Synopses & Reviews
This book surveys the imperfect-information approach to inflation and its real effects. Two types of informational limitation are considered. One involves situations in which individuals have asymmetric information about the current general price level and consequently confuse relative and aggregate changes in prices. The other considers situations in which individuals cannot distinguish permanent from transitory changes as soon as they occur, creating a temporary but persistent confusion between such changes. The author presents the arguments within the context of the recent re-evaluations by economists of previously established views concerning inflation and its interaction with real phenomena.
Synopsis
Professor Cukierman presents a summary view of the recent imperfect information approach to inflation and its real effects, focusing in particular on two types of informational limitations. The first involves situations in which individuals have asymmetric information about the current general price level and consequently confuse relative and aggregate changes in prices. The second considers models in which individuals cannot distinguish permanent from transitory changes in the economic environment. The book assumes no mathematical training beyond standard calculus and elementary statistics.