guillermo calvo columbia university

14
1 September 24, 2018 LIQUIDITY DEFLATION: Supply-Side Liquidity Trap, Deflation Bias and Flat Phillips Curve Guillermo Calvo Columbia University Abstract. The paper shows that Liquidity Deflation, a liquidity-drainage mechanism associated with Safe Asset Shortage, helps to rationalize supply-side liquidity trap and involuntary unemployment under wage/price flexibility, especially in economies that suffered massive liquidity destruction, like advanced economies in the wake of the Lehman crisis. Moreover, Liquidity Deflation generates deflation bias and flat Phillips curve in a New Keynesian model. I. INTRODUCTION The objective of this note is to show that what I am tempted to call the "crucial missing piece" in Keynes's General Theory, GT, namely, Liquidity Deflation —a liquidity-drainage mechanism, discussed in Calvo 2016 and 2018 — can help to resolve two central puzzles in current macroeconomic debate, namely, (1) persistence of deflationary forces despite a large increase in the supply of central bank liquid liabilities, deflation bias, and (2) flattening of the Phillips curve. To set the discussion on familiar grounds, let us consider the IS-LM apparatus in which fiat money M is assumed to have no intrinsic value, and to be the only liquid asset (or, more precisely, the only asset providing liquidity services). In contrast with the standard model I will include Liquidity Deflation by assuming that the liquidity of M may be a decreasing function of the average market holdings of real monetary balances, , where P stands for the price level. Some microfoundations are discussed in Calvo (2018). However, given the relative unfamiliarity of Liquidity Deflation, it is worth to start rolling the ball with an informal example. Consider a representative-individual economy in which all individuals are ex ante alike. Thus, real monetary balances held by each individual would be /, where n is the number of individuals. Therefore, if n is sufficiently 'large', real monetary holdings by each individual would be 'small'. This may result in individuals feeling that M is Safe. However, individuals' perception may change if M/P becomes 'large'. This would be rational, for example, if liquidation of money holdings is subject to random systemic shocks. Thus, there would now be states of nature in which money is subject to "runs", making money less safe and deteriorating its liquidity services, implying that the quality of money as a liquid asset worsens as the economy-wide stock of money becomes 'large' in real terms. Clearly, this effect is

Upload: others

Post on 19-Oct-2021

4 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

1

September24,2018

LIQUIDITYDEFLATION:Supply-SideLiquidityTrap,DeflationBiasandFlatPhillipsCurve

GuillermoCalvoColumbiaUniversity

Abstract.ThepapershowsthatLiquidityDeflation,aliquidity-drainagemechanismassociatedwithSafeAssetShortage,helpstorationalizesupply-sideliquiditytrapandinvoluntaryunemploymentunderwage/priceflexibility,especiallyineconomiesthatsufferedmassiveliquiditydestruction,likeadvancedeconomiesinthewakeoftheLehmancrisis.Moreover,LiquidityDeflationgeneratesdeflationbiasandflatPhillipscurveinaNewKeynesianmodel.

I.INTRODUCTIONTheobjectiveofthisnoteistoshowthatwhatIamtemptedtocallthe"crucialmissingpiece"inKeynes'sGeneralTheory,GT,namely,LiquidityDeflation—aliquidity-drainagemechanism,discussedinCalvo2016and2018—canhelptoresolvetwocentralpuzzlesincurrentmacroeconomicdebate,namely,(1)persistenceofdeflationaryforcesdespitealargeincreaseinthesupplyofcentralbankliquidliabilities,deflationbias,and(2)flatteningofthePhillipscurve.Tosetthediscussiononfamiliargrounds,letusconsidertheIS-LMapparatusinwhichfiatmoneyMisassumedtohavenointrinsicvalue,andtobetheonlyliquidasset(or,moreprecisely,theonlyassetprovidingliquidityservices).IncontrastwiththestandardmodelIwillincludeLiquidityDeflationbyassumingthattheliquidityofMmaybeadecreasingfunctionoftheaveragemarketholdingsofrealmonetarybalances,𝑀 𝑃,wherePstandsforthepricelevel.SomemicrofoundationsarediscussedinCalvo(2018).However,giventherelativeunfamiliarityofLiquidityDeflation,itisworthtostartrollingtheballwithaninformalexample.Considerarepresentative-individualeconomyinwhichallindividualsareexantealike.Thus,realmonetarybalancesheldbyeachindividualwouldbe𝑀/𝑃𝑛,wherenisthenumberofindividuals.Therefore,ifnissufficiently'large',realmonetaryholdingsbyeachindividualwouldbe'small'.ThismayresultinindividualsfeelingthatMisSafe.However,individuals'perceptionmaychangeifM/Pbecomes'large'.Thiswouldberational,forexample,ifliquidationofmoneyholdingsissubjecttorandomsystemicshocks.Thus,therewouldnowbestatesofnatureinwhichmoneyissubjectto"runs",makingmoneylesssafeanddeterioratingitsliquidityservices,implyingthatthequalityofmoneyasaliquidassetworsensastheeconomy-widestockofmoneybecomes'large'inrealterms.Clearly,thiseffectis

