Download or read book Monetary Policy with a Convex Phillips Curve and Asymmetric Loss written by Demosthenes N. Tambakis and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1998-02-01 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent theoretical and empirical work has cast doubt on the hypotheses of a linear Phillips curve and a symmetric quadratic loss function underlying traditional thinking on monetary policy. This paper analyzes the Barro-Gordon optimal monetary policy problem under alternative loss functions—including an asymmetric loss function corresponding to the “opportunistic approach” to disinflation—when the Phillips curve is convex. Numerical simulations are used to compare the implications of the alternative loss functions for equilibrium levels of inflation and unemployment. For parameter estimates relevant to the United States, the symmetric loss function dominates the asymmetric alternative.