Flashcards on Macroeconomics Final

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Economics is
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the science of scarcity
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A PPF is more likely to be a downward-sloping curve that is bowed outward than a downward-sloping straight line because most resources are
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better suited for the production of some goods than others
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An increase in the number of sellers of a product will _________ the product's market equilibrium price and ______________ the product's market equilibrium quantity
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decrease, increase
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Scarcity
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Wants are greater than the limited resource available to satisfy these wants
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Points inside (or below) the PPF are
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attainable but inefficient
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Ceteris Paribus
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All other things held constant
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A decrease in the wages paid to the workers producing good X will tend to __________ good X's equilibrium price and ______________ good X's equilibrium quantity
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decrease, increase
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If the minimum wage law sets a wage floor above the equilibrium wage in the unskilled labor market
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The minimum wage will create a surplus of labor
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The point where the PPF intersects the horizontal axis (the horizontal intercept) represents a combination of goods that is
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attainable and productive efficient
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Oil producers expect that oil prices next year will be lower than oil prices this year. As a result, oil producers are most likely to
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place more oil on the market this year, thus shifting the present supply curve of oil rightward
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In pure capitalism, economic decisions are determined by the __________. In pure socialism, economic decisions are determined by the _______________.
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market, government
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The PPF between goods X and Y will be a downward-sloping
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straight line if constant opportunity costs exist, curve that is bowed outward if increasing opportunity costs exist
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The opportunity cost of attending college is
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the highest valued alternative one forfeits to attend college
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The synonym economists use for \"additional\" is
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marginal
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Suppose the real exchange rate of 10 Mexican pesos to the dollar changes to 11 pesos to the dollar. The dollar has _________ , making American goods _____________ expensive for Mexicans
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appreciate, more
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Expectation of lower future income by households is a ________ the AD curve.
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leftward shifter of
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Business optimism about future sales tends to _______ investment expenditures, shifting the AD curve to the __________.
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increase, right
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An economy is producing its Natural Real GDP when the rate of unemployment is equal to the ____________ unemployment rate.
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sum of the frictional unemployment rate and the structural
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Juan lost his job as a nuclear physicist working for a defense contractor. He can not find a job because no firms in the defense industry or any other industry are hiring people with his skills. Juan is ____________ unemployed.
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structurally
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In a self-regulating economy, inflationary and recessionary gaps produce shifts of the __________.
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SRAS curve that move the economy to a long-run equilibrium point.
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If the natural unemployment rate is 5% and the current unemployment rate is 6%, then the economy is
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producing less Real GDP than it does at full employment
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A laissez-faire macroeconomic policy, based on a _________ in self regulating properties of the economy, implies _________ by the government.
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belief, noninterference
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Classical economics refers to an era in the history of economic thought that stretched from about
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1750 to the early 1900s
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suppose a drop in stock prices makes people feel less wealthy. This would cause _________ the economy's AD curve
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a leftward shift
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Expansionary fiscal policy actions include ___________ government spending and/or ____________ taxes, while contractionary fiscal policy actions include ___________ government spending and/or ___________ taxes.
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increasing, decreasing; decreasing, increasing
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If there is complete crowding out as a result of an increase in government purchase, there will be
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no resulting change in Real GDP
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A budget deficit occurs when
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government expenditures > tax revenues
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How is the multiplier expressed in terms of the MPC
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1/(1-MPC)
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Fiscal policy refers to
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changes in government expenditures and taxation to achieve particular economic goals
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In the United States, income taxes are a ___________ tax and Medicare taxes are a ______ tax. Sales taxes are a ________ tax and property taxes are a ________ tax.
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Progressive, proportional, regressive, regressive
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Supply-side economists believe reductions in marginal tax rates can
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increase output and lower prices
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The period that elapses between the passage of legislation reducing taxes and the tax cut is put into effect is called the _______ lag.
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transmission
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The AD curve shifts to the right with a _________ in government purchases (G) or a ________ in taxes.
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rise, fall
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Suppose Congress increase income taxes. This is an example of
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contractionary fiscal policy
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In April 2014, the public debt in the US is approximately
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17 trillion
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Suppose the economy's current AD and SRAS curves intersect to the right of Natural Real GDP. Keynesians might advise a policy of tax ________ to shift ________.
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increase, AD to the left
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If the bottom half of all U.S. income tax payers were allowed to stop paying the income tax entirely and the top 50% continued to pay as they do now, tax revenues to the government would drop by about
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3%
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John Maynard Keynes drew many economists ________ the classical view. The classical view held that a market economy ________ regulate itself to avoid periods of excessive unemployment.