Page 2: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

2

formallyequivalenttoanexternality.Individualmoneyholdingsmayhaveanegligibleeffectontheliquidityofmoneyand,yet,thelattermaysignificantlydeclineastheeconomy-widerealmonetarybalances,𝑀/𝑃,becomes'large'.1Tocapturethisexternalityinasimplemanner,IwillwritethemoneymarketLMequilibriumconditionasfollows:2

𝑚 + 𝑍 𝑚! = 𝐿 𝑖,𝑦 , 𝑍′ < 0, 𝐿! < 0, 𝐿! > 0, (1)

whereiandydenote,respectively,nominalinterestrateandoutput(asinthestandardIS-LMmodel);mstandsfortheatomisticindividual'sdemandforrealmonetarybalances𝑀 𝑃,while𝑚! standsfortheaveragemarketholdingofrealmonetarybalances—anegativeexternalityfromthepointofviewoftheatomisticindividual.FunctionZcorrespondstoLiquidityDeflation.Thus,expression(1)givesrisetoastandardLMcurve,exceptfortheLiquidityDeflationterm𝑍(𝑚!).Inequilibrium𝑚 = 𝑚! and,consequently,anincreaseinmmayfailtoincreasemarketliquidityif𝑍'islargeenough(inabsolutevalue).ThiswouldgiverisetowhatIwillcallSupply-SideLiquidityTrap.SectionII.1willapplyequation(1)toshowthepossibilityofSupply-SideLiquidityTrapandinvoluntaryunemployment,evenifpricesandwagesareperfectlyflexible.TheexamplesummarizesresultsinCalvo(2018)andfocusesonacoupleofimportantapplications.SectionII.2,inturn,couchesthediscussionintermsofasimpledynamicNewKeynesianmodelandshowsthatLiquidityDeflationmaygeneratepricedeflationbiasandaflatteningofthePhillipscurve.SectionIIIclosesanddrawsfurtherlinkswithcurrentmacroeconomicdebates.

II.SIMPLEMODELS1.Price/WageDeflationConsiderequation(1),andsupposeaclosedeconomywithperfectlyflexibleprices.Iwillassumethatatfull-employmentoutput,𝑦! ,and𝑖 = 0wehave:

𝑚 + 𝑍 𝑚 < 𝐿 0,𝑦! (2)

and

1+ 𝑍′(𝑚) ≤ 0. (3)

1ThisargumentcouldbecouchedintermsofDiamondandDybvig(1983).SeerelatedexamplesinGoldsteinandPauzner(2005),Holmström(2015),andGorton(2016).2Inwhatfollows,andtosimplifythenotation,Iwillassumeanatomisticeconomyinwhichthe'measure'oftotalpopulation𝑛 = 1,andremainsconstantovertime.

