Exam 4 Study Guide
Exam 4 will be given on Tuesday, November 26, 2013. You should bring a dark pencil to the exam. The purpose of this study guide is to list all the major topics and concepts that will be tested on Exam 4. It is intended to help you to focus your study on the important points. You will need to understand these points in depth in order to do well on the exam. The exam covers parts of chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 in the textbook.
Chapter 9: Demand-Side Equilibrium: Unemployment or Inflation?
Multiplier: Y (or AD ) = multiplier * (C or I or G )
Rounds of spending
Increases in the components of AD (C, I, G), lead to the AD curve shifting to the right
- If the multiplier is greater than 1, the …show more content…
total increase (rightward shift) of AD is greater than the amount the initial component increased
Chapter 10: Supply-Side Equilibrium: Unemployment and Inflation?
Why the Aggregate Supply Curve (AS) slopes upward?
Due to nominal wages and other input cost fixed in the short-run
Then as Price Level ProfitsProduction and real GDP
Variables that shift the AS Curve
-Nominal Wages or other input prices
-Technology
- Increases in Capital and Labor
Inflationary Gaps
Recessionary Gaps
Economies Self-Correcting Mechanism with the AD-AS Graph
Economies self-correcting mechanism is the AS curve shifting due to changes in nominal wages
How does AS shift to close an inflationary gap?
How does AS shift to close a recessionary gap?
When is the self-correcting mechanism fast and when is it slow? Why?
Chapter 11: Managing Aggregate Demand: Fiscal Policy
Transfer payments and taxes change disposable income (DI) and therefore change consumption (C)
DI = Y – Taxes + Transfer Payments
DI = C + S
AD = C + I + G + (X-IM)
What if changes in transfer payments or taxes are saved instead of spent (consumption)?
Fiscal Policy: Government policies involving taxation and govt. spending
Close a recessionary gap: Expansionary Fiscal Policy (aka fiscal stimulus):
3 options: G, transfer payments (C), taxes (C)
Which option is preferred if one wanted a smaller govt.? larger govt.?
Efficiency versus equality tradeoff?
Inflation and the Multiplier
-If the government conducts expansionary fiscal policy and the aggregate supply (AS) curve has a flat slope, what is the result?
Close an inflationary gap: Contractionary Fiscal Policy:
3 options: G, transfer payments (C), taxes (C)
Which option is preferred if one wanted a smaller govt.? larger govt.?
Show both graphically with the AD-AS Graph (Shifts the AD line)
What kind of gap do we have now? Is the U.S. Federal Govt. conducting appropriate short-run fiscal stabilization policy?
Automatic Stabilizers
Examples
Resulting impact on government budgets, e.g., what happens to the govt. deficit during a recession?
Would an “Annual Balanced Budget” Law for the Federal Government increase or decrease inflationary and recessionary gaps?
What if the long-term unemployed become unemployable?
Why is fiscal policy a last resort? Why do we need it as a last resort now?
Chapter 12: Money and the Banking System
Money
Eliminates barter and allows for labor specialization
Functions of Money:
Medium of Exchange
Unit of Account
Store of Value
Commodity Money vs. Paper Money vs. Fiat Money
What kind of money do we have now?
Measure of money supply (M1)
Liquidity
Commercial Banking System
Fractional Reserve Banking
Bank Runs
Bank Regulation
Deposit Insurance
Bank Examinations
Bank’s Balance Sheets
Net Worth = Assets - Liabilities
Bank Reserves = Required Reserves + Excess Reserves
Required Reserve Ratio (m)
Required Reserves = m * bank reserves
Money Multiplier = 1/m
Money Creation and loan process with balance sheets
Banks loaning excess reserves increases the money supply
Banking system can expand (or contract) the money supply (M1) by the maximum amount of:
1
M 1 ( ) * bank reserves m Reasons why the money multiplier may be too large
Why do profit making banks make business cycle worse (without govt. regulation)?
Chapter 13: Managing Aggregate Demand: Monetary Policy
Federal Reserve System (FED) controls Monetary Policy and is the independent “Central Bank” for the U.S.
Why independent of Congress?