Macroeconomics: Real Interest Rates and Exchange Rates, Study notes of Economics

Download Macroeconomics: Real Interest Rates and Exchange Rates and more Study notes Economics in PDF only on Docsity!

Econ 102/Lecture 100

Final Exam

Form 1

April 27, 2005

1. The Wall Street Journal reports that 2004 saw an increase in the real interest rate and a simultaneous depreciation of the real exchange rate. Which of the following events can explain this phenomenon according to the (long-run) open-economy model?

a) An increase in the government budget deficit b) An increase in the government budget surplus c) A quota is imposed, restricting imports of a foreign good d) Capital flight out of the country e) None of the above

2. Suppose a US resident buys a car from a German auto company and the auto company uses the US- dollar revenues to buy stock in GM (a large US auto company) from a British shareholder, who then deposits the money into a dollar-denominated bank account in Great Britain. Which of the following is true from the perspective of the US?

a) NX decreases, Foreign Direct Investment decreases b) Imports decrease, Net Foreign Investment decreases c) NX decreases, Net Foreign Portfolio Investment decreases d) NX increases, Net Foreign Investment decreases e) NX decreases, Net Foreign Investment is unchanged

3. Suppose that fear of war outside the US causes people everywhere to view assets outside the US as more risky before. According to the open economy model, which of the following cannot be true?

a) The real interest rate in the US decreases b) Domestic investment in the US increases c) The US real exchange rate appreciates d) Net Exports in the US increases e) The value of the US dollar, measured in foreign currency, rises

4. According to the information in the table below, what nominal interest rate will an asset purchased in 2002 yield from 2002 to 2003?

2002 2003 Real GDP Real interest rate Money Supply Velocity of Money

2%

100,

2%

102,

a) 4% b) 1% c) 0% d) 2% e) 3%

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the data below?

Country Price of a Hamburger Exchange rate South Korea 3000 won 1218 won/$ Spain 375 pesetas 155 pesetas/$ Mexico 19.9 peso 9.53 peso/$ The Netherlands 2.16 euros .916 euros/$ US 2.43 US dollars

a) A hamburger in Spain is cheaper than one in Mexico b) A hamburger in Spain is cheaper than one in The Netherlands c) A hamburger in Spain is more expensive than in South Korea d) Hamburgers are most expensive in the US e) Hamburgers are most expensive in South Korea

6. Which of the following is NOT necessarily true if a country has a trade surplus?

a) Income is greater than domestic spending b) National saving is greater than domestic investment c) NFI is positive d) The government has a budget surplus e) None of the above; that is, all of the above are necessarily true

7. The Fed announced that they will conduct open market operations to increase the money supply, once and for all, by 10%. Which one is always true in the short run?

a) The real interest rate would go up. b) The long run aggregate supply curve would shift out. c) Real output would stay the same. d) The cyclical unemployment rate would be decreased. e) None of the above; each of the above statements is NOT necessarily true.

8. Assume the all US citizens are required to take Introduction to Macroeconomics in high school. As a result, they can perfectly predict short run and long run outcomes of fiscal policy. Consequently, future expansionary fiscal policy would lead to ________ short-run increases in real output and _________ increases in short-run price levels.

a) Larger, larger b) Larger, smaller c) Smaller, larger d) Smaller, smaller e) Larger, no

9. What would happen in the short run if the aggregate demand curve shifted in?

a) The real interest rate would increase. b) Real and nominal GDP would both decrease. c) Real GDP would decrease, but nominal GDP would increase. d) The natural rate of unemployment would increase. e) None of the above.

10. Suppose that the US economy is initially, in the year 2003, in long-run equilibrium at point A in the figure below, with zero inflation and at the natural rate of unemployment. Assume that the labor force in the US totals 100 million people and the aggregate production function is Y=100,000L (Y is real GDP, L is number of people employed). If the economy moves to point B in 2004, then the unemployment rate for 2004 is _______, and the inflation rate from 2003 to 2004 is ________.