Page 3: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

3

ThisisasituationinwhichtheeconomyhasreachedtheZeroLowerBoundoninterestrates,ZLB,buttherestillisexcessdemandforliquiditythatpreventsachievingfullemploymentequilibriumandgeneratesasituationlabeledinvoluntaryunemploymentinKeynes(1936)GeneralTheory,GT.Increasingmoneysupplywillfailtorestorefullemploymentbecauseinequality(3)holds.Pumpingmoremoneyintotheeconomymaysucceedinincreasingrealmonetarybalances,m,butfailstoincreasethesupplyofliquidassets.ThisgivesrisetoaphenomenonthatcouldeasilybemistakenforLiquidityTrapinGT,althoughthesourceslieonthesupplyside,notontheexistenceofaninfinitelyelasticdemandformoneywithrespecttothenominalinterestrate(ademand-sidephenomenonemphasizedintheGT).Iwillcallthesituationdepictedbyinequalities(2)and(3)Supply-SideLiquidityTrap,SSLT.Asafirstapproximation,recenteventsfitwellintothiskindofscenario.DuringtheGreatRecession,centralbanksresortedtoincreasingcentralbankliquidity,QE,butresults,althoughpositive,werelargelydisappointing.Theexampleaboveshowsthatthissituationcouldholdeventhoughpricesareperfectlyflexible.Moreover,Calvo(2018)showsthatattemptstoincreasethenominalinterestratebyraisingtherateofgrowthofmoneysupplymaynotsucceed(assuggestedinKrugman1998),becausetheremayexistarational-expectationsequilibriuminwhichindividualsaccumulatetheentireadditionalamountofmoneyflow.Incontrast,ifmoneypaysinterest,𝑖!notsubjecttoZLB,thenlowering𝑖!maysucceedinpushingtheeconomybacktofullemployment.However,low𝑖!maygiverisetoCurrencySubstitution(sincelowering𝑖!isequivalenttotheimpositionofaninflationtax).Inextremecases,thismaysimplymakecentralbank'smonetarypolicyarsenaluselessforalleviatingLiquidityTrap.Themodelcanbeextendedtotakeexplicitaccountofthelabormarket.Lettheproductionfunctionbe𝑓(𝑠),wheresstandsforemployment,andfunctionfsatisfiesallstandardproperties.Let𝑦 < 𝑦! ≡ 𝑓(𝑠!),where𝑠! standsforperfectlyinelasticlaborsupply(=full-employmentlabor),andassume

max![𝑚 + 𝑍 𝑚 ] = 𝐿 0,𝑦 . (4)Moreover,let𝑠besuchthat𝑓 𝑠 = 𝑦.Thus,inwords,theaboveequationsimplythatthelargestamountoflaborthattheeconomycanemployatZLB,𝑠,islessthanfullemployment𝑠! .Ifpricesandwagesareperfectlyflexible,thiswillleadtochronicdeflation.Downwardwageflexibilitywillbeofnohelpbecausetheirdeclinewillquicklybefollowedbylowerprices.ThemodelhelpstorationalizeGTChapter19view,frequentlyquoted,butseldommodeled,accordingtowhichafallinwageswillnotsucceedinreestablishingfullemployment.For,inthepresentmodel,aslongasequation(4)holds,aggregatedemandwillnotbeabletomatchfull-employmentoutput.Afallinnominalwages

Page 4: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

4

maytemporarilyraiseemploymentandoutput,buttheliquidityconstraintimpliedin(4)preventssalesfromrising.Amorerealisticversionofthemodelmightincludeprice/wageadjustmentfrictions,buttheghostofdeflationisunlikelytoentirelydisappear:fullemploymentmayneverbereached,unlessmarketsareundergostructuralchangeand/orthereisahealthyinfusionofliquidassets.2.DeflationBiasandFlatPhillipsCurveTheabovemodelassumesthatLiquidityDeflationisinstantaneous.HereIwillextendthemodelbyassumingthatthenegativeliquidityexternalitytakestimeand,thus,moneyprintingiscapableofincreasingliquidityintheshortrun.Iwillcouchtheseassumptionsintermsofasimple,perfect-foresightstandardNewKeynesianmodelwithliquidity-in-advanceconstraint.Let𝑋!

! denotenominalliquidityheldbyindividualjattimet.Followingthepreviousdiscussion,Iassumethat

𝑋!! = 𝑀!

! + 𝑍! , (5)

where,𝑀!! isthestockofmoneyheldbyindividualj,and𝑍!standsfortheLiquidity

Deflationcomponent,which,forsimplicityishomogeneouslyandexogenouslydistributedacrossagents.Thus,Zcouldbethoughtasalump-sumliquidityendowmentthatcouldpossiblybenegative.Iassumethat𝑍!ispredeterminedattimet(forallt)and,therefore,unliketheprevioussubsection,𝑍!isinvarianttochangesintheeconomy-widedemandformoneyattimet.Therepresentativeindividualfacesaperfectcapitalmarketandisthusfreetochoosethestockofmoneyholdings,butthestockofliquidityisgivenbyequation(5).IassumethatZsatisfiesthefollowingdifferentialequation

