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Perceived FOMC: The Making of Hawks, Doves and Swingers

Author

Listed:
  • Michael D. Bordo
  • Klodiana Istrefi
Abstract
An important and open question in monetary economics is how the Federal Reserve makes its policy decisions. We document that when an FOMC member was born, his/her educational background and the Committee’s changing hawk-dove composition have predictable effects on FOMC decisions. The odds of an FOMC member being a hawk are higher when he/she graduated from a university linked to the Chicago school of economics; on the other hand, a dove likely graduated from a university with strong Keynesian beliefs and was born during a period of high unemployment. These findings have implications for the choice of and confirmation of FOMC members.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael D. Bordo & Klodiana Istrefi, 2018. "Perceived FOMC: The Making of Hawks, Doves and Swingers," NBER Working Papers 24650, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24650
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E03 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Behavioral Macroeconomics
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination

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