• The Fed Framework Review: Macro Musings’ Greatest NGDP Targeting Hits
    Jan 27 2025

    On this special greatest hits compilation episode our host David Beckworth primes listeners for the Fed Framework Review by highlighting the best snippets from past shows discussing nominal GDP targeting. This episode includes Mary Daly’s thoughts on NGDP targeting, Evan Koenig on the basics of NGDP targeting, George Selgin on Powell’s hesitations with NGDP targeting and how it responds to supply shocks, Jim Bullard on the financial stability of NGDP targeting, Eric Sims on the New Keynesian argument for NGDP targeting, Carola Binder on the benefits of NGDP targeting, Charlie Evans on the prospects of NGDP target, and much more.

    Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links.

    Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth

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    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:02:31) – Mary Daly on Nominal GDP Targeting Considerations for the 2024-25 Fed Framework Review

    (00:06:13) – Evan Koenig on the Basics and Preferred Structure of a Nominal GDP Targeting Framework

    (00:14:17) – George Selgin on Chair Powell’s Concerns About Nominal GDP Targeting

    (00:21:35) – Jim Bullard on the Financial Stability Argument for Nominal GDP Targeting

    (00:24:12) – Eric Sims on the New Keynesian Rationale for Nominal GDP Targeting

    (00:28:23) – Carola Binder on Two Major Benefits of Nominal GDP Targeting

    (00:33:40) – George Selgin on How Nominal GDP Targeting Would Handle Supply Shocks

    (00:46:55) – Charlie Evans on the Prospects for Nominal GDP Targeting During the 2024-25 Fed Framework Review

    (00:50:57) – Bonus Segment: Enhancing the Nominal GDP Targeting Framework

    (00:53:08) – Gauti Eggertsson on the Merits of a Cumulative Nominal GDP Level Target

    (00:55:50) – Scott Sumner on Targeting a Nominal GDP Futures Contract

    (01:04:25) – Outro

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Peter Conti-Brown on the Fed under Trump 2.0, Reforming the Discount Window, and Providential Moments
    Jan 20 2025

    Peter Conti-Brown is a historian and legal scholar of the Federal Reserve System and an associate professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Peter returns to the podcast to discuss the state of Federal Reserve leadership under the incoming Trump administration, expectations for Fed independence, a new proposal for limiting stigma at the discount window, stories about a life lead by faith, and much more.

    Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links.

    Recorded on January 10th, 2025

    Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth

    Follow Peter Conti-Brown on BlueSky: @PeterContiBrown

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    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:23) – Reaching Audiences Through Various Forms of Media

    (00:10:30) – Federal Reserve Under Trump 2.0

    (00:21:33) – Jerome Powell

    (00:25:56) – Michael Barr

    (00:34:52) – New Discount Window Proposal

    (00:40:27) – Faith Life

    (00:56:28) – Radical Uncertainty

    (01:00:15) – Outro

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • David Bahnsen on the Incoming Trump Administration and the Financialization of the US Economy
    Jan 13 2025

    David Bahnsen is a Wall Street veteran and currently is the managing director of The Bahnsen Group. In David’s first appearance on the podcast, he talks through multiple questions about the incoming Trump Administration, the problem with the growing indebtedness of the US government, shifts in the Republican party, the notion of financialization of the US economy, and much more.

    Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links.

    Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth

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    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:50) – David Bahnsen’s Career Path

    (00:04:39) – Shifts in the Republican Party

    (00:12:20) – Trump Administration 2.0 and Growth, the Fed, and the Financial Sector?

    (00:33:38) – Financialization and Missed Boats

    (00:54:02) – Outro

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    55 mins
  • Marijn Bolhuis on Fiscal R-star and its Implications for Macroeconomic Policy
    Jan 6 2025

    Marijn Bolhuis is an economist in the World Economic Studies Division of the IMF’s research department. In Marijn’s first appearance on the podcast he discusses his new paper, which introduces the idea of a fiscal r-star, and expands on another paper which helps economists understand why consumer sentiment is so depressed, despite relatively low unemployment and inflation coming back to target.

    Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links.

    Follow David on X: @DavidBeckworth

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    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:38) – Marijn Bolhuis’ Career Path

    (00:06:02) – Fiscal R-Star

    (00:45:30) – Cost of Money and Consumer Sentiment

    (00:51:43) – Outro

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    52 mins
  • Macro Musings 2024 Retrospective
    Dec 30 2024

    David Beckworth and producer Sam Alburger dive into the last year of Macro Musings. They pick their favorite episodes, discuss how the year 2024 will be remembered in the macroeconomic history, highlight stories about the making of the show, combine David’s love for basketball and economics, and much more.

    Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links.