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away from, can
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Each of the governors of the Federal Reserve System is appointed for a term of ________ years. The board of governors is comprised of ___________ members and the FOMC is comprised of ________ members.
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14, 7, 12
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Suppose that the current federal funds rate is below the federal funds target rate. In order to lower the federal funds rate the Fed will __________ securities on the open market which will ________ the supply of reserves in the market for reserves pushing the rate close to the target rate
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sell, decrease
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M2
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M1 + time deposits + savings deposits + money market mutual funds
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The demand-for-money curve illustrates the ________ relationship between the quality demanded of money and _________.
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inverse, the interest rate
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Reserves held beyond the required amount are called
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Excess reserves
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According to the Keynesian transmission mechanism, a rise in the money supply will _____ the interest rate, causing a _______ in investment demand, which then ______ Real GDP.
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lower, rise, raises
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The Federal Reserve System began operations is
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1914
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suppose the money market is in the liquidity trap and that the economy is experiencing a recessionary gap. A Keynesian economist would advocate
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contractionary fiscal policy
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Total bank reserves =
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bank deposits at the Federal Reserve + vault cash
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If the Fed purchases government securities from banks, the reserves of the banking system will immediately
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increase by the amount of the purchase
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The requirement of a \"double coincidence of wants\" is the chief _____ of the _______ exchange system.
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disadvantage, barter
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Open Market Operations are conducted by
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The Federal Reserve Bank of New York
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In March 2014, M1 in the United States was ________ trillion
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2.7
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Fractional reserve banking is a term used to describe a banking system whereby
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banks are required to maintain a certain fraction of their deposits in the form of checkable deposits, a a certain fraction of their deposits in the form of savings deposits, etc
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Three major macroeconomic goals
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Price stability, low unemployment, high and sustained economic growth
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What is the most common measure of changes in prices in the US?
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CPI
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CPI
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Consumer price index, a measure of the changes in prices of a market basket of goods and services purchased by the typical US consumer
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Base year
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An arbitrary year that serves as a reference point
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Inflation
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Increase in the average price level (CPI has risen)
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Deflation
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Decrease in the average price level (CPI has fallen)
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When was the highest recorded inflation in the US?
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1946
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What was the highest recorded inflation in the US?
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18.1%
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When was the lowest recorded inflation in the US?
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1932
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What was the lowest recorded inflation in the US?
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-10.3%
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What is the primary measure of inflation/deflation in the US based upon?
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The percent change in the CPI
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Normal
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Indicates that a variable has not been adjusted for inflation
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Hyperinflation
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Occurs when a country is experiencing an inflation rate of more than 50% per month
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Counted as unemployed if
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A person is not working and actively looking for work
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Unemployment measured
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Population minus non-participants in the labor force divided by the labor force
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Non-participants in the labor force
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Under 16, retired, full time students, military, institutionalized, voluntary idle, homemakers, discouraged workers
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Year of the highest recorded unemployment rate in the US?
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1933
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Highest recorded unemployment rate in the US
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25%
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Year of the lowest recorded unemployment rate in the US
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1944
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Lowest recorded unemployment rate in the US?
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1.2%
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Frictional unemployment
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Uf, type of unemployment that results from the lag time between losing one job and finding another
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Structural unemployment
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Us, results when there is no match between the unemployed persons skills and the available jobs
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Cyclical unemployment
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Uc, results from a downturn in the economy (recession)
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Actual unemployment
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Ua=Uf+Us+Uc
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Full employment
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When Ua=Un, when Uc=0% at full employment
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Gross domestic product (GDP)
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The total market value of all final goods and services produced within a nations borders in a given time period
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GDP omits
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Certain non-market transactions, underground captivity, sales of used goods, purely financial transactions, government transfer payments
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GDP per capita
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GDP divided by population
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Consumption (households)
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Durable goods (last over 3 years), non-durable goods, services
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Investment (businesses)
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Newly produced capital goods, all new construction, changes in business inventory
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Government spending
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Federal, state and local spending on goods and services
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Net export
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Exports-imports
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GDP equation
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National income-+ some adjustments
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GDP can increase as a result of
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An increase in output and/or an increase in price level
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Aggregate demand
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AD, curve that represents the aggregate quantity demanded of all goods and services in the US at various price levels
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Aggregate
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Total supply and demand of all things produced in a country
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Shifts the AD curve
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Change in spending (C,I,G or Xnet) due to some factor other than a change in price level
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Changes in consumption (C) result from
