CFA Level 1 Economics 241 Questions with Answers 2023
Price Elasticity of Demand Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (%t
... [Show More] Change in Price)
Cross Elasticity of Demand Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (% Change in Price of Substitute or Complement)
Income Elasticity of Demand Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (% Change in Income)
Price Elasticity of Supply Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (% Change in Quantity Supplied) / (% Change in Price)
Elasticity of Demand Factors - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Availability of Substitute; 2) Relative amount of income spent on the good; 3) Time SINCE price change
Elasticity of Supply Factors - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Available substitutes for resources (inputs) used to produce the goods; (2) the time that has elapsed since the price change
Income elasticity of an Inferior Good- Positive or Negative - CORRECT ANSWER Negative
Total Cost Formula - CORRECT ANSWER = Total Fixed Cost + Total Variable Cost
Average Fixed Cost Formula - CORRECT ANSWER Average Fixed Cost = TFC/Q
Average Variable Cost Formula - CORRECT ANSWER Average Variable Cost= TVC/Q
Average Total Cost Formula - CORRECT ANSWER = AFC + AVC
Unemployment Rate Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (Number of Unemployed) / (Labor Force) x 100
Labor Force Participation Rate Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (Labor Force) / (Working-Age Population(16 or older) ) x 100
Employment to Population Ratio Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (Number of Employed) / (Working-Age Population) x 100
CPI Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (Cost of Basket of Current Prices) / (Cost of Basket at Base Period Prices) x 100
Inflation Rate Formula - CORRECT ANSWER % change in CPI
(Current CPI- Year Ago CPI)/ (Year Ago CPI) X 100
Potential Deposit Expansion Multiplier Formula - CORRECT ANSWER = 1 / (required reserve ratio)
Potential Increase In Money Supply Formula - CORRECT ANSWER = (Potential Deposit Expansion Multiplier) x (Increase in Excess Reserves)
Money Multiplier for a change in monetary base Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (1+c) / (d+c)
c = currency as a % of deposits
d = desired reserve ratio
Change in Quantity of Money Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (Change in Quantity of Money) = (Change in Monetary Base) x (Money Multiplier)
Equation of Exchange Formula - CORRECT ANSWER = (Money supply) x (Velocity) = GDP = (Price) x (Real Output)
Quantity Theory of Money Formula - CORRECT ANSWER Price = M (V/Y)
What does it mean if Cross elasticity is positive - CORRECT ANSWER Two goods are reasonable substitutes for each other
What does it mean if Price Elasticity of Demand is less than one in absolute value? - CORRECT ANSWER Inelastic
What does it mean if Price Elasticity of Demand is greater than one in absolute value? - CORRECT ANSWER Elastic
Normal Goods Elasticity - CORRECT ANSWER Positive Income Elasticity (greater than 1)
Total Revenue Test - CORRECT ANSWER Estimate elasticity of demand:
P Up-> R Up (Inelastic);
P Up -> D Down (Elastic)
Cross Elasticity of Substitutes- Positive or Negative - CORRECT ANSWER Positive
Income Elasticity for normal goods- Positive or Negative - CORRECT ANSWER Positive
Income Elasticity for inferior goods- Positive or Negative - CORRECT ANSWER Negative
Command System - CORRECT ANSWER A central authority determines resource allocation, is used in centrally planned economies and is also used within firms and in the military
Majority Rule - CORRECT ANSWER Government policies such as taxation and transfer payments are an example of this type of resource allocation
Efficient allocation of resources - CORRECT ANSWER Marginal Benefit to society (Demand) = Marginal Cost for the "last" unit of each good and service to be produced (Supply). (MC = MB)
Marginal Cost Formula - CORRECT ANSWER (Change in Total Cost) / (Change in Output)
Two Concepts of Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia (Symmetry) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Governments must recognize and protect private property; 2) Private property must be given from one party to another only when it is voluntarily done
When demand is less elastic than supply- consumers bear higher or lower burden - CORRECT ANSWER HIGHER
When supply is less elastic than demand- consumers bear higher or lower burden - CORRECT ANSWER LOWER, suppliers will bear a higher burden
Inelastic means more or less DWL - CORRECT ANSWER Less
Three Constraints to Profit Maximization - CORRECT ANSWER TMI 1) Technological, 2) Informational, 3) Market Constraints
Technological Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWER Output from least inputs
Economic Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWER Output from least cost
Two ways that firms can organize production - CORRECT ANSWER CI 1) Command System, 2) Incentive System
Command Systems - CORRECT ANSWER Organization according to a managerial chain of command, eg US Military [Told what to do]
Incentive System - CORRECT ANSWER Senior mangement creates a system of rewards intended to motivate workers to perform in such a way as to maximize profits [Motivated to do]
Principal- Agent Problem - CORRECT ANSWER Problems that arise when incentives and motivations or managers and workers (Agents) are not the same as the incentives and motivations of their firms.
