Christina Romer
Professor of the Graduate School
Courses
- Economics 211, Economic History Seminar, Fall 2020.
- Economics 210C/Economics 236A, Macroeconomic History, Fall 2018.
- Economics 210A, Introduction to Economic History, Spring 2015.
Working Papers
- NBER Recession Dates: Strengths, Weaknesses, and a Modern Upgrade [PDF], with David H. Romer, August 2020.
Reprints
- Presidential Address: Does Monetary Policy Matter? The Narrative Approach after 35 Years [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review, June 2023. Posted with the permission of The American Economic Association. Online Appendix A: Narrative Evidence [PDF], April 2023. Online Appendix B: Robustness [PDF], March 2023.
- Lessons from Fiscal Policy in the Pandemic: The ODE Distinguished Economist Award Lecture [PDF], The American Economist, October 2022.
- A Social Insurance Perspective on Pandemic Fiscal Policy: Implications for Unemployment Insurance and Hazard Pay [PDF], Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring 2022. Posted with the permission of The American Economic Association.
- The Fiscal Policy Response to the Pandemic [PDF], Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Spring 2021. Posted with the permission of Brookings Institution Press. Online Appendix: Estimates of Early Fiscal Packages in Advanced Economies [PDF], with David H. Romer, April 2021.
- Fiscal Space and the Aftermath of Financial Crises: How It Matters and Why [PDF], with David H. Romer, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Spring 2019. Posted with the permission of Brookings Institution Press. Online Appendix A: Extension of the Measure of Financial Distress [PDF], May 2019. Online Appendix B: Narrative Evidence on the Motivation for Fiscal Policy in Crises Episodes [PDF], May 2019.
- Why Some Times Are Different: Macroeconomic Policy and the Aftermath of Financial Crises [PDF], with David H. Romer, Economica, January 2018.
- New Evidence on the Aftermath of Financial Crises in Advanced Countries [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review, October 2017. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association. Online Appendix A: Derivation of the New Measure of Financial Distress [PDF], May 2017. Online Appendix B: Additional Narrative Evidence on Financial Distress in Key Episodes [PDF], May 2017. Online Appendix C: Additional Empirical Results [PDF], May 2017.
- Transfer Payments and the Macroeconomy: The Effects of Social Security Benefit Increases, 1952-1991 [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, October 2016. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association. Online Appendix A: Description of Social Security Benefit Increases, 1952-1991 [PDF], March 2016. Online Appendix B: Supplemental Figures [PDF], March 2016.
- The Incentive Effects of Marginal Tax Rates: Evidence from the Interwar Era [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, August 2014. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association. Online Appendix of Narrative Evidence: A Narrative Analysis of Interwar Tax Changes [PDF]; Online Appendix on Data and Computations [PDF].
- The Most Dangerous Idea in Federal Reserve History: Monetary Policy Doesn't Matter [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, May 2013. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association. Online Appendix of Sources and Documentation [PDF].
- The Missing Transmission Mechanism in the Monetary Explanation of the Great Depression [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, May 2013. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review, June 2010. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association. Online Appendix of Narrative Evidence: A Narrative Analysis of Postwar Tax Changes [PDF].
- Do Tax Cuts Starve the Beast? The Effect of Tax Changes on Government Spending [PDF], with David Romer, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Spring 2009. Posted with the permission of Brookings Institution Press.
- The FOMC versus the Staff: Where Can Monetary Policymakers Add Value? [PDF], with David Romer, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, May 2008. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- Was the Federal Reserve Constrained by the Gold Standard During the Great Depression? Evidence from the 1932 Open Market Purchase Program [PDF], with Chang-Tai Hsieh, Journal of Economic History, March 2006. Posted with the permission of Cambridge University Press.
- A New Measure of Monetary Shocks: Derivation and Implications [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review, September 2004. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- Choosing the Federal Reserve Chair: Lessons from History [PDF], with David H. Romer, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Winter 2004. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- The Great Depression [PDF], Encyclopaedia Britannica, December 2003.
- The Evolution of Economic Understanding and Postwar Stabilization Policy [PDF], with David H. Romer, in Rethinking Stabilization Policy, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, 2002.
- A Rehabilitation of Monetary Policy in the 1950's [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, May 2002. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- Federal Reserve Information and the Behavior of Interest Rates [PDF], with David H. Romer, American Economic Review, June 2000. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- Changes in Business Cycles: Evidence and Explanations [PDF], Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring 1999. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- Remeasuring Business Cycles [PDF], Journal of Economic History, Septmeber 1994. Posted with the permission of Cambridge University Press.
