Episode 879: The Secret Target

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Planet Money #879: The Secret Target The Secret Target Listen · 23:12 23:12

Their plan was dangerous, risky, and extremely unpopular. But America — and much of the rest of the world — copied them anyway.

Today on the show, how New Zealand changed the way governments all over the world run their economies. This tiny country created an idea called inflation targeting.

Inflation is like a spice. None is boring. A little goes a long way. And too much can ruin everything. So governments spend a lot of energy trying to keep inflation at just the right level. They want prices to rise every year, but just a little. In the United States, the Federal Reserve uses a two percent target.

This seems totally reasonable and obvious. Find the right level, make it happen. But for the longest time, that's not how it worked. Inflation was an untamed beast.

Warning: This episode involves a dramatic re-enactment of a secret Federal Reserve meeting.

Music: My Life With You and Hans Pucket's "Comfort"

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