Three Methods used to reduce Principal-Agent Problem - CORRECT ANSWER OIL 1) Ownership, 2) Incentive Pay, 3) Long-term contracts
Three Types of Business Organizations - CORRECT ANSWER PPC 1) Proprietorships, 2) Partnerships, 3) Corporations
Four Types of Economic Markets - CORRECT ANSWER PMOM 1) Perfect Competition, 2) Monopolitic Competition, 3) Oligopoly, 4) Monopoly
Four-Firm Concentration Ratio - CORRECT ANSWER The percentage of total industry sales made by the four largest firms in the industry. A highly competitive industry may have a four-firm concentration ratio near zero, while the ratio for monopoly is 100%,
< 40% = Competitive Market,
>60% is Oiligopy
Herfinhahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) - CORRECT ANSWER Calculated by summing the squared percentage market shares of the 50 largest firm in an industry (or all of the firms in the industry if there were less than 50). The HHI is very low in a highly competitive industry and increases to 10,000 (=100squared) for an industry with only one firm.
An HHI between 1,000 and 1,800 is considered moderately competitive, while an HHI greater than 1,800 indicates that it is not competitive
HHI greater than 1,800 - CORRECT ANSWER NOT Competitive
HHI between 1,000-1,800 - CORRECT ANSWER Moderately Competitive
HHI less than 1,000 - CORRECT ANSWER Competitive
Four-Firm Concentration Ratio 100% - CORRECT ANSWER Monopoly
Four-Firm Concentration Ratio less than 40% - CORRECT ANSWER Competitve
Four-Firm Concentration Ratio greater than 60% - CORRECT ANSWER Oligopoly
Three limitations to the HHI and Four-Firm Concentration Ratio - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Problems with defining the geographical scope of the market; 2) Barriers to entry and firm turnover are NOT considered; 3) Weak link between market and an industry
Accounting Profits - CORRECT ANSWER Includes explicit costs
Economic Profit - CORRECT ANSWER Considers explicit and implicit costs
Economic Profit Formula - CORRECT ANSWER Economic Profit= Total Revenue - Opportunity Costs = Total Revenue - (Explicit + Implicit Costs)
Implicit Costs - CORRECT ANSWER Implied Rental Rate + Normal Profit
Implied Rental Rate - CORRECT ANSWER Term used to describe the opportunity cost to a firm for using its own capital. Sum of Economic Depreciation and Foregone Interest
Normal Profit - CORRECT ANSWER Opportunity cost of Owners' entrepreneurship expertise. It represents what owners could have earned if they used their organizational decision-making and other entreprenurial skills is another activity such as running another business.
Economic Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWER Producing a given output at the lowest possible cost
Technological Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWER Using the least amount of inputs to produce a given output
Income Elasticity of Demand > 0 "positive" - CORRECT ANSWER Normal Good
Income Elasticity of Demand > 1 - CORRECT ANSWER Luxury Good
0 < Income Elasticity of Demand < 1 - CORRECT ANSWER Necessity
Income Elasticity of Demand < 0 = "negative" - CORRECT ANSWER Inferior Good
On Straight-line Demand Curve - High Elasticity - CORRECT ANSWER Price Increase = Revenue Decrease
E > 1 (absolute value) E > I -1 I
On Straight-line Demand Curve - Low Elasticity - CORRECT ANSWER Price Increase = Revenue Increase
E < 1 (absolute value) E < I -1 I
Price and Revenue move in the same direction
On Straight-line Demand Curve - Greatest Revenue - CORRECT ANSWER Unitary Elasticity
(E = -1)
Large Price Increase = Smaller Demand Decrease - CORRECT ANSWER Relatively Inelastic, thus total expenditure on the good increases.
Small Price Increase = Large Demand Decrease - CORRECT ANSWER Elastic
Allocation of Resources - Methods - CORRECT ANSWER Market Price, Command, Majority Rule, Contest, First-come, First-served, Lottery, Personal Characteristics, Force.
Obstacles to efficient allocation of productive resources - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Price Control (ceilings & floors); 2) Taxes and trade restricitions (subsidies & quotas); 3) Monopoly; 4) External Costs; 5) External Benefit; 6) Public goods and common resources
Consumer Surplus - CORRECT ANSWER Difference between total value to consumer and total amount paid by the customer
A consumer surplus occurs when the consumer is willing to pay more for a given product than the current market price.
Producer Surplus - CORRECT ANSWER Difference between total cost of production and total amount received (market price).