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Wealth, interest rates, taxes and expectations of households
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C wealth increases
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C increases and AD shifts to the right
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C interest rates increase
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C decreases and AD shifts to the left
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C taxes increase
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C decreases and AD shifts to the left
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C expectations of household increase
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C increases and AD shifts to the right
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Changes in investment (I) result from
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Interest rates, taxes and expectations of businesses
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I interest rates increase
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I decreases and AD shifts to the left
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I taxes increase
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I decreases and AD shifts to the left
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I expectations of businesses increase
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I increases and AD shifts to the right
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Changes in government spending result from
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Government spending on goods and services, increases and AD shifts to the right
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Changes in xnet result from
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Foreign real national income (FRNI) and appreciation/depreciation of the dollar
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Xnet FRNI increases
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Xnet increases and AD shifts to the right
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When Xnet dollar depreciates
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Xnet increases and AD shifts to the right
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Xnet dollar appreciation
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Xnet decreases and AD shifts to the left
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Short run aggregate supply
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SRAS
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Long run aggregate supply
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LRAS
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Macroequalibrium is determined by
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The intersect of the AD curve and the SRAS curve
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When AD shifts to the right
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Price level increases, real GDP increases, unemployment decreases (WW2-1940s)
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When AD shifts to the left
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Price level decreases, real GDP decreases, unemployment increases (Depression-1930s)
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When SRAS shifts to the right
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Price level decreases, real GDP increases, unemployment decreases (late 1990s)
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When SRAS shifts to the left
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Price level increases, real GDP decreases, unemployment increases (mid 1970s-early 1980s)
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The classical view
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An era in the history of economic thought that stretched from about 1750 to the early 1900s
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Say's law
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Supply creates its own demand, production creates demand sufficient to purchase all goods and services produced
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Macroequalibrium naturally gravitates toward
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Full employment
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Classical view says that flexible wages, prices, and interest rates will adjust to
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Clear any persistent shortages or surpluses in the economy
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Recessionary gap
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Q1<Qn
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When there is a recessionary gap we have a _____ problem, and there is a ____ of workers in the market
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Unemployment (Un<Ua), surplus
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Surplus makes prices ____, so the price of labor (wages) would ______
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Fall, fall
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A decrease in wages shifts the SRAS curve to the
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Right
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The new macroequalibrium occurs on the _____ curve and the ______ is gone
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LRAS, recessionary/inflationary gap
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Inflationary gap
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Q1>Qn
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When there is an inflationary gap we have an ______ problem
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Inflation
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When there is an inflationary gap there is a ______ of workers in the labor market
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Shortage
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Shortages make prices ______ so the price of labor (wages) would ____
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Rise, rise
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An increase in wages shifts the SRAS curve to the
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Left
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Physical PPF constraints
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Limited recourses, current state of technology
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Institutional PPF constraints
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Limited recourses, current state of technology and social constraints
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GDP equals
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Consumption+Investments+Government purchases+Foreign sector
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Real GDP equation
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Nominal GDP divided by price index multiplied by 100
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John Maynard Keynes
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Challenged all 4 of the classical beliefs
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The four classical beliefs
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1. Say's law holds, so that insufficient demand in the economy is unlikely 2. Wages, prices and interest rates are flexible 3. The economy is self-regulating 4. Laissez-faire is the right economic policy
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Consumption function (definition)
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The relationship between consumption and disposable income
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Consumption is directly related to
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Disposable income, is positive even at zero disposable income
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Consumption function
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C=Co+(MPC)(Yd)
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Co
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Autonomous consumption, the part of consumption that is independent of disposable income
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MPC
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Marginal propensity to consume, MPC= change in C/change in Yd
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Yd
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Disposable income
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Saving =
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Disposable income-consumption
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MPS
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Marginal Propensity to save, the portion of a change in income that is not spent
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MPS =
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1-MPC
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Two ways to compute change in macroequlibrium real GDP
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1. Slow way: round of spending 2. Quicker way: spending multiplier
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Spending multiplier
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M=1/1-MPC or 1/MPS
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Change in real GDP =
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M x initial change in spending
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The initial change in spending could be initiated by a change in
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C, I, G or Xnet
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Policy Implications
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When the economy does not remove itself from a recessionary or inflationary gap (in a timely manner) government intervention in the economy is necessary to push macroequalibrium toward full employment
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Keynes advocated the use of government intervention to
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Help improve the economy
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The federal budget is made up of
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Revenue and expenses
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Revenue