𝑍! = 𝛾 ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑥! 𝑋! , 𝛾 > 0, 𝑥 > 0, (6)

where𝑋!iseconomy-wideliquidity,𝑥 = 𝑋/𝑃,and𝑥isanexogenousconstant.Aswillbecomeclearinamoment,equation(6)introducesaforcethatpusheseconomy-widerealliquiditytowards𝑥.Thus,timedifferentiatingequation(5)andaggregatingacross(identical)individuals,weget,inequilibrium,

𝑋! = 𝑀! + 𝛾 ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑥! 𝑋! . (7)Thus,nominalliquidityisfedbymoneysupplybutthereexistsanindependentforce,associatedwithLiquidityDeflation,whichgraduallypushesrealeconomy-

Page 5: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

5

wideliquiditytowards𝑥.3Iwillfirstexaminecasesinwhichfullemploymentrealliquiditywouldcallfor𝑥 > 𝑥,aphenomenonakintoSafeAssetShortage.Iwillfocusonmonetarypolicyaimedatcontrollingmonetaryaggregates(asQE).Iassumethatmoneysupplysatisfies:

𝑀! = 𝜇𝑋! , (8)

where𝜇isapositiveparameter.NoticethatintheIS-LMmodelinwhich𝑀 = 𝑋,𝜇wouldcorrespondtotherateofgrowthofmoneysupply.Hence,dividingbothsidesofequation(7)byXandtakingequation(8)intoaccount,wehave

𝑥! = 𝜇 − 𝜋! 𝑥! + 𝛾 ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑥! 𝑥! , (9)

where𝜋 = 𝑃 𝑃=instantaneousrateofinflation.Thus,denotingℎ = ln 𝑥,equation(9)canbeexpressedas

ℎ! = 𝜇 − 𝜋! + 𝛾(ln 𝑥 − ℎ!). (10)Thisisaclosedeconomywithhomogeneousoutput."Fullemployment"outputis,again,denotedby𝑦! .Equilibriumoutputisdemand-determinedasinNewKeynesianmacroeconomicmodels.Moreover,Iwillassumethatconsumption,c,equalsaggregatedemand(investmentandgovernmentexpenditurearezero)andconsumptionissubjecttothefollowingliquidity-in-advanceconstraint:

𝑐! = 𝑥! , (11a)

or,equivalently,

ln 𝑐! = ℎ! . (11b)

ThepricelevelisstickyandsatisfiesCalvo(1983)equation.Thus,recallingequation(11b),Iassume4

3Thelagmaybetheresultofsignal-extractionproblems(Lucas1972),someformofInattention(MankiwandReis2002,Sims2003),orfamiliarmoneyillusion(Shafir,DiamondandTversky1997).ThelatteristhemoreappropriateinterpretationforthepresentmodelbecauseIassumethatallindividualslagbehindcurrentrealizationsinlockstep.4IfthereaderwonderswhyIshifttologsinsteadofexpressingvariablesintheirnaturalunits,theansweristhatIwantthesystemofdifferentialequationstobelinear.InthiscasetheequilibriumPhillipscurveislinearandcaneasilybe

Page 6: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

6

𝜋! = 𝛽 ln𝑦! − ℎ! , 𝛽 > 0. (12)

Anyequilibriumpathmustsatisfyequations(10)and(12).5Moreover,Iwillfollowconventionandassumethatequilibriumpathsmustconvergetosteadystate.Theseassumptionsimplythat,foralltimet,(logof)realliquidityℎ!ispredetermined.Ontheotherhand,Calvo(1983)showsthattherateofinflationcorrespondingtoanequilibriumpathshouldbeexpectedtobecontinuousforallt.However,the"present"rateofinflationisfreetojump.Asiswellknown,thepossibilitythat𝜋!canjumpwhentheeconomyisattimet,carriesnonon-uniquenessconsequences,anduniquenessisensuredifsystem(10)and(12)displayssaddle-pathstability,whichinthisinstanceissatisfiedbecausethedeterminantofthecorrespondingsteady-stateJacobeanmatrixisnegative.Thephasediagramforequations(10)and(12)isdepictedinFigure1,wherethearrowedlinepointingtothesteadystateistheequilibriumpath.Thus,inequilibriumthereexistsapositiveassociationbetweenℎand𝜋,i.e.,recallingequation(11b),apositiveassociationbetweenoutputandinflation.Hence,themodel'sreduced-formPhillipscurvedisplaystheconventionalslope,despitetheadditionofthenewLiquidityDeflationingredients.

