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Determinants of Trust in the European Central Bank. Justina AV Fischer TWI, University of Konstanz Volker Hahn ETH Zurich Workshop ‘The First Decade of the Monetary Union’ Muenster, 29 May – 30 May. Why does trust in the ECB matter ?. Monetary policy
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Determinants of Trust in the European Central Bank Justina AV Fischer TWI, University of Konstanz Volker Hahn ETH Zurich Workshop ‘The First Decade of the Monetary Union’ Muenster, 29 May – 30 May
Why does trust in the ECB matter ? • Monetary policy • reputation (Kydland and Prescott, 1977; Barro and Gordon, 1983) • inflation expectations (New Keynesian models) • Trust as public support • Independence • Expansion of EMU
Conjectures • Price stability as objective (Maastricht) => (changes in) inflation • Short-term/ lay men: economic performance • => national income (growth) • => unemployment rate • => labor market policies (signal) • => economic stabilizers (signal)
Data • Eurobarometer surveys: National level of trust in the ECB (% answering “tend to trust”) • 12 countries, 1999 – 2004, start-up phase • GDP per capita • National inflation rate (general/specific goods) • Unemployment rate • Spending on unemployment benefits (% GDP) • Spending on active labor market policies (% GDP) • (WDI, EUROSTAT, OECD)
Model + Method • Trustit = f(ECOit, population, country FE, time FE) + eit • FE GLS estimator • ECO lagged by one period
Empirical conclusion • What matters to trust in the ECB • Inflation (-) • National Income (+) • Active labor market spending (-) • Unemployment spending (+) • What does not matter • Unemployment rate
Robustness: trust in other national and supranational institutions
Policy implications • Inflation: ok • Start-up phase: greater sensitivity ? • Economic performance: dilemma. National policy affects trust in ECB. • Role of welfare state