    Follow David on X: @DavidBeckworth

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    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:18) – Year in Review

    (00:11:48) – New Macro Musings Content

    (00:15:13) – NGDP Level Targeting vs. FAIT

    (00:18:43) – Preparing for Macro Musings Interviews

    (00:24:23) – Macro Musings and AI

    (00:26:17) – Looking Back at 2024 in Macroeconomic History

    (00:30:27) – Combing David’s Love for Economics and Basketball

    (00:34:34) – Thank You’s

    (01:00:13) – Outro

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    38 mins
  • George Selgin on Strategic Bitcoin Reserves, Debanking, and the Fed’s Framework Review
    Dec 23 2024
    George Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute. George is also a returning guest to the program, and he rejoins David on Macro Musings to talk about crypto, strategic Bitcoin reserves, and the Fed’s framework review. Specifically, David and George also discuss George’s outlook for a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the US, the significance of the debanking problem, the path to adopting a nominal GDP targeting framework, and much more. Transcript for this week’s episode. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George’s Cato profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The ‘Digital Gold’ Fallacy, or Why Bitcoin Can’t Save the US Dollar* by George Selgin *The Fed’s 2024-25 Framework Review: Optimizing the Dual Mandate Through Nominal GDP Level Targeting* by David Beckworth *Building a Better Fed Framework* – A monetary policy conference hosted by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) Caitlin Long’s X thread on debanking David Marcus’s X thread on how Libra was killed *Does Sovereign Default Risk Explain Cryptocurrency Adoption? International Evidence from Mobile Apps* by Rashad Ahmed, Stephen Karolyi, and Leili Pour Rostami *Digital Gold: Evaluating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve for the United States* by the Bitcoin Policy Institute *Trump Likes the Idea of a Federal Bitcoin Reserve. Don’t Laugh.* by Tyler Cowen Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:34) – Evaluating the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Gold (00:26:22) – George’s Outlook for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (00:34:16) – The Significance of the Debanking Problem and the Case of Libra (00:43:18) – *Building a Better Fed Framework*: George’s Takeaways (00:49:16) – The Path to Nominal GDP Targeting: Incremental vs. Radical (00:54:10) – Characterizing a Fed Framework Consensus (01:00:13) – Outro
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Joey Politano on the AI Investment Boom and Trends in Economic Growth
    Dec 16 2024

    Joey Politano is an economist and a commentator who writes a popular Substack newsletter on economics. Joey is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins David to talk about the AI investment boom and broader economic growth trends. Specifically, David and Joey also discuss generational differences in economic perspectives, the increased demand for nuclear energy, the importance of AI in driving scientific research, and much more.

    Transcript for this week’s episode.

    Joey’s X: @JosephPolitano

    Joey’s Bluesky: @josephpolitano.bsky.social

    Joey’s Substack

    David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth

    Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings

    Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot!

    Join the new Macro Musings Discord server!

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    Related Links:

    *The AI Investment Boom* by Joey Politano

    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:03:09) – The Competition Between X and Bluesky

    (00:10:55) – The Generational Differences in Economic Perspectives

    (00:16:23) – Breaking Down the AI Investment Boom

    (00:23:55) – Have We Left Behind the World of Secular Stagnation?

    (00:27:47) – Did ChatGPT Kickstart the Next Chapter of Growth?

    (00:34:35) – AI and Increased Demand for Nuclear Energy

    (00:39:45) – The Importance of AI in Driving Scientific Research and Growth

    (00:44:34) – The Current State of Economic Growth

    (00:53:40) – Outro

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    54 mins
  • Jeffrey Lacker on the History of Fed Credit Policy and the Four Doctrines of Fed Lending
    Dec 9 2024

    Jeffrey Lacker is a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center, and he previously worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, where he served as its president from 2004 to 2017. Jeff is also a returning guest to the podcast, and he rejoins David on Macro Musings to talk about the history of the Federal Reserve’s credit policy, as well as a recent Shadow Open Market Committee conference.

    Transcript for this week’s episode.

    Jeffrey’s website

    Jeffrey’s Mercatus profile

    David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth

    Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings

    Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot!

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    Related Links:

    *A 50-Year Retrospective on the Shadow Open Market Committee and its Role in Monetary Policy* — A conference hosted by the Hoover Institution

    *From the “Lender of Last Resort” to “Too Big to Fail” to “Financial System Savior”: Federal Reserve Credit Policy and the Shadow Open Market Committee* by Jeffrey Lacker

    *Last Resort Lending: Classical Thought vs. Modern Federal Reserve Practice* by Jeffrey Lacker

    Timestamps:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:47) – The Shadow Open Market Committee and its Contributions Throughout Time

    (00:05:32) – Highlights from the Recent Shadow Open Market Committee Conference

    (00:10:17) – From FAIT Back to FIT?

    (00:14:07) – *Federal Reserve Credit Policy and the Shadow Open Market Committee*: Motivation and Summary

    (00:16:05) – Breaking Down the Difference Between Credit Policy and Monetary Policy

    (00:22:10) – The Four Doctrines of Fed Lending: The Monetary Stability Doctrine

    (00:28:56) – The Four Doctrines of Fed Lending: The Real Bills Doctrine

    (00:34:49) – The Four Doctrines of Fed Lending: Warburg’s Mercantilism

    (00:39:11) – The Four Doctrines of Fed Lending: Too-big-to-fail and the Reluctant Samaritan

    (00:47:45) – Solutions for Improving the System Moving Forward

    (00:55:25) – Outro

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    56 mins