Marginal Cost of production is - CORRECT ANSWER Minimum Supply Price
When the efficient quantity is produced the: - CORRECT ANSWER Sum of consumer surplus & producer surplus is maximized
Fairness Principles - CORRECT ANSWER Utilitarianism & Symmetry
Symmetry Principle - CORRECT ANSWER Equality of opportunity.
economy is based on private property & voluntary exchange
Utilitarism - CORRECT ANSWER Greatest good occurs to the greatest number of people when wealth is transferred from the rich to the poor to the point where everyone has the same wealth 1) everyone wants and needs the same thing; 2) Marginal benefit of a dollar is greatest for the poor than the rich
Price Ceilings < Price Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Excess demand results in Shortage
2. Black market prices > Ceiling Prices
Long run impacts: Long waiting, Discrimination, Bribes, Lower Quality
Price Ceilings > Price Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER no impact
Price Floors < Price Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER no impact
Price Floors > Price Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Excess supply results in Surplus
Long run impacts: Excess supply, substitution in consumption
Tax Impact - CORRECT ANSWER Results in DWL
Increase price equilibriums & Decrease quantity equilibrium
Deadweight Loss - CORRECT ANSWER decrease in total surplus due to an inefficient level of production
Statutory Incidence - CORRECT ANSWER Refers to who is legally responsible for paying the tax
Actual Incidence of Tax - CORRECT ANSWER Who actually bears the cost of the tax through an increase in the price paid (buyer) or decrease in the price received (sellers)
Statutory Incidence on the Buyer (Tax on Buyers) results in - CORRECT ANSWER Downward shift of the demand
Increase in Price Equilibrium & Decrease in Demand Equilibrium
Statutory Incidence on the Seller (Tax on Seller) results in - CORRECT ANSWER Upward shift of the supply curve
Increase in Price Equilibrium & Decrease in Demand Equilibrium
Minimum Wage > Price Equilibrium results in - CORRECT ANSWER Excess supply of labor; Decrease in non-monetary benefits; DWL from underproduction
Quotas < Quantity Equilibrium results in - CORRECT ANSWER DWL: Underproduction
Marginal Social Benefit (MSB) > Marginal Social Cost (MSC)
Subsidies - CORRECT ANSWER DWL: Overproduction
Marginal Social Benefit (MSB) < Marginal Social Cost (MSC)
Increase Qe
Decrease Pe to Consumers
Tax Incidence if Demand is less elastic - CORRECT ANSWER Buyer bears higher burden
Tax Incidence if Supply is less elastic - CORRECT ANSWER Supplier/Seller bears higher burdern
Market for Illegal Goods: Penalties on Sellers - CORRECT ANSWER Decrease Supply
Market for Illegal Goods: Penalties on Buyer - CORRECT ANSWER Decrease Demand
Market Coordination - CORRECT ANSWER occurs when a firm employs resources outside the firm more efficiently than if they relied only on internal resources. (Eg. outsourcing & contracting)
Firm Coordination - CORRECT ANSWER Management determines the flow of resources to determine what price to charge and how much to produce
Firm Coordination can be more efficient than Market due to: - CORRECT ANSWER Lower transaction costs, economies of scale, scope, and team production.
Fixed Costs aka Sunk Costs - CORRECT ANSWER remain unchanged in short-run, therefore should NOT be considered in current decision making. Related to passage of time NOT production.
Marginal Cost - CORRECT ANSWER Add'l cost of producing one more unit of output
Regarding Cost of Production - CORRECT ANSWER Marginal Product curve (MP) intersects Average Product curve (AP) @ its max. The Q at which AP = maximum = Q for which AVC is at its minimum.
Economies of Scale - CORRECT ANSWER LRAC cost is decreasing
Max Profits - Perfectly Competitive markets produce at quantities - CORRECT ANSWER MC = MR = Price
Marginal Cost curve (MC) intersects - CORRECT ANSWER AVC & ATC at their minimum.
MC does NOT intersect AFC at min b/c AFC decreases as production increases due to allocation of fixed costs.
Features of Perfect Competition - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Homogeneous product; 2) Many small sellers; 3) No barriers to entry/exit; 4) Existing firms doe not have have advantage over new entrants; 5) Consumers and sellers are knowledgeable about prices.
