1.2. Literature Review
1.2.1 Quantitative Easing Literature
The first evidence of Quantitative Easing cited in literature is the monetary response of
the United States as the Federal Reserve System begins with $ 1 billion purchase of the
Government treasuries in 1932 and maintains till 1936. However, monetary impact during
Quantitative Easing (QE) regime is a rather less-frequently researched issue and still debated,
and unlike the conventional monetary literature, literature on QE is rather scanty.
Existing literature overly focuses on the empiric evidences on mostly Japanese
experience during 1990’s following the later 1980’s market crash. As Japanese official bank rate
effectively reached the zero-bound in February 1999, the Bank of Japan initiates Quantitative
Easing as a supplement to zero-rate policy in March 2001 to provide further stimulus to the
economy and to avoid deflationary trend. Shirakawa (2002) provides a lucid discussion on the
Japanese experience of QE. Shirakawa (2002) delineates possible transmission channels of
monetary policy during a zero-bound interest regime and argues that Japanese approach to QE
during 2000 is essentially similar to the early 1930’s experience in Sweden and US of
Quantitative Easing.
Earlier QE studies provide analytical and theoretical reasoning on whether the FEDs
policy may still be affective under zero-bound interest regime (see: Gauti and Woodford (2004),
Auerbach and Obstfeld (2003), and Bernanke (2004), among others). Gauti and Woodford
(2004) analyze the plausible impact of Quantitative easing as a supplement to zero interest rate
in a Neo- Keynesian framework and argue that QE may fail to inject desired level of stimulus to
an economy if central bank policy cannot change expectations about future policy conduct.
However, Gauti and Woodford (2004) interpretation is different from Auerbach and Obstfeld
(2003) based on similar framework as the latter assume that open-market operation may
permanently increase the monetary base.
Bernanke (2004) draws reference form Japanese experience and discusses three
monetary policy alternatives during a zero-interest regime that can provide additional stimulus
to an economy. First, central bank can provide assurance that short rates will be kept lower in
future as they expect. Second, monetary authority may change relative supply through open
market operations. Thirdly, by increasing its balance sheet, central bank may keep the short
rates at the zero-bound. Bernanke also argues that credibility of monetary policy will be pivotal
in such policy regimes.
More recently, Klyuev et al (2009) discuss on four possible monetary alternative actions
by central banks during a Quantitative Easing regime by: a) making explicit commitment to
maintain low policy rates, b) providing additional liquidity to the financial institutions, c)
affecting the long-term interest rates by purchasing government securities and d) actively
intervening specific credit markets. However, the impact of central bank actions may not be
obvious because monetary transmission to the economy is complex.