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Taxes
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Expenses
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Government expenditures
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Progressive tax
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A tax where the tax rate paid increases as income increases
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Proportional tax
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A tax where the tax rate paid remains constant as income increases, also known as flat tax
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Regressive tax
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Tax where the tax rate paid decreases as income increases
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Social Security tax
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Employer pays 6.2% of income up to 117K Employee pays 6.2% of income up to 117K
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Medicare tax
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Employer and employee pay 1.45% of all income earned, is a proportional tax
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Social Security tax is proportional for
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Income up to 117K and regressive for higher income
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Sales tax
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Regressive tax, state of CA charges a 7.25% sales tax, San Diego a .50% sales tax
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Property tax
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Regressive tax, in San Diego it averages around 1.25% of the property value
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Budget deficit
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Government spending > tax revenue
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Budget surplus
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Tax revenue > government spending
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Balanced budget
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Government spending = tax revenue
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Cyclical deficit
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Results form a downturn (contrition) in the business cycle
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Structural deficit
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Results from political decisions and would exist even if the economy were operating at full employment
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Public debt
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The total amount the federal government owes its creditors (total amount of outstanding federal government securities)
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Fiscal policy
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Changes in government spending and taxes in an attempt to improve the economy (responsibility of the president and congress)
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Monetary policy
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Changes in the money supply and interest rates in an attempt to improve the economy (responsibility of the Federal Reserve)
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Expansionary fiscal policy
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Used to close a recessionary gap, involves government spending going up and/or taxes going down
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Contractionary fiscal policy
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Used to close an inflationary gap, involves taxes going up and/or government spending going down
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Supply-side fiscal policy (Reaganomics)
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A cut in marginal tax rates, motivates people to work more, save more and take financial risks, SRAS curve shifts to the right
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The Laffer curve
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When the tax rate is either 0 or 100% tax revenues are zero
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Crowding out
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Occurs when an increase in government spending causes the financing needs of the federal budget deficit to rise (indirect effect), can be complete or incomplete
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With complete crowding out, real GDP
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Is not impacted
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With incomplete crowding out, real GDP
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Somewhat increases
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With zero crowding out, real GDP
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Increases
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Data lag
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It takes time to collect and publish economic data to recognize an economic problem
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Wait and see lag
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Time needed to be sure that the perceived economic problem needs government intervention
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Legislative lag
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After policy makers decide that some type of fiscal policy measure is required, congress or the president will have to propose the measure, build political support for it and get it passed
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Transmission lag
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After enacted, a fiscal policy measure takes time to be put into effect
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Effectiveness lag
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After a policy measure is actually implemented it takes time to affect the economy
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Disadvantages of barter
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1) No standard of value 2) Requires a double-coincidence of wants 3) Higher transaction costs
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Functions of money
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1) Medium of exchange 2) Unit of account 3) Store of value
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Medium of exchange
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Money is the medium through which transactions take place
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Unit of account
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We use dollars as a standard unit of value
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Store of value
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The ability of an item to hold value over time
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What gives money its value
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General acceptability
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Credit cards
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Represent loans which must be repaid, they represent the use of someone else's money
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Debit cards
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Give access to checkable deposits which are already part of the money supply
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M1 =
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Currency outside banks + checkable deposits + travelers checks (2.7 trillion)
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How banks create money
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Through the fractional reserve banking system. Banks are only required to set aside a small portion of each deposit and they are free to loan or invest the remainder
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The fractional reserve banking system enables banks
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to create new money
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Required reserve ratio (R)
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A percent of each dollar deposited that must be held on reserve (at the Fed or in the banks' vault)
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Required reserve
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This is the minimum amount of reserves a bank must hold as mandated by the Fed (R x checking deposits)
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Total reserves =
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Required reserves + excess reserves
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The bank's capital can be viewed as a cushion against
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insolvency
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Insolvency =
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liabilities > assets
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An insolvent bank has
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failed and can be shut down
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The larger the bank capital, the bigger the
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Cushion against bank failures or insolvency
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The governors are appointed by the ________ and approved by _________
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President, senate
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Who is the current chairman of the federal board of governors
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Janet Yellin, has served four years as chair
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The governors are responsible for formulating
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Monetary policy
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The federal open market committee (FOMC) has how many members
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12 voting members: 7 federal board members, 1 New York district president and 4 other district presidents
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How often does the FOMC meet
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Every 6 weeks at Federal headquarters