Perfect Competition - Price takers - CORRECT ANSWER 1) small output relative to the market; 2) no influence on price; 3) Horizontal demand curve (perfectly elastic)
Perfect Competition - Output in the Long Run - CORRECT ANSWER Zero economic profits = normal return
P = MC = ATC
Perfect Competition - Increase in Demand - CORRECT ANSWER Increase in Pe & Qe -> Economic profit -> Firms expand -> New entrants -> LR: zero economic profit
Perfect Competition - Long Run Price Equilibrium After Permanent Increase in Demand - CORRECT ANSWER Lower (external economies)
Higher (external diseconomies)
Perfect Competition - Technological changes: - CORRECT ANSWER Higher quantitiy, lower price
LR: price = min ATC for the new technology -> zero economic profit
Features of Monopoly - CORRECT ANSWER 1) No good Substitues; 2) Distinguished by higher entry barriers
- Legal barriers - gov't licensing & patents
- Natural barriers- substantial economies of scale
Monopoly - Profit Maximization - CORRECT ANSWER Produce Q where MR = MC
Produce in the elastic range of demand curve
Higher prices & lower quantities
Monopoly - Price searcher - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Downward sloping demand curve; 2) Reduce price to increase sales; 3) MR < price 4) MR curve lies below the demand curve
Monopoly vs. Perfect Competition - CORRECT ANSWER 1) DWL; 2) Smaller consumer surplus 3) Rent seeking
Monopoly - Price-setting strategies - CORRECT ANSWER 1) single-price; 2) price discrimination
Price Discrimination - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Firm must have downward sloping demand; 2) Identifiable groups of consumers w/ diff price elasticities of demand 3)Prevent resale between groups 4) charge different prices
Results in Higher Economic Profit
Is Perfect Price Discrimination Efficient? - CORRECT ANSWER Yes. 1) No DWL; 2) No consumer surplus; 3) Same quantity as perfect competition
Regulating Natural Monopolies - Average Cost Pricing: - CORRECT ANSWER Increase output & social welfare
Regulating Natural Monopolies - Marginal Cost Pricing: - CORRECT ANSWER May lead to loss, may need subsidy if MC < ATC
Issues: Lack of information, quality deterioration, firm lacks incentive to reduce costs, political influence seeking.
Gains from Monopoly - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Innovation incentive; 2) Economies of scale and scope
Features of Monopolistic Competition - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Large # of independent sellers; 2) Differentiated products; 3) Compete on price, quality, and marketing; 4) Low barriers to entry; 5) Downward sloping, highly elastic demand (due to lots of close substitutes)
Monopolistic Competition vs. Perfect Competition - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Excess capacity: Q< efficient quantities; 2) Mark up:P>ATC
Monopolistic Competition - Output in the SR & LR - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Produce where MR = MC; 2) SR economic profits; 3) LR- new firms enter - zero economic profits (like PC) but price is greater than marginal cost.
Monopolistic Competition - Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWER Unclear b/c (cost vs. benefit)
Social costs of not producing at P = MC
Benefits due to: information, values from brand names, product innovation/differentiation and advertising.
It is possible that the loss resulting form producing an inefficient quantity could be offset by the value gained form product variety.
Features of Oligopoly - CORRECT ANSWER 1) significant barriers to entry; 2) Small # of interdependent sellers with incentive to cooperate (faced with prisoners' dilemma) 3) Downward sloping demand curve
Oligopoly - Prisoners' Dilemma - CORRECT ANSWER Model used to analyze oligopoly output restrictions.
Best course of action is to enter into a collusive agreement and cheat.
Two Oligopoly Models - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Kinked demand curve- follow price decrease only;
2) Dominant firm oligopoly-dominant firm sets price
Marginal Revenue (MR) - CORRECT ANSWER The addition to total revenue from selling one more unit of output
Marginal Revenue Product (MRP) - CORRECT ANSWER The addition to total revenue from selling the additional output from employing one more unit of a productive resource(input)
To maximize profits: MRP labor = Price labor
Factors Increasing Demand for Labor - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Increase in output price; 2) Increase in substitute price; 3) Decrease in complement price; 4) Advances in technology or new capital that increases labor's MP
Factors of Elasticity of Demand for Labor - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Labor intensity (more the better/not automated process); 2) Elasticity of demand for output; 3) Input substitution
[Demand for labor is more elastic in the LR vs. SR.]
Supply of Labor - Substitution Effect - CORRECT ANSWER Higher wage results in less leisure, more labor supplied
Supply of Labor - Income Effect - CORRECT ANSWER higher income results in more leisure, less labor supplied
Shifts in Labor Supply caused by: - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Size of adult population; 2) Capital accumulation to allow more adults working outside.
Labor Market Power - Labor Union vs. Monopsony - CORRECT ANSWER Labor Union: (collective bargaining/ only group of employees) increase wage rate and reduce employment
Monopsony: (single buyer/employer) reduce wage rate and employment b/c MC of an add'l worker > wage.