P

9,500 Y in billions of US$

AD 1

SRAS 1

LRAS

AD 2

A

B

9,

a) 1%; 2% b) 3%; 2% c) 5%; 2% d) 1%; 4% e) 3%; 4%

11. Which of the following is not a valid reason for why the short run aggregate supply curve slopes upward?

a) Wages and other input costs may be slow to adjust to changes in the price level. b) A rising price level reduces the real interest rate and therefore encourages production. c) Some firms may be slow to adjust their prices because of menu costs. d) Some firms may misinterpret a rise in the general price level as an increase in demand for their own products. e) None of the above. That is, all of the above are valid reasons for why the short-run aggregate supply curve is upward sloping.

12. Assume MPC = 0.8. The White House decides to implement expansionary policy to increase the GDP. If the government increases its purchases by $1 billion, from the multiplier effect , the increase in consumption will be ______, and from the crowding out effect , the increase in investment is ______.

a) $1.25 billion; positive b) $1.25 billion; negative c) $4.0 billion; negative d) $5.0 billion; positive e) $5.0 billion; negative

13. When actual inflation exceeds expected inflation,

a) Unemployment is greater than the natural rate of unemployment b) Unemployment is less than the natural rate of unemployment c) Unemployment is equal to the natural rate of unemployment d) Phillips Curve shifts up because of actual inflation rises e) Phillips Curve shifts down because of expected inflation falls

Answer the following four questions based on the information provided in the table below:

Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 Real GDP 100 110 140 150 Nominal GDP 110 130 160 200

14. What is the rate of inflation between 2001 and 2002?

a) 7.4% b) 10% c) 13% d) 18.2% e) 20%

15. Which is the base year?

a) 2001 b) 2002 c) 2003 d) 2004 e) none of the above

16. How would you best describe the change in the price level from 2002 to 2003?

a) inflation b) hyperinflation c) disinflation d) deflation e) stagflation

17. Assume that population in 2001 was 1 million, and that it grew at a constant rate of 20% per year each year. In which year did the average person enjoy the highest standard of living?

a) 2001 b) 2002 c) 2003 d) 2004 e) There is insufficient information

18. Real GDP per person is $30,000 in Wolverina, $15,000 in Spartii, and $7,000 in Buckenesia. Annual saving per person is $1,000 in all three countries. Everything else being equal , we would expect

a) All three countries to grow at the same rate b) Wolverina to have the highest rate of growth in GDP per person c) Spartii to have the highest rate of growth in GDP per person d) Buckenesia to have the highest rate of growth in GDP per person e) There is insufficient information for predicting relative growth rates

19. Congress has just passed a bill that provides an investment tax credit for firms that invest in new machinery. At the same time, they adjust government spending so as to leave the government’s budget deficit or surplus unchanged. Which of the following will occur in the loanable funds market according to the closed economy model presented in class? I. Leftward shift of the supply curve II. Rightward shift of the supply curve III. Leftward shift of the demand curve IV. Rightward shift of the demand curve V. Movement along the supply curve VI. Movement along the demand curve

a) I, VI b) II, VI c) III, V d) IV, V e) I, IV

20. On the island of Arborland, there is only one bank, The Bank of Lorch. The reserve requirement set by the Fed is 5%. The Fed asks the owner of the bank, Mr. Dear, to report the bank’s balance sheet. However, Mr. Dear argues that the bank’s reserve holding is top secret, so he only reports the following. We assume that people do not hold cash.

Assets Liabilities Reserves Deposits $ 8,000, Loans $ 6,000,

How much in excess reserves does Bank of Lorch hold?

a) $400, b) $600, c) $1,200, d) $1,600, e) $2,000,

The table below provides labor statistics for 2004. Use these data to answer the two questions that follow.

Variable 2004 Population 45, Adult population 35, Adult population wanting to work 28, Number employed as part time 2, Number employed as full time 21, Number unemployed 4,

21. What is the size of Labor Force?

a) 18, b) 20, c) 25, d) 27, e) 35,

22. By approximately how much would the unemployment rate increase if we classified ‘discouraged workers’ as ‘unemployed’?