Figure1.EquilibriumDetermination

computed.Theinquisitivereadercouldeasilyverifythatsubstantiveimplicationsarenotaffectedbythesemathcontortions.5Theliquidity-in-advanceassumptionsimplifiestheanalysisenormouslycomparedtoCalvo(1983),forexample:Thereisnoneedtorefertoutilityfunctions!AsfarasIknow,Reinhart(1992)isthefirstpaperthatexploresthisassumption.However,forthesakeofcompleteness,AppendixA1showsthemissingequations.

π

lnyF

�̇� = 0

ℎ̇ = 0

equilibriumpath

h

Page 7: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

7

Atsteadystatewhereℎ = 𝜋 = 0,wehave,byequation(12),thatℎ = ln𝑦! ,and,byequation(10):6

𝜋 = 𝜇 + 𝛾(ln 𝑥 − ln𝑦!). (13)If𝑥 = 𝑦! ,therateofinflationequalstherateofgrowthofliquiditydrivenexclusivelybytheexpansionofmoneysupply(recallequation(8)).However,if𝑥 < 𝑦! ,inflationatsteadystate𝜋 < 𝜇,reflectinga"deflationbias."Thisisaninterestingcasebecauseitbringsusclosertothecurrentdeflationdebate.Inaddition,thelargeristheLiquidityDeflationparameter𝛾,thesmallerwillbetherateofinflationatsteadystate,andchronicdeflationcannotbediscounted,evenifthecentralbanktakesanaggressiveQEstance(i.e.,ahigh𝜇inthemodel)!Somuchfortheformalanalysis;nowitisagoodtimetoreflectonthetwonewparameters𝑥and𝛾.Byequation(10),theloweris𝑥,thelesseffectivewillbemoneysupplyinincreasingmarketliquidity.Ontheotherhand,if𝑥 < 𝑦! ,thehigheris𝛾,thestrongeristheLiquidityDeflationeffectonsteady-stateinflation.Theseresultscanhelptocastsomelightonrecentevents.Forinstance,severalanalysesoftheLehmancrisispointtothefactthatitinvolvedamassivedestructionofSafeAssets(e.g.,Gorton2010,Calvo2012,Caballeroetal2016and2017),whichinthepresentsetupcouldbeinterpretedasresultinginalowersteadystatecapacitytosupplyliquidityservices.Thiscouldbeinterpretedasafallin𝑥.Ontheotherhand,themassivedestructionofliquiditymayhavemadethemarketmoreawareoftherelevanceoftheliquidityofcollateralbehindpresumedSafeAssetsand,therefore,becomemoresensitivetodeparturesofxfrom𝑥,givingrisetoahigher𝛾.Thus,theLehmancrisismayhaveenhancedtherelevanceofLiquidityDeflationanditsconsequentdeflationbias.Iwillshowbelowthatanincreasein𝛾offersanewinsightfortheexistenceofaflatPhillipscurve.7Arelatedimplicationofthemodelisthatdeflationarybiasgoeshandinhandwithadeclineinthevelocityofcirculationofmoney,m,acrossstablesteadystates—anothersalientfactindevelopedeconomiesaftertheLehmancrisis.Byequation(8),(11aandb),and(12),wehavethatif𝑥and𝜋areatsteadystate8

!!!!= 𝜇 !!

!!− 𝜋. (14)

6Thisimpliesthatinthelongruntheeconomyconvergestofullemployment.However,thiscouldbemodifiedintroducingelementshighlightedinSectionII.1.7TheFlatPhillipscurveissueisattractingwideattentioninmacroeconomiccircles.See,forinstance,Borio2017,BlanchardandSummers2017.8Noticethattheequilibriumpathsof𝑥and𝜋convergetotheirrespectivesteadystateequilibriumvalues(recallFigure1),irrespectiveof𝑚.

Page 8: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

8

Therefore,byequation(14),anecessaryconditionexistenceandstabilityofasteadystateforrealmonetarybalances,m,is𝜇 > 0, and𝜋 > 0.Considerthecaseinwhich𝑚, 𝑥and𝜋aresimultaneouslyatsteadystate,i.e.,𝑚 = 𝑥 = 𝜋 = 0.Byequations(11a,b),(12),(13)and(14),itfollowsthat

velocityofcirculationofmoneyatsteadystate=

= !!

!= !

!= !!!(!"!!!"!!)