Labor Market Power - Increase Demand for Labor Union (to offset decrease in employment) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Increase MP of labor via training; 2) Advertise to increase demand for union-made products; 3) Advocate trade restrictions on foreign goods that compete with union-made domestic goods; 4) Reducing the supply or increasing the price of substitutes for union labor (higher min wage & immigration restrictions)
Physical Capital - CORRECT ANSWER 1) PP&E; 2) Inventory (WIP & Finished goods)
Financial Capital - CORRECT ANSWER Pays for physical captial
1) Equity; 2) Debt Securities
Financial Capital - Demand - CORRECT ANSWER QD up when Interest Rate down
QD down when Interest Rate up
Reflect PV of MRP of physical capital in production
Financial Capital - Supply - CORRECT ANSWER Supplied by savings - [Increase/(Decrease)]
1) Interest Rates [up/(down)] ; 2) Current Incomes [up/(down)]; 3) Expected Future Income [down/(up)]
Natural Resources - Non-Renewable - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Elastic supply (horizontal); 2) QSupply determined by Demand; 3) Current Pirce is the PV of the expected price next period. e.g. oil
Natural Resources - Renewable - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Inelastic supply (vertical); 2) price is determined by demand e.g. water
Economic Rent - CORRECT ANSWER Difference between actual earnings and opportunity cost of a factor of production
Economic Rent - Supply Elasticities - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Perfectly elastic supply (unskilled labor)- no economic rent; 2) Perfectly inelastic supply (golf ability)- max economic rent;
3) Upward sloping supply curve -> some economic rent
Real wage rate - CORRECT ANSWER Money wages adjusted for changes in price level
Aggregate hours - CORRECT ANSWER Total hours worked in a year by all employed people
Unemployment - CORRECT ANSWER Actively looking for work, Laid off, waiting to be called back, Starting a job w/in 30 days
Three Types of Unemployment: - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Frictional; 2) Structural; 3) Cyclical
Natural Rate of Unemployment: - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Frictional; 2) Structural
Natural Rate of Unemployment - Frictional - CORRECT ANSWER imperfect information and job searches taking time
Natural Rate of Unemployment - Structural - CORRECT ANSWER skills being in shortage and the economy changing
Unemployment - Cyclical - CORRECT ANSWER associated with the business cycle
Negative Cyclical may exist (SR)
Real GDP > Potential GDP = levels of above full capacity
Positive Cyclical
Real GDP < Potential GDP = levels of undercapcity
Economy is at full employment when - CORRECT ANSWER unemployment rate = natural rate of umemployment
NO cyclical umemployment
Real GDP = Potential GDP
Labor Force - CORRECT ANSWER = # of employed + # of unemployed
Includes all people who are either employed or actively seeking employment. DOES NOT include discouraged workers or those who are available for work but are neither employed nor actively seeking (i.e. housewives)
Consumer Price Index (CPI) - CORRECT ANSWER Average price for a "basket" of goods and services purchased by a typical urban household
(excludes food & fuel/energy)
Biases in CPI Data - CORRECT ANSWER Tend to overstate inflation by ~ 1%
Does not account for the following:
1) New Goods; 2) Quality change; 3) Commodity substitution; 4) Outlet substitution
Short-Run Aggregate Supply (SRAS) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Upward sloping supply curve (assumes fixed money wage); 2) Decreases (shifts) with rising wages or expected inflation; 3) Changes in price level are movements along SRAS curve (function of price level)
Long-Run Aggregate Supply (LRAS) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Vertical supply curve at potential GDP (independent of price level); 2) Full employment real output of economy; 3) Increases/(Decreases) with Increases/(Decreases) in quantity of labor, capital, and existing technology.
Increases (Decreases) in Long-Run Aggregate Supply (LRAS) due to: - CORRECT ANSWER Increases (Decreases) in 1) Quantity of labor; 2) Quantity of capital in the economy; 3)Technology the economy possess.
Aggregate Demand Formula (AD) - CORRECT ANSWER Aggregrate Demand = (Consumption) + (Investment) + (Government Spending) + Net Exports
Aggregate Demand Factors - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Expectation about incomes, Inflation, and profits; 2) Fiscal & Monetary Policy; 3) The growth rate of the world economy
Aggregate Demand Curve is Downward-Sloping Due To: - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Wealth effect - price increases, individual wealth decreases, therefore save more (spend less);
2) Intertemporal substitution - price level rises, interest rate rises, consumption later is substituted with consumption now.
Increases (Decreases) in Aggregate Demand due to: - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Increases (Decreases) in Expected inflation, Income, Profits, Foreign incomes and (Decreases) Increases in Domestic exhcange rate.
The Economy is in Long-Run Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER At price levels where AD intersects the LRAS.
higher prices = excess supply & downward pressure on production and prices
lower prices = excess demand & upward presssure on production and prices.
