I

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.

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/1

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

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

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 Reform

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

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 Cap

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

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/

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

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-Perspecti

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 L