!. (15)

Therefore,acrossstablesteadystates,velocityfallsasdeflationaryconditionsgetexacerbated,i.e.if𝛾(ln 𝑥 − ln𝑦!)goesdown.Themodelisalsoconsistentwithsituationsinwhichmgrowswithoutbound(implyingthatvelocitysteadilydeclinestowards0),whichisanextremecaseofLiquidityTrapthatIhavediscussedintermsofasimplermodel(seeCalvo2018).Toillustrate,considerthecaseinwhich𝜇 > 0,andsteadystate 𝜋 < 0.Byequation(13),steadystatepricedeflationarisesifLiquidityDeflationisstrongenough(i.e.,if𝛾(ln 𝑥 − ln𝑦!)isnegativeenoughtooffset𝜇).Interestingly,theresultingpathdoesnotviolatetransversalityconditionsbecauserealmonetarybalancesarenota"fundamental".Itsrolehavebeenappropriatedbyrealliquidity,i.e.,x!Ontheotherhand,asinastandardNewKeynesianmodel,thenominalinterestrateonnon-liquidassets,i,satisfiesatsteadystate(seeAppendixA1fordetails):

𝑖 = 𝜌 + 𝜋 = 𝜌 + 𝜇 + 𝛾(ln 𝑥 − ln𝑦!), (16)where𝜌isthesubjectiverateofdiscount,andtheright-handequalityfollowsfromequation(13).Thus,strongerdeflationaryconditionsresultinlowernominalinterestrates,anotherphenomenonobservedinthewakeoftheLehmancrisis.IwillnowturntoexaminetheslopeofthePhillipscurve.System(10)and(12)islinear.Therefore,theequilibriumsaddlepathcaneasilybecomputed.LetBdenotetheslopeofthereduced-formPhillipscurve(i.e.,𝐵 = !"

!!alongthearrowed

equilibriumpathinFigure1).Itcanbeshown(seeAppendixA2)that

𝐵 = !!! !!!!!!

. (17)

Hence,byequation(17),proofthatthePhillipscurvebecomesflatterastheLiquidityDeflationparameterincreasescanbeinferredfromthefollowingexpressions:

!"!"< 0andlim!→! 𝐵 = 0. (18)

Page 9: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

9

Moreover,byAppendixA2,

ℎ! = −(𝐵 + 𝛾)(ℎ! − ln𝑦!) = − !! !!!!!!

(ℎ! − ln𝑦!). (19)

Hence,thespeedatwhichoutputconvergestofullemploymentisinvarianttotheliquiditydrag𝑥,andacceleratesasthedragbecomesstronger,i.e.,𝛾goesup.Therefore,LiquidityDeflationfailstoslowdownconvergencetofullemployment,andmayactuallyaccelerateit!Thissoundsimplausiblebuttheseresultsaretiedtotheassumptionthatfullemploymentoutput,𝑦! ,isinvarianttoliquidityfrictions.Relaxingthisassumption,however,neednoteliminateDeflationBiasandFlatPhillipscurves,aswouldbeillustratedbythecaseinwhich𝑦! suffersaonce-and-for-allnegativeshock.Asitstands,themodelimpliesthatastockchangeinmoneysupplycouldplacetheeconomysmackintofullemployment.Thiscontradictstheviewthatliquidityofmoneysupplydeclineswithitsstockinrealterms.However,thiscaneasilyberemediedbymodifyingequation(7)and,forinstance,replacing𝑀byaconcavefunctionof𝑀subjecttoanupperbound.