1 percentage point 3 percentage points 5 percentage points 7 percentage points 9 percentage points

23. The following assets (a through e) are each offered at the same selling price. Each asset pays the dollar amounts indicated over a three year period, with the first payment today, the second a year from today, and the third two years from today. The real interest rate is constant at 20%. Which asset has the highest net present value?

a) $300, $300, $ b) $299, $301, $ c) $200, $400, $ d) $100, $530, $ e) $400, $400, $

24. The government believes that the interest rate is too high, so it is planning a policy change that will lower the interest rate. Using the long run closed economy model, which of the following policy options will accomplish the government’s goal? I. A decrease in government spending II. An investment tax credit III. A decrease in Social Security benefit payments to retired people

a) I only b) II only c) III only d) I and II e) I and III

25. Suppose the economy is in long-run equilibrium. A positive technological shock shifts the long-run aggregate supply curve by $60 billion. Simultaneously, the Federal government purchases $30 billion worth of Mankiw books to be supplied to public universities. You are told that the MPC equals 0.8 and that the crowding out effect is $60 billion. Then in the long-run, you would expect

a) Real GDP would be higher but the price level would be lower b) Real GDP would be higher but the price level would be the same c) Real GDP, nominal GDP and the price level would all be higher d) Nominal GDP and the price level would be higher but real GDP would be the same e) Nominal GDP, real GDP and the price level would all be lower

26. Consider the same facts as in the question above, except that you are told that the crowding out effect is in fact $140 billion. In the long-run you would now expect

a) Real GDP would be higher but the price level would be lower b) Real GDP would be higher but the price level would be the same c) Real GDP, nominal GDP and the price level would be the same d) Nominal GDP and the price level would be higher but real GDP would be the same e) Nominal GDP, real GDP and the price level would all be lower

27. You are told that the labor market equilibrium wage is currently above the minimum wage. Everything else being equal, the long-run aggregate supply curve would shift right if the government were now to

a) Increase the minimum wage by law b) Decrease the minimum wage by law c) Make unemployment benefits more generous d) Raise taxes on investment spending e) None of the above

28. The sticky wage theory of the short-run aggregate supply curve says that when the price level rises more than expected, the real wage

a) Rises, so employment rises b) Stays the same, so there are no changes in long-run output c) Says the same, so employment stays the same d) Falls, so employment rises e) Falls, so employment falls

Use the following graph to answer the next three questions:

Inflation rate

(a)

(d) (b)

29. For purposes of this question only: If point (d) above represents a point on the short-run Phillips Curve where expected inflation equals 3%, and the natural rate of unemployment is 10%, which of the following must be true about point (b)? I Expected inflation equals 3% II Actual inflation equals 3% III Actual unemployment is less than 10%

a) I only b) I and II only c) I, II and III d) II only e) II and III only

30. Assume again that the natural rate of unemployment is 10%. Which of the following is a possible combination of actual unemployment (u), actual inflation (π), and expected inflation (Eπ) represented by point (a) above?

a) u=8%, π =7%, Eπ =3% b) u=10%, π =7%, Eπ =3% c) u=8%, π =3%, Eπ =7% d) u=12%, π =3%, Eπ =7% e) u=10%, π =3%, Eπ =7%

Unemployment rate

SRPC

SRPC

(e)

(c)

31. Suppose the economy is in long-run equilibrium in Year 1. The federal government announces and executes a plan of sustained expansion of the money supply in Year 2. As a result, expected inflation increases in Year 3. Which of the following might you observe in the short-run from Year 1 to Year 3?

a) The economy moves from (a) to (d) b) The economy moves from (a) to (b) c) The economy moves from (e) to (b) d) The economy moves from (d) to (c) e) The economy moves from (e) to (a)

32. Suppose the interest rate is below a target set by the Fed. The Fed should

a) Buy bonds b) Decrease the reserve ratio c) Increase the discount rate d) Increase the Marginal Propensity to Consume e) None of the above

33. During this semester, the price of oil reached a level that in real terms was

a) Almost twice as high as the peak it reached in the early 1980s b) Just slightly above the peak it reached in the early 1980s c) Just slightly below the peak it reached in the early 1980s d) Less than two-thirds as high as the peak it reached in the early 1980s e) Higher than the nominal price of oil