- The Nation in Depression [PDF], Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring 1993. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- What Ended the Great Depression? [PDF], Journal of Economic History, December 1992. Posted with the permission of Cambridge University Press.
- The Cyclical Behavior of Individual Production Series, 1889-1984 [PDF], Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 1991. Posted with the permission of MIT Press.
- The Great Crash and the Onset of the Great Depression, [PDF], Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1990. Posted with the permission of MIT Press.
- Does Monetary Policy Matter? A New Test in the Spirit of Friedman and Schwartz [PDF], with David H. Romer, NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1989. Posted with the permission of MIT Press.
- The Prewar Business Cycle Reconsidered: New Estimates of Gross National Product, 1869-1908 [PDF], Journal of Political Economy, February 1989. Posted with the permission of the University of Chicago Press.
- Is the Stabilization of the Postwar Economy a Figment of the Data? [PDF], American Economic Review, June 1986. Posted with the permission of the American Economic Association.
- Spurious Volatility in Historical Unemployment Data [PDF], Journal of Political Economy, February 1986. Posted with the permission of the University of Chicago Press.
Data
- Presidential Address: Does Monetary Policy Matter? The Narrative Approach after 35 Years. Data and programs [Zip files].
- Fiscal Space and the Aftermath of Financial Crises: How It Matters and Why. Data and programs [Zip files].
- New Evidence on the Aftermath of Financial Crises in Advanced Countries. Data and programs [Zip files]; Supplemental materials [Zip files]; Extension of the measure of financial distress through 2017 [Excel].
- Transfer Payments and the Macroeconomy: The Effects of Social Security Benefit Increases, 1952-1991. Data and programs [Zip files]; Supplemental materials [Zip files].
- The Incentive Effects of Marginal Tax Rates: Evidence from the Interwar Era. Data and programs [Zip files]; Supplemental materials [Zip files].
- The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks. Data and programs [Zip files]; Supplemental materials [Zip files].
- Do Tax Cuts Starve the Beast? The Effect of Tax Changes on Government Spending. Data and programs [Zip files].
- The FOMC versus the Staff: Where Can Monetary Policymakers Add Value? Data description [PDF]; Data [Excel].
- A New Measure of Monetary Shocks: Derivation and Implications, Data description [PDF]; Data [Excel]; Narrative appendix [PDF].
- Federal Reserve Information and the Behavior of Interest Rates, Data description [PDF]; Data [Excel].
- A New Monthly Index of Industrial Production, 1884-1940, Data description [PDF]; Data [Excel]; Detailed data appendix [PDF].
Invited Lectures
- The Aftermath of Financial Crises: Each Time Really Is Different [PDF], Hicks Lecture in Economic History, Oxford University, April 28, 2015.
- Monetary Policy in the Post-Crisis World: Lessons Learned and Strategies for the Future [PDF], Sumerlin Lecture, Johns Hopkins University, October 25, 2013.
- It Takes a Regime Shift: Recent Developments in Japanese Monetary Policy Through the Lens of the Great Depression [PDF], NBER Annual Conference on Macroeconomics, April 12, 2013. NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2013.
- Remarks at the NBER Memorial for Anna Jacobson Schwartz [PDF], New York City, April 21, 2013.
- Lessons from the Great Depression for Policy Today [PDF], Teach-In on the Great Depression and World War II, University of Oklahoma, March 11, 2013.
- What's at Stake? Economic Issues in the 2012 Presidential Election [PDF], Inouye Lecture, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, October 30, 2012.
- Fiscal Policy in the Crisis: Lessons and Policy Implications [PDF], IMF Fiscal Forum, April 18, 2012.
- The Challenges of Economic Policymaking: The Case of Health Care Reform [PDF], College Preparatory School Live Talk Series, January 12, 2012.
- The Slow Recovery: Sources and Solutions [PDF], IMN Super Bowl of Indexing, December 5, 2011.
- Policy Responses to the Great Recession: The Interaction of Leadership and Economic Ideas [PDF], Iowa State University, December 1, 2011.
- What Do We Know about the Effects of Fiscal Policy? Separating Evidence from Ideology [PDF], Hamilton College, November 7, 2011.
