CENTRAL BANK INDEPENDENCE? by L. Randall Wray
First, can a central bank really be independent? In what sense? Political? Operational? Policy formation?
Second, should a central bank be independent? In a democracy should monetary policy—purportedly as important as or even more important than fiscal policy—be unaccountable? Why?
Finally, what are the potential problems faced if a central bank is not independent? Inflation? Insolvency?
While this two part piece will focus on the US and the Fed, the analysis is relevant to general discussions about central bank independence. We will limit our analysis to the questions surrounding what we mean by central bank independence.
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2014/01/greatest-myth-propagated-fed-central-bank-independence-part-1.html
First, can a central bank really be independent? In what sense? Political? Operational? Policy formation?
Second, should a central bank be independent? In a democracy should monetary policy—purportedly as important as or even more important than fiscal policy—be unaccountable? Why?
Finally, what are the potential problems faced if a central bank is not independent? Inflation? Insolvency?
While this two part piece will focus on the US and the Fed, the analysis is relevant to general discussions about central bank independence. We will limit our analysis to the questions surrounding what we mean by central bank independence.
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2014/01/greatest-myth-propagated-fed-central-bank-independence-part-1.html