The transmission mechanism of monetary policy explains how monetary policy works - which variables respond to interest rate changes, when, why, how, how much and how predictably. It is vital that central banks and their observers, worldwide, understand the transmission mechanism so that they know what monetary policy can do and what it should do to stabilise inflation and output. The volume sets out different aspects of the transmission mechanism. Some chapters scrutinise the relevance of practical issues such as asymmetries, recent structural changes and estimation errors using data on the US, Euro area and developing countries. Other chapters focus on modelling crucial aspects such as productivity, the exchange rate and the monetary sector. These issues are counterpointed by contributions, which analyse contemporary monetary policy in Japan and the UK.
1. Introduction - The transmission mechanism and monetary policy L. Mahadeva and P. Sinclair; 2. Are the effects of monetary policy in the Euro area greater in recessions than in booms? G. Peersman and F. Smets; 3. Supply shocks and the 'Natural rate of interest: An Exploration J. Chadha and C. Nolan; 4. Some econometrics issues in measuring the monetary transmission mechanism, with an application to developing countries D. Boyd and R. Smith; 5. Central bank goals, institutional change and monetary policy: Evidence from the United States and United Kingdom V. A. Muscatelli and C. Trecroci; 6. The transmission mechanism of monetary policy near zero interest rates: The Japanese experience, 1998-2000 K. Ueda; 7. What does the UKs monetary policy and inflation experience tell us about the transmission mechanism? E. Nelson; 8. Modelling the transmission mechanism of monetary policy P. Westaway; 9. Empirical evidence for credit effects in the transmission mechanism of the United Kingdom K. A. Chrystal and P. Mizen; 10. Uncovered interest parity with fundamentals: a Brazilian exchange rate forecast model M. K. Muinhos, P. S. De Freitas and F. Araujo; 11. Uncovered interest parity and the monetary transmission mechanism G. Meredith.