34. In February, Alan Greenspan was reported as viewing monetary policy at that time as _______________ overall spending, in part because the Fed’s target interest rate at that time was _______________ the U.S. rate of inflation.

a) Retarding; below b) Stimulating; below c) Retarding; above d) Stimulating; above e) Having no effect on; about equal to

35. In the article handed out at the last class, Paul Krugman noted several reasons for his concern that the U.S. was experiencing “a mild form of stagflation.” Which of the following was not one of those reasons?

a) The rate of inflation has been creeping up b) The rate of inflation is near the top end of the 2 to 3 percent range that the Fed prefers c) The U.S. unemployment rate has recently risen d) The average duration of employment is much higher than it was in the 1990s e) The fraction of the adult population that is employed has been falling

36. Which of the following is not one of the four ways that deflation can harm economies, according to the assigned article in the Economist?

a) Deflation pushes down wages, while prices remain sticky, so that workers are worse off b) Deflation swells the real burden of debt, causing bankruptcies and bank failures c) Expectation of falling prices causes consumers to postpone spending, reducing aggregate demand d) Workers are often reluctant to accept a pay cuts in nominal terms, so that when prices are falling the real wage bill goes up causing firms to reduce production e) Interest rates cannot go below zero, so deflation makes real interest rates painfully high

37. AMT stands for

a) Aggregate Macroeconomic Throughput b) Alternative Minimum Tax c) Absolute Maximum Tangent d) Aggregate Monetary Trend e) Alan the Mighty Teacher

38. Alan Greenspan cited several uncertainties that make the management of monetary policy difficult. Among them was

a) Whether an increase in the money supply would raise or lower interest rates b) Whether an increase in the money supply would raise or lower real GDP c) How much money there is in the economy d) The interest rate at which commercial banks are lending among themselves e) The reserve requirement

39. Suppose that the unemployment rate is constant at 5%. Every week, 15 in every 1, workers quit their job or are fired. If there are 50 persons unemployed at any one time in the economy, approximately what percentage of them would have to become employed every week for the unemployment rate to remain constant?

a) 10%

40. 18%
41. 5%
42. 15%
43. 28%

Short Answer Question #1: (10 points) Suppose that a closed economy starts in a long-run equilibrium with a zero rate of inflation. Suppose also that the economy’s GDP is initially not growing. Let the initial values of the economy’s variables be the following: Real GDP: Y 0 = 800 Price level: P 0 = 100 Rate of inflation: π 0 = 0.0% Nominal rate of interest: i 0 = 2.0% Rate of unemployment: u 0 = 5.0% Now suppose that the central bank of the country begins to expand the money supply at a rate of 3.5% per year, indefinitely. a. After one year, assuming that the change in policy has not yet come to be expected, how will each of the above variables compare to what they were initially? Answer by inserting one of the following symbols into the blanks: “>”, “<”, “=”, or “?” (the latter if the comparison is ambiguous). Also, in the space at the right of each, say briefly in words the reason for your answer (may be used for partial credit if your answer is wrong). An example of such a reason would be “AD shifts left.”

Y Y 0 because

P P 0 because

π π 0 because

i i 0 because

u u 0 because

b. After 20 years, assuming that this is long enough to reach long-run equilibrium, approximately what will each of these variables be?

Y 20 = because

P 20 = because

π 20 = because

i 20 = because

u 20 = because

Short Answer Question #2: Suppose you are told that the Swedish people are so prudent that every citizen in the country has a marginal propensity to consume of 0. However, their investment decisions are very sensitive to interest rates. In the US, on the other hand, the marginal propensity to consume for every citizen is ½, and people’s investment decisions are completely independent of interest rates. The two countries have identical short-run aggregate supply curves

Assume that the US and Sweden start at the same long-run equilibrium level of output and price. Both governments decide to build monuments to their greatest economists, which will cost $ billion.

a) Compute the additional private consumption created in each country as a result of the government project (2 points).

b) True/False/Uncertain: Price levels will be higher in the short run in Sweden than in the U.S. Explain (4 points)

c) Consider the effect of the government spending on the capital stock in each country. With this in mind, is it clear which countries price level will be affected more in the long-run? (4 points)