Globalization and Inflation: The Limits of Central Bank Control

🇵🇱 Polski
Globalization and Inflation: The Limits of Central Bank Control

Introduction

Modern narratives often suggest that in the era of globalization, central banks have lost real influence over domestic inflation. However, analyses by experts such as Michael Woodford or Boivin and Giannoni prove that monetary policy remains effective. This article explains why monetary authorities are still at the helm, how reaction rules to external shocks are evolving, and why blaming price increases on "global factors" is a logical fallacy. Readers will learn how different economic models—from India to Israel—adapt to global capital flows and why central bank autonomy remains the foundation of stability.

Globalization: Central Banks Maintain Price Control

Michael Woodford: the primacy of domestic policy over global policy is an analytically confirmed fact. Woodford debunks global factors: the myth of losing control over inflation, pointing out that the central bank maintains a monopoly on creating the monetary base. Even if globalization lowers the natural interest rate, making it an external parameter, an appropriate reaction rule allows for the effective anchoring of inflation expectations. Boivin and Giannoni: the stability of monetary transmission confirm this empirically—the economy's response to changes in Fed interest rates has remained nearly constant for decades. Most fluctuations in GDP and prices still depend on domestic forces rather than "global slack" in production capacity.

India: The Impossible Trinity Necessitates Capital Controls

Modern oil shocks: declining energy intensity protects the economy from the stagflation known from the 1970s. The credibility of the inflation target and wage flexibility are key here. However, in countries like India: the impossible trinity necessitates capital controls, as raising rates to fight inflation attracts speculative capital, complicating reserve sterilization. In such realities, debt dollarization destabilizes emerging markets, creating insolvency risks during exchange rate fluctuations. Therefore, India: financial stability supports the inflation target as an equal task—the central bank must use interventions and macroprudential tools to shield the economy from external instability.

NBP Strategy: Prioritizing Autonomy in an Open Economy

A comparison of Israel vs. France: two paths of adaptation to globalization shows that the model of capitalism filters market influence: Israeli innovation accepts exchange rate volatility, while French dirigisme seeks social protection. For central banks, domestic inflation: a more stable target than the CPI, as it avoids sharp economic contraction in response to import shocks. Local Currency Pricing: an anchor for monetary policy (LCP) means the exchange rate loses its role as a price arbiter, which the Taylor rule: incorporating the exchange rate into the model must account for. NBP strategy: the priority of autonomy in an open economy requires focusing on core inflation and the globally-determined natural rate, knowing that central bank coordination: negligible gains for nations makes local responsibility crucial.

Summary

Will central banks become puppets in a theater of global illusions? Analysis shows that blaming external factors while declaring independence is a fundamental logical contradiction. If an institution retains its instruments and credibility, responsibility for price stability remains local. Globalization changes the parameters of the game but does not deprive players of the chance to win. The future of monetary policy depends on rejecting dogmas and developing a new rationality where global awareness supports domestic economic sovereignty.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is globalization causing central banks to lose control over interest rates?
No, because the central bank retains a monopoly on the creation of reserve money in its own currency, which allows it to effectively shape short-term interest rates independently of global capital markets.
How does global production slack affect domestic inflation?
According to Woodford's analysis, a shock to foreign demand can improve terms of trade and lower domestic marginal costs, which, counterintuitively, can have a disinflationary effect on the economy.
Why are today's oil shocks less severe than those in the 1970s?
This is due to the decline in oil's share in production costs, greater wage flexibility and the higher credibility of central banks, which better anchors society's inflation expectations.
What problems do emerging economies face in the age of globalization?
These economies often fall into the impossible triad trap, where raising interest rates to fight inflation attracts speculative capital, leading to exchange rate instability and excess liquidity.
How do Israel and France's approaches to globalization differ?
Israel focuses on flexibility, technological innovation and acceptance of exchange rate volatility, while France filters globalization through a strong state role, employment protection and a tradition of directing.
What is the optimal strategy for fighting inflation in an open economy?
It is recommended to target producer price inflation for domestic goods while ignoring temporary fluctuations in import prices and the exchange rate to avoid errors in interest rate policy.

Related Questions

Tags: Globalization and inflation Central banks Monetary policy rule Inflation expectations Global liquidity Phillips curve FAVAR models DSGE models Oil shocks Inflation target Emerging economies The Impossible Triad Financial stability Start-up Nation Dyryzism