Exchange rate policy and endogenous price flexibility

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Devereux, Michael B.
• 署名单位: University of British Columbia
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1542-4766
• DOI: 10.1162/JEEA.2006.4.4.735
• 发表日期: 2006
• 页码: 735-769
• 关键词: terms; TRADE

摘要

Most theoretical analysis of flexible versus fixed exchange rates takes the degree of nominal rigidity to be independent of the exchange rate regime choice itself; however, informal policy discussion often suggests that a credible exchange rate peg may increase internal price flexibility. This paper explores the relationship between exchange rate policy and price flexibility, in a model where price flexibility itself is an endogenous choice of profit-maximizing firms. A fixed exchange rate can affect the optimal degree of price flexibility by altering the volatility of nominal demand facing price-setting firms. We find that a unilateral peg, such as a currency board, adopted by a single country, will increase internal price flexibility, perhaps by a large amount. On the other hand, when an exchange rate peg is supported by bilateral participation of all monetary authorities such as in a monetary union, price flexibility may actually be less than under freely floating exchange rates. Quantitatively, we find that the endogenous increase in price flexibility following a unilateral peg might be large enough that output volatility is no greater than it would be under a floating exchange rate regime.