Is there an effect of policy-related uncertainty on inflation? evidence from the United States under Trump

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study bridges the existing literature on the macroeconomic effects of policy-related uncertainty and the literature on inflation dynamics and provide fresh insights on the impacts of policy-related uncertainty under President Donald Trump -coming from unforeseen events and actions of decision makers- on unanticipated inflation changes. With the increasingly volatile environment, developing effective resilience plan and hedging practices against rising policy uncertainty become fundamental in designing sensible risk management strategies. This paper compares the inflation-hedging abilities of oil, renewable energy and major precious metals (gold, palladium, platinum and silver). Under Trump, both economic and monetary policy uncertainties seem important for the observed changes in inflation. In times of rising uncertainty, doubts rise about the ability and the commitment of policy makers to deliver on their promises. In other words, policy-related uncertainties distort the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy and harm its credibility. To reduce the costs of inflation surprises, an inflation-protecting asset allocation analysis is conducted. Gold and oil have proved to offer the most effective hedge against inflation under Trump and during periods of inflationary pressures.