The Economy is in Short-Run Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER At output levels above/below Full-employment GDP (LRAS)
If below LRAS = recession & downward pressure on wages & prices.
If above LRAS = inflationary pressure on wages & prices.
Changes in Money Wages (and other resource prices) cause SAS to shift, bringing the economy back to LR equilibrium
If aggregate demand and LRAS grow at the same rate, what should happen to Inflation & real GPD? - CORRECT ANSWER No inflation change and an increase in real GDP.
Stagflation - CORRECT ANSWER recession combined with inflation
A change in the amount of capital in the economy will lead to - CORRECT ANSWER a change in the SRAS curve, assuming workers' inflation expectations are unchanged. why?
b/c result in more productive work force, increasing potential GDP. This will shift both the LRAS & SRAS curves. Assuming no change in the money wage rate, an increase in the price level will cause the quantity of real GDP that is supplied to increase, resulting in a movement along the same SRAS. Also, increase in Demand will result in a greater quantity supplied hence movement along the same SAS.
3 Schools of Macroeconomic Thoughts - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Classical; 2) Monetarists; 3) Keynesian & New Keynesian
Classical - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Shifts in AS & AD are driven by changes in technology; 2)Money wages change to restore LRe @ Full employment; 3)Taxes are primary impediment to LRe (DWL)
Economy is self-regulating
Monetarist - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Unpredictables changes in monetary policy are the cause of deviations from full-employment GDP; 2) Recession due to inappropriate decreases in money supply; 3) Recommend: Follow steady and predictable monetary policy (steady growth of money supply) and taxes should be kept low
Economy is self-regulating
Keynesian - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Shifts in AD are caused by changes in expectations (confidence & investments); 2)Business cycles caused by shift in AD; 3) Wages "downward sticky" not flexible so SAS adjusts slowly; 4) Recommend: Increases in AD to restore full employment via fiscal or monetary policy
New Keynesian - CORRECT ANSWER Prices of other factors also 'sticky' not flexible
Measures of Money M1 & M2 - CORRECT ANSWER M1 = currency + Travellers' checks + checking accounts
M2 = M1 + time & saving deposits + money market mutual funds
Function of Depository Institutions - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Create liquidity; 2) Act as financial intermediaries; 3) Pool default risks
How Banks Create Money - CORRECT ANSWER 1) fraction of deposit held in reserves; 2) Remainder can be loaned (excess reserves); 3) Quantity of money increases with a multiplier effect;
Monetary base: - CORRECT ANSWER Fed notes, coins, and banks' reserves deposits at the Fed.
Size of monetary base restricts the total amount of money that can be created.
Change in Money Supply - - CORRECT ANSWER change in monetary base x money multiplier
The lower the desired reserve ratio and the lower the currency drain results in - CORRECT ANSWER greater money multiplier
Federal Reserve Policy Tools - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Discount rate; 2) Reserve requirements (least used); 3) Open market operations (most used)
Federal Reserve Policy Tools - Discount rate - CORRECT ANSWER Rate at which banks can borrow reserves from the Fed.
- Lower discount rates increase money supply & decrease interest rates;
- Higher discount rates decrease money supply & increase interest rates
Federal Reserve Policy Tools - Reserve Requirements - CORRECT ANSWER Least used
Higher % decreases money supply & increase interest rates;
Lower % increases money supply & decreases interest rates
Federal Reserve Policy Tools - Open market operations - CORRECT ANSWER Most used
Fed buying & selling Treasury Securities.
Fed purchases increases cash for lending, decreases interest rates.
Fed sales remove cash, increasing interest rates
Fed's Balance Sheet - Assets - CORRECT ANSWER Primarily Treasury securities, gold, deposits with other central banks, IMF special drawing rights, loans to banks at the discount rate
Fed's Balance Sheet - Liabilities - CORRECT ANSWER US currency in circulation; bank reserve deposits
Determinants of Money Demand - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Interest rates (most critical); 2) Inflation (increases demand for nominal money); 3) Real GDP growth (increases the demand for nominal and real money).
