Scott Sumner on How Central Banks Should Respond to the Coronavirus Threat

Scott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a returning guest to Macro Musings. Scott joins the show today to talk about the recent market turmoil caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus and its implications for monetary policy.  David and Scott also discuss how the Fed should respond to a possible pandemic, why monetary policy is preferable to fiscal policy during a crisis, and how to approach the central bank credibility problem.   Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/tags/macro-musings   Scott’s blog: https://www.themoneyillusion.com/ Scott’s Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/scott-sumner   Related Links:   *It’s Time for the Fed to Take On the Coronavirus Threat* by David Beckworth https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/02/its-time-for-the-fed-to-take-on-the-coronavirus-threat/   *The Era of Fed Power is Over. Prepare for a More Perilous Road Ahead.* by Greg Ip https://www.wsj.com/articles/shrinking-influence-of-central-banks-ends-decades-of-business-as-usual-11579103829?mod=rsswn   David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth