Part of The Elgar Series on Central Banking and Monetary Policy, this book explores the relationship between central banking, monetary policy and income distribution. The usual central bank mandate – that of exclusively fighting inflation – is being increasingly questioned by policymakers and academics. Many countries are finding that there is a need for broader mandates that will have an impact on economic activity, unemployment and other economic issues.

The chapters present a multitude of theoretical views on this topic, from classical and Marxist views to mainstream and post-Keynesian approaches. They consider the democratic aspects of central banking, critically assess the distributional outcomes of inflation targeting regimes and explore policymaking implications.

Policy makers, academics and the financial press will appreciate the relevance of the material and state of the art discussions featured in Central Banking, Monetary Policy and Income Distribution.