Current:Home > FinanceHow 2% became the target for inflation -VisionFunds
How 2% became the target for inflation
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:31:17
If the Fed had a mantra to go along with its mandate, it might well be "two percent." That number, the Fed's longtime inflation target, has been adopted by many other central banks around the world. Jerome Powell said it 17 times in a press conference last week. It's become almost synonymous with smooth, healthy economic growth.
But how did two percent become the Fed's target? For an organization staffed with mathematicians and economists, the answer is surprisingly unsophisticated. Join us to hear about the history behind the number, and why some economists are calling for a change.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter.
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCasts and NPR One.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Actor Robert De Niro’s ex-top assistant cites courtroom outburst as an example of his abusive side
- How the South is trying to win the EV race
- Alabama state Rep. Jeremy Gray announces bid for Congress in new Democratic-leaning district
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- American Ballet Theater returns to China after a decade as US-China ties show signs of improving
- Vanessa Hudgens Reveals If She'll Take Cole Tucker's Last Name After Their Wedding
- No evidence of mechanical failure in plane crash that killed North Dakota lawmaker, report says
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Teachers kick off strike in Portland, Oregon, over class sizes, pay and resources
Ranking
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Trial testimony reveals gambling giant Bally’s paid $60 million to take over Trump’s NYC golf course
- A county lawmaker in New York is accused of slashing a tire outside a bar
- Gerry Turner explains his wild lion tattoo before 'Golden Bachelor' heads to hometowns
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Oregon man sentenced for LGBTQ+ hate crimes in Idaho, including trying to hit people with car
- Movies and TV shows affected by Hollywood actors and screenwriters’ strikes
- RHOC's Shannon Beador Sentenced to 3 Years Probation, Community Service After DUI Arrest
Recommendation
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Jury begins deliberating fate of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried
Bob Knight, legendary Indiana college basketball coach, dies at 83
Officers fatally shoot knife-wielding man at a popular California restaurant after machete attack
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Big city mayors get audience with administration officials to pitch a request for help with migrants
Week 10 college football picks: Top 25 predictions, including two big SEC showdowns
Why You Won't Be Watching The White Lotus Season 3 Until 2025