Supply of Money - CORRECT ANSWER Determined by the central bank independent of interest rates. (vertical supply curve)
Influences of Financial Innovations & Effect on Demand of Money - CORRECT ANSWER 1) changes in economic environment; 2) Technology; 3) Regulation
Reduce demand for money include:
1) ATM; 2) Internet Banking; 3) credit card usages;
Goals & Targets of the Fed - CORRECT ANSWER 1) keep inflation low (stable prices); 2) Maintain full employment; 3) Smooth business cycles; 4) Promote economic growth (Moderate long-term interest rates)
Effect of Money on Real GDP (LRAS) - Increase in Money Supply will: - CORRECT ANSWER Decrease nominal and real interest rates
Cheaper current consumption and investments
Dollar depreciates -> more exports
Short run: AD, real GDP, and price levels increase
Long run: full-employment GDP
If the interest rate increases - CORRECT ANSWER opportunity cost of holding money will increase and therefore demand decreases
Quantity Theory of Money equation - CORRECT ANSWER Money Supply (M) x Velocity (V) = Price (P) x Real output (Y)
Velocity = - CORRECT ANSWER average # of times per year each dollar is used
= GDP/ Money
Quantity Theory of Money (assuming velocity & real output does NOT change) - CORRECT ANSWER an increase in the money supply will cause a proportional increase in price.
in other words: growth in money supply in excess of the growth rate of real GDP is inflationary
what is the LR & SR impact of an increase in monetary base while at full GDP? - CORRECT ANSWER SR: Increase in real GDP, Employment and Price level
LR: Increase in Price level only
Demand-pull inflation - CORRECT ANSWER Results from an increase in aggregate demand
-Increases in AD that increases equilibrium GDP above full-employment GDP in Short-run.
Unemployment below natural rate, lead to increase in real wages.
Increased wages shift (decrease) SRAS, resulting in new equilibrium of full-employment GDP @ higher prices.
Demand-pull inflation will cont. if gov't continues fiscal or monetary policies that are increasing AD.
Cost-push inflation - CORRECT ANSWER Results from a decrease in aggregate supply
-Unexpected increases in the real price of factor inputs such as wages or energy.
SRAS decreases (***** up and to the left), results in SRe below full-employment GDP and higher prices.
If gov't responds wiht monetary or fiscal policy to increase AD, equilibrium GDP can be increased to full-employment GDP but at higher prices.
Sustained cost-push inflation happends when input costs cont. to increase and the gov't cont. to make policy changes that further increase AD.
Nominal Rate = Real Rate + Expected Inflation - CORRECT ANSWER Higher inflation -> higher nominal rates
Faster Money Supply (MS) growth -> higher nominal rates
Inflation & Unemployment - CORRECT ANSWER Actual Inflation= expected -> remain @ full employment (LRPC is vertical at full-employment real GDP= natural rate of unemployment)
Actual Inflation> expected -> employment increases
Actual Inflation< expected -> employment decreases
Mainstream Business Cycle Theory - CORRECT ANSWER Potential GDP (LAS) grows at a steady rate while AD growth fluctuates
AD grows faster than LAS = expansion
AD grows slower than LAS = contraction
Includes Classical, Keynesian, and Monetarist schools of thoughts
Phillips Curve - CORRECT ANSWER Short run Phillips curve, level of UNemployment is negatively related to inflation.
(think N in unemployment = negatively related)
HENCE employment is positively related to inflation.
Phillips Curve - change in expected inflation will - CORRECT ANSWER shift short-run phillips curve but NOT the long-run phillips curve.
Real Business Cycle Theory - CORRECT ANSWER Think: "real random"
Random fluctuations in productivity are the main source of economic fluctuations
Fiscal Policy = - CORRECT ANSWER Government tax and spending
Balanced budgets
budget deficits -> dissavings
budget surpluses -> savings
Fiscal Policy Supply Side Effects - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Income taxes reduce incentive to work (hence reduce supply of labor only); 2) Expenditure taxes reduce purchasing power of wages (hence reduce the real wage rate); 3) Reduce potential GDP
Laffer Curve - CORRECT ANSWER Increases in tax rates increase tax revenue only up to some tax rate (difficult to determine) (Hence higher income tax rate may result in a decrease in tax revenue b/c it decreases the supply of labor)
Fiscal Policy - Sources of Investment - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Investment financed by gov't savings; 2) national savings; 3) borrowing from foreigners
-Captial income tax reduce returns on investments.
Crowding out effect - CORRECT ANSWER When gov't borrows to finance the federal budget deficit, tendency for businesses to reduce investment.
In other words, increased deficits raise interest rates and reduce private investments.
Generational Effects of Fiscal Policy - CORRECT ANSWER Gov't expenditures that are NOT funded by current taxes.
Studies show that over half of fiscal imbalance will be paid by future generations (medicare)
Discretionary fiscal policy (counter cyclical) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Increase gov't spending and reduce tax rates during recession
2) Cut gov't spending and raise tax rates during inflationary period
Fiscal Multiplier Effect - CORRECT ANSWER Expenditure multiplier (increased gov't spending increases AD) > tax multiplier (increase in tax decrease consumption) HENCE an equal increase in both taxes and expenditures will increase GDP.