- The Economy: Where Are We and What Should We Do? [PDF], League of Women Voters Annual Community Luncheon, Berkeley, August 18, 2011.
- Commencement Address [PDF], Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, May 18, 2011.
- Unemployment or Insolvency: Strategies for a Troubled Economy [PDF], Zale Lecture in Public Policy, Stanford University, May 5, 2011.
- The Continuing Unemployment Crisis: Causes, Cures, and Questions for Further Study [PDF], Livable Lives Initiative Symposium, Washington University in St. Louis, April 12, 2011.
- Bridging the Gap: America's Middle Class [PDF], Vanderbilt University Impact Symposium, March 22, 2011.
- Restoring American Prosperity: Challenges and Solutions [PDF], 2011 State of the Valley Conference, February 18, 2011.
- Fiscal Policy in the Obama White House: Reasoning, Results, and Challenges Going Forward [PDF], Reed College, November 17, 2010.
- Macroeconomic Policy in the 1960s: The Causes and Consequences of a Mistaken Revolution [PDF], Economic History Association Annual Meeting, September 2007.
New York Times Economic View Columns
- The Business of the Minimum Wage, March 2, 2013.
- The Fed Drives Best at Higher Speeds, January 19, 2013.
- Budget Showdown Offers an Opportunity for Progress, November 10, 2012.
- The Fiscal Stimulus, Flawed but Valuable, October 20, 2012.
- Cutting the Deficit, With Compassion, September 8, 2012.
- Only the First Step in Containing Health Costs, July 21, 2012.
- It's Time for the Fed to Lead the Fight, June 9, 2012.
- Hey, Not So Fast on European Austerity, April 28, 2012.
- That Wishful Thinking About Tax Rates, March 17, 2012.
- Do Manufacturers Need Special Treatment?, February 4, 2012.
- Two Big Problems; Two Ready Solutions, December 31, 2011.
- A Financial Crisis Needn’t Be a Noose, December 17, 2011.
- Dear Ben: It's Time for a Volcker Moment, October 29, 2011.
- The Hope that Flows from History, August 14, 2011.
- The Rock and the Hard Place on the Deficit, July 3, 2011.
- Needed: Plain Talk About the Dollar, May 21, 2011.
- This Jobless Rate Isn't the New Normal, April 9, 2011.
- The Debate That’s Muting the Fed’s Response, February 26, 2011.
- What Obama Should Say About the Deficit, January 15, 2011.
- It’s the Big Questions That Slow Growth, December 4, 2010.
- Now Isn’t the Time to Cut the Deficit, October 23, 2010.
Selected Speeches while CEA Chair
- Not My Father's Recession: The Extraordinary Challenges and Policy Responses of the First Twenty Months of the Obama Administration [PDF], The National Press Club, September 1, 2010.
- Finishing the Job: The Policies Needed to Ensure Full Recovery and Fiscal Stability in the United States [PDF], OECD Forum, May 27, 2010.
- New Policies for a New Century: Recent Economic Actions through the Lens of the New Deal [PDF], Commencement Address, College of William and Mary, May 16, 2010.
- Treatment and Prevention: Ending the Great Recession and Ensuring that It Doesn't Happen Again [PDF], City Club of Cleveland, May 3, 2010.
- Back to a Better Normal: Unemployment and Growth in the Wake of the Great Recession [PDF], Princeton University Colloquium on Public and International Affairs, April 17, 2010.
- Moving Forward on Jobs [PDF], National Association of Business Economics 26th Annual Washington Economic Policy Conference, March 9, 2010.
- Health Care Reform and the Budget Deficit [PDF], Center for American Progress, October 26, 2009.
- Back from the Brink [PDF], Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 12th Annual International Conference, September 24, 2009.
- So, Is It Working? An Assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at the Five-Month Mark [PDF], The Economic Club of Washington D.C., August 6, 2009.
- The Lessons of 1937, The Economist, June 18, 2009.
- The Economic Case for Health Care Reform [PDF], Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, June 8, 2009.
- Growth without Bubbles [PDF], Council on Foreign Relations, May 12, 2009.
- Lessons from the New Deal for Economic Recovery in 2009 [PDF], Brookings Institution, March 9, 2009.
- Fiscal Policy and Economic Recovery [PDF], National Association of Business Economics 25th Annual Washington Policy Conference, March 3, 2009.
- The Case for Fiscal Stimulus: The Likely Effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [PDF], U.S. Monetary Policy Forum, February 27, 2009.