III.FINALWORDS

Thepaperexploresfinancialfrictionsthatgiverisetochronicdeflation,aflatPhillipscurve,andsituationsthatareobservationallyequivalenttoaKeynesianLiquidityTrap.Moreover,thisholdseveniftheinterestelasticityofthedemandformoneyisbounded.Theapproachisrelevantforsituationsinwhich,say,theeconomysufferedamassivedestructionofliquiditythatinterfereswithtradeflows,andrestorationofliquidityto"normal"levelscannotberapidlyachievedbypumpingcentralbankliquidity,e.g.,high-poweredmoney.Thereasonforthis,thepaperattributestothefactthattheliquidityqualityofliquidassetsmaydeteriorateastherealvalueofthoseassetsbecomeslarge.Thiseffectisaresultofanegativeexternalityrootedinthefactthatbyitsverynatureliquidityisopenedtoself-fulfillingrunsàlaDiamond-Dybvig(1983),especiallyifthesupplyofliquidassetsincreaseswithoutbeingaccompaniedbyanequivalentriseofrealcollateral.Aninstanceofthissortisthelargeincreaseinhigh-poweredmoneyinthewakeoftheLehmancrisis.Thus,theeconomymay,atleastintheshortrun,endupinasituationthatseveralauthorshavelabeledSafeAssetShortage(e.g.,Caballeroetal2016,2017,Gorton2016,Barroetal2017)inwhich,beyondacertainpoint,liquiditycannotbeincreasedbyQE.ItisaSupply-SideLiquidityTrapthatcanevenholdunderperfectlyflexiblepricesandwages,andmaynotbealleviatedbyexpansionaryfiscalormonetarypolicyunlessitresultsinanincreaseinmarketliquidity.Inclosing,itisworthpointingoutthattheeffectshighlightedinthispaperholdwhenliquidityisscarcerelativeto"normal"situations.Thisisimportantbecause,forinstance,theslopeofthePhillipscurvecouldsteepensharplyasthereisgreater

Page 10: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

10

confidenceinthestabilityofthefinancialsector.Unfortunately,returntonormalityissurroundedbyalargedegreeofuncertainty,andforecastsarelikelytobeapoorguideforpolicy.Butcentralbankscouldstillplayavaluableroleiftheysucceedinbetterunderstandingandmanagingnewliquidassetsthat,asshownbyrecentevents,couldcauseinefficientfrictionsormassiveliquiditycrunch.

Page 11: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

11

APPENDIXA1

HereIwillsketchoutthemicrofoundationsofthemodelconsideredinSectionII.2.ThemodelisclosetotheoneinCalvo(1983),exceptthatmoneyisremovedfromtheutilityfunctionandreplacedforacash-in-advancecondition,andtheexistenceofLiquidityDeflation.Therepresentativeconsumer'sutilityfunctionfromtheperspectiveoftime0satisfies:9

𝑢 𝑐!! 𝑒!!"𝑑𝑡,!

! (A1.1)

where,again,jreferstoindividualj,functionuisdefinedonthepositiverealline;itisincreasing,strictlyconcave,andtwice-continuouslydifferentiableeverywhere.Parameter𝜌 > 0standsforthesubjectiverateofdiscount.Thebudgetconstraintsatisfies(assuming0initialwealth),

[𝑦!! + 𝑠!

!! − 𝑐!

! − 𝑖!𝑚!!]𝑒! !!!"

!! 𝑑𝑡 ≥ 0, (A1.2)

wheresstandsforlump-sumsubsidyemployedtorebatecentralbankseignioragetothepublic,astandardassumptioninmonetarytheory;ristheinstantaneousrealrateofinterest,andthenominalinterestrate𝑖 = 𝑟 + 𝜋.Equations(5)and(11)implythat

𝑐!! = 𝑥!

! = 𝑚!! + 𝑧! , (A1.3)

implyingthat

𝑚!! = 𝑐!

! − 𝑧! . (A1.4)

Insertingequation(A1.4)inbudgetconstraint(A1.2)yields

[𝑦!! + 𝑠!

!! − 𝑐!

! − 𝑖!(𝑐!! − 𝑧!)]𝑒! !!!"

!! 𝑑𝑡 ≥ 0. (A1.5)

Variablezisexogenoustotherepresentativeindividual.Therefore,thefirst-orderconditionforconsumption,takingintoaccount(A1.1)and(A1.5),takesthefollowingfamiliarform:9Variablesdefinedinthemaintextwillnotbedefinedhere,unlessnecessaryforthesakeofclarity.

Page 12: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

12

𝑢′ 𝑐!

! 𝑒!!" = 𝜆(1+ 𝑖!)𝑒! !!!"!! , (A1.6)

where𝜆isthetime-invariantLagrangemultiplier.Themodelcannowbecomplementedbythezdynamicsdiscussedinthetext.