Therefore balanced budget multiplier is positive
Fiscal Policy Limitation - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Recognition delay (recognizing bubbles); 2) Administrative delay (passing laws); 3) Impact delay (too late)
Discretionary fiscal policy multiplier effect - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Gov't purchase multiplier: $1 in gov't spending causes >$1 increase in AD; 2) Tax multiplier: less impact than gov't multiplier; 3) Balanced Budget multiplier: Increase in spending coupled with an equal increase in taxes = positive effect on AD.
Automatic stabilizers (counter cyclical) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Induced taxes: graduated tax = Econ boom -> higher tax bracket; Econ downturn -> lower tax bracket
2) Needs- tested spending: more money is paid out as umemployment increases
Monetary Policy (Federal Reserve) Decision Making Strategies - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Instrument rule: Sets FFR based on current economic state. Taylor Rule:
FFR = 2% + inflation + 0.5(inflation - 2%) + 0.5(output gap)
2) Targeting rule (Inflation) sets FFR so that the forecast of inflation is equal to the target inflation rate, 2%
How does the Fed operationalize their goals? - CORRECT ANSWER by focusing on 1) core inflation (differences between actual and target inflation rates; and 2) output gap (differences between acutal and potential GDP)
Monetary Policy (Federal Reserve) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Increase in MS decreases Fed Funds Rate (FFR); 2) Decrease in MS increases FFR; 3) Implemented by open market operations
To maintain maximum employment when output is positive (negative): - CORRECT ANSWER positive output = inflationary gap, FED sell securities
negative output = recessionary gap, Feds buy securities
To determine price stability, the Feds: - CORRECT ANSWER Monitor CPI which excludes food & fuel
To moderate long-term interest rates, the Feds - CORRECT ANSWER work to keep long-term real interest rates close to long-term nominal interest rates.
Open Market Operations (Transmission Mechanism) during recessionary gap (negative output gap) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Fed buys Treasuries, excess reserves, FFR falls
2) Other short-term rates fall
3) Longer-term rates fall
4) Business expand investment (AD up)
5) Domestic currency value falls imports down/exports up (AD up)
6) Consumer (financed) purchases increase (AD up)
Opposite during inflationary gap (positive output gap)
Federal Reserve Open Market Operations determines the - CORRECT ANSWER supply of bank reserves
Limitations with Open Market Operations (trasmission mechanism) - CORRECT ANSWER 1) No link between FFR and LT rates (FFR closely linked to ST int. rates); 2) MS increase can increase inflation and LT rates; 3) Lag between monetary policy and effects can lead to expansion and contraction at wrong times
Alternative Strategies/Drawbacks - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Targeting growth of monetary base (McCallum rule): cycles can still result from fluctuation in AD; 2) Targeting growth of money supply (Friedman's k-percent rule): result in fluctuation in AD and velocity; 3) Target the foreign exchange rate: inflation would be that of foreign countries; 4) Inflation targeting: less flexible, may or may not be better.
Freidman's k-percent rule - CORRECT ANSWER A money targeting rule that works when demand for money is stable and predictable. If the demand for money is unpredictable, the money target rule becomes unreliable.
The main functions of a central bank are - CORRECT ANSWER 1) issuing currency; 2) setting monetary policy; 3) controlling the MS; 4) regulating the banking system; 5) assessing and reacting to economic and financial conditions
When Marginal Product (MP) is at its Max - CORRECT ANSWER Marginal Cost (MC) is at its Min
Marginal Product (MP) intersects AP at - CORRECT ANSWER the point where AP is at it's maximum
AP is at its Max - CORRECT ANSWER AVC is at its Minimum
Describes the relationship between marginal cost (MC), average variable cost (AVC), marginal product (MP), and average product (AP) - CORRECT ANSWER When MP = AP, MC = AVC.
In the short run, if price is below average total cost (ATC) the firm will: - CORRECT ANSWER keep running as long as it is covering its variable costs
An increase in the supply of capital, assuming no change in the demand for capital, will: - CORRECT ANSWER cause the equilibrium interest rate to fall.
A firm operating under perfect competition will experience economic losses when: - CORRECT ANSWER Market price is less than average total cost.
P < ATC
A monopolist will continue expanding output as long as: - CORRECT ANSWER The optimum behavior of all firms is to produce until the point where MR = MC. So, the monopolist can increase total profit by increasing production as long as marginal revenue is greater than marginal costs.
When MR = MC = P, economic profit equals - CORRECT ANSWER Total Revenue - Total Cost
What would be the impact of an unanticipated increase in aggregate demand (AD) on an economy's rate of unemployment, rate of inflation, and the short-run Phillips curve (SRPC)? - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Decrease in rate of unemployment; 2) Increase in rate of inflation; 3) Upward movement along the Phillips curve (SRPC) [Show Less]