rational expectations revolution

E271829

The rational expectations revolution was a major shift in macroeconomics that emphasized forward-looking behavior and microfoundations, fundamentally changing how economists model policy effects and anticipate agents’ responses.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf macroeconomic paradigm shift
research program in macroeconomics
affects analysis of fiscal policy
analysis of monetary policy
understanding of business cycles
understanding of inflation dynamics
associatedWith Edward C. Prescott
Neil Wallace
Robert Lucas Jr.
surface form: Robert E. Lucas Jr.

Robert J. Barro
Thomas J. Sargent
challenges adaptive expectations hypothesis
policy evaluation using reduced-form correlations
traditional Keynesian macroeconometric models
consequence greater emphasis on internal consistency of macro models
reduced reliance on ad hoc behavioral equations
contrastsWith old Keynesian macroeconometric tradition
emergedIn 1970s
emphasizes forward-looking behavior of economic agents
intertemporal optimization
microfoundations of macroeconomics
model-consistent expectations
field macroeconomics
monetary economics
hasCoreConcept rational expectations
historicalContext gained prominence after stagflation in the 1970s
occurred after breakdown of simple Phillips curve trade-off
influenced New Keynesian economics
dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models
macroeconomic policy design
modern monetary policy analysis
new classical macroeconomics
real business cycle theory
influencedBy John F. Muth
Milton Friedman
classical macroeconomics
keyIdea agents use all available information efficiently
expectations are consistent with the model’s predictions
policy evaluation must account for expectation formation
systematic policy changes alter expectations and behavior
leadsTo focus on rules rather than discretionary policy
policy ineffectiveness propositions in some models
motivated development of DSGE models for policy analysis
microfoundations for aggregate relationships like the Phillips curve
supports Lucas critique
surface form: Lucas critique of traditional policy evaluation
uses general equilibrium modeling
intertemporal optimization by households and firms
rational expectations hypothesis

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Lucas critique relatedTo rational expectations revolution
Thomas J. Sargent knownFor rational expectations revolution
this entity surface form: learning and expectations in macroeconomics