APPENDIXA2

Considerequations(10)and(12).Thesystemislinearand,hence,thereareparametersdenotedDandB,𝐵 > 0,suchthatalongthesaddlepathdepictedinFigure1,wehave

𝜋 = 𝐷 + 𝐵ℎ,forallh. (A2.1)

Droppingtimesubscripts,equations(10),(12)and(A2.1)imply:

𝜋 = 𝐵ℎ = 𝐵[𝜇 − 𝐷 − 𝐵ℎ + 𝛾 ln 𝑥 − ℎ = 𝛽(ln𝑦! − ℎ). (A2.2)

Therightmostequationmustholdforallh,whichimplies:

𝐵! + 𝐵𝛾 − 𝛽 = 0. (A2.3)

SolvingforBandrecallingthat,byFigure1,𝐵 > 0,yieldsequation(17)inthetext.TosolveforparameterDin(A2.2),setℎ = ln𝑦! .Itfollowsthat

𝐷 = 𝜇 − 𝐵 ln𝑦! + 𝛾 ln 𝑥 − ln𝑦! . (A2.4)

Byequations(A2.2)and(A2.4),onecanderiveequation(19)inthetext.

Page 13: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

13

REFERENCES

Barro,RobertJ.,JesúsFernández-Villaverde,OrenLevintal,andAndrewMollerus,2017."SafeAssets,"NBERWorkingPaperNo.20652.Blanchard,Olivier,andLawrenceSummers,2017."RethinkingStabilizationPolicy.BacktotheFuture,"WorkingPaper,PetersonInstitute,October8.Borio,Claudio,2017."ThroughtheLookingGlass,"OMFIFCityLecture,September22.Caballero,RicardoJ.,EmmanuelFarhi,andPierre-OlivierGourinchas,2016."SafeAssetScarcityandAggregateDemand,"AmericanEconomicReview,May,pp.513-518.Caballero,RicardoJ.,EmmanuelFarhi,andPierre-OlivierGourinchas,2017."TheSafeAssetsShortageConundrum,"JournalofEconomicPerspectives,Summer,Vol.31,No.3,pp.29-46.Calvo,Guillermo,1983.“StaggeredPricesinaUtilityMaximizingFramework,”JournalofMonetaryEconomics,September,pp.383-398.Calvo,GuillermoA.,2012."ThePriceTheoryofMoney,Prospero'sLiquidityTrap,andSuddenStop:BacktoBasicsandBack,"NBERWorkingPaper18285.Calvo,Guillermo,2016.MacroeconomicsinTimesofLiquidityCrises:SearchingforEconomicEssentials;Cambridge,MA:MITPress.Calvo,Guillermo,2018."LiquidityDeflationandLiquidityTrapunderFlexiblePrices:SomeMicrofoundationsandImplications,"ColumbiaUniversity,September24,www.columbia.edu/~gc2286.Diamond,DouglasW.,andPhilipH.Dybvig,1983.“BankRuns,DepositInsuranceandLiquidity,”JournalofPoliticalEconomy,91(3),pp401-419.Goldstein,Itay,andAdyPauzner,2005."Demand-DepositContractsandtheProbabilityofBankRuns,"TheJournalofFinance,Vol.60,No.3(June),pp.1293-1327.Gorton,GaryB.,2010.SlappedbytheInvisibleHand:ThePanicof2007.OxfordUniversityPress.Gorton,GaryB.,2016,"TheHistoryandEconomicsofSafeAssets,"NBERWorkingpaperNo.22210.

Page 14: Guillermo Calvo Columbia University

14

Holmström,Bengt,2015.“UnderstandingtheRoleofDebtintheFinancialSystem,”BankforInternationalSettlements,WorkingPaperNo.479.Keynes,JohnMaynard,1936,TheGeneralTheoryofEmployment,InterestandMoney,London,UK:MacmillanandCo.Krugman,PaulR.,1998."It'sBaaack:Japan'sSlumpandtheReturnoftheLiquidityTrap,"BrookingsPapersonEconomicActivity,2,pp.137-187.Lucas, Robert Jr., 1972. "Expectations and the Neutrality of Money," Journal ofEconomicTheory4(2),pp.103-124.Mankiw,N.GregoryandRicardoReis,2002.“StickyInformationVersusStickyPrices:AProposaltoReplacetheNewKeynesianPhillipsCurve.”QuarterlyJournalofEconomics,117,pp.1295-1328.Reinhart,Vincent,1992."Thedesignofaninterestraterulewithstaggeredcontractingandcostlytransacting."JournalofMacroeconomics14.4,pp.663-688.Shafir,Eldar,PeterDiamond,andAmosTversky,1997."MoneyIllusion,"QuarterlyJournalofEconomics,Vol.112,No.2(May),pp.341-374.Sims,ChristopherA.,2003.“ImplicationsofRationalInattention.”JournalofMon-etaryEconomics,50,pp.665-690.