Monetary Policy and Transmission Mechanisms: New Elements for an old Debate

Abstract

This article begins by reviewing the current state of the arts in monetary transmission, focusing on the empirical evidence for the Chilean case. Then, it highlights two aspects that have not been given much attention in previous studies, namely the evolution of the monetary policy impact on output and prices over the past decade, and its breakdown by sector. A basic uniequational model is estimated, in order to study i) temporary shifts in the effectiveness of monetary policy and ii) shifts in regimes occurred in the late nineties. Then, VAR models are used—similar to those of previous studies—to analyze impulse-response functions. Finally, a comparative analysis is made on the impact of monetary policy on various productive sectors, for which output and price variables are incorporated into the traditional VAR model.