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What are the functions of the federal district banks
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Supply the economy with paper money, provide a check clearing service, hold bank reserves, supervise banks, serve as a lender of last resort for banks, serve as a fiscal agent for treasury and serve as governments banker
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3 monetary policy tools of the Fed
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1) Changing the required-reserve ratio (r) 2) Changing discount rate 3) Open market operations
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To close a recessionary gap by changing the required-reserve ratio
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R goes down
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To close an inflationary gap by changing the required-reserve ratio
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R goes up
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To close a recessionary gap by changing the discount rate
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Discount rate goes down
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To close an inflationary gap by changing the discount rate
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Discount rate goes up
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Open market operations
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Refers to the Fed buying and selling US government securities
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To close an inflationary gap with open market operations
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The Fed sells government securities
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To close a recessionary gap with open market operations
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The Fed buys government securities
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To close a recessionary gap the fed can
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Decrease R, decrease discount rate or buy government securities on open market (money supply goes up)
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To close an inflationary gap the fed can
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Increase R, increase discount rate or sell government securities on open market (money supply goes down)
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Simple Deposit Multiplier
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(SDM) = 1/r
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Maximum change in checkable deposits =
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SDM x Deposit amount, 1/r x deposit amount
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In order for the money supply to grow, the deposit must be money ____ to the banking system
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new, from the Fed or drawn on a foreign bank
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Money is destroyed when
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the Fed sells government securities
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When a bank is reserve deficient it can do the following:
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1) try to get a loan from another bank 2) try and get a loan from the Fed 3) apply some of its loan repayments to the reserve deficiency position
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When a bank borrows reserves from the Fed, the interest rate paid is called the
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Discount rate (directly controlled by the Fed)
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When a bank borrows reserves from another bank, the interest rate paid is called
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the federal funds rate (indirectly controlled by the Fed)
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If the Fed wants to change the money supply it takes 2 measures:
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1) it sets a federal funds rate target and then 2) uses open market operations to change the federal funds rate so as to \"hit\" the target
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If the Fed sets a federal funds rate target above the current funds rate it will need to
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Sell government securities in the open market (which makes reserves more scarce)
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Bond
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a form of debt issued by a corporation or by the government
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Three things that are predetermined before a bond is issued:
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1) Maturity date: The date on it the bondholder receives the face value 2) Face (par) valure: the amount of money the bondholder receives on the maturity date 3) Coupon rate: determines the amount of annual interest the bond pays
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Actual interest =
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coupon rate x face value
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Yield =
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Annual interest + Pbond (price of bond), yield is the interest rate earned on the bond
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Bond prices and interest rates are ______ related
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inversely, bond prices rise interest rate falls, bond prices fall interest rates rise
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the demand for money curve represents the
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inverse relationship between the quantity demanded of money balances and the interest rate (the opportunity cost of holding money)
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The supply curve of money is a
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vertical line since it is primarily set by the Fed
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the Keynesian view on how change in money supply affects the economy:
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-Fed increase the money supply -interset rates fall -investment rises -AD shifts to the right -Real GDP grows
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Bank Capital
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Assets - Liabilities
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Slope
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change in price/change in quantity demanded
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Percent change formula
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new-old/old
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4 participants that make up an economy
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households, businesses, government, foreign sector
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4 categories of recourses
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Land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship
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increasing slope =
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increasing opportunity cost
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PPF will shift outward when there is
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-increase in recourses -advance in tech -increase in quality of recourses
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Determinants of demand
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-price of substitutes (increases, demand increases) -price of complements (increases, demand decreases) -income normal good (increases, demand increases) -income inferior good (increases, demand decreases) -# of buyers (increases, demand increases) -tastes (increase, demand increases) -expectations of buyers
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Law of supply
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direct relationship between price and quantity supplied
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Law of demand
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inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded
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Determinants of Supply
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-subsidies (increase, supply increases) -taxes (increase, supply decreases) -technology (increases, supply increases) -other goods prices (increases, supply decreases) -recourse costs (increase, supply decreases) -# of sellers (increase, supply increases) -expectations of sellers
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price ceiling
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highest price at which a product can be legally sold, only impact if below equilibrium
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price floor
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the lowest price at which a product can legally be sold, will only impact if above equilibrium
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CPI =
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(total $ expend on market basket in current year)/(total $ expend on market basket ) x 100
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Formula for real income
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nominal income/CPI x 100
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Price in current $'s
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Price earlier year x (CPI current year)/(CPI earlier year)
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Unemployment measured
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population - non-participants in the Labor force/Labor force
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Unemployment rate (Ua)
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(unemployed)/(Labor force) x100
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national income =
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wages + proprietor's income + corporation profits + rental income + net interest
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Real GDP =
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(nominal GDP)/(price index) x 100
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