The Fed Has to Distinguish Between Leaning Against Bubbles and Leaning Against Rising Housing Prices

MarketWatch had a short piece reporting that Michael Woodford, one of the country's most prominent macroeconomists, is now arguing that the Fed should actively look to stem the growth of asset bubbles like the housing bubble in the last decade. It points out that house prices have been rising rapidly in recent years. It also notes that Woodford argues the Fed should not distinguish between run-ups in house prices based on fundamentals and run-ups based on speculation.

As someone who advocated...