Comprehensive Study Guide: Econ questions

    Master this deck with 155 terms through effective study methods.

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    What is a store of value?

    Allows purchasing power to be transferred to the future.

    What happens to M1 when $2,100 is transferred to a money market mutual fund?

    M1 decreases by $2,100.

    What function of money does a piggy bank illustrate?

    Store of value.

    What are Treasury Bonds?

    Liquid and a store of value.

    Which items are included in M1 and M2?

    Traveler’s checks.

    What does $500 in a piggy bank illustrate?

    Store of value.

    What does a $500 price tag illustrate?

    Unit of account.

    What does using $500 to buy a laptop illustrate?

    Medium of exchange.

    Which item is not included in M1?

    Savings deposits.

    What best illustrates the unit of account function of money?

    Listing prices in dollars.

    Why is paper money valuable?

    It is generally accepted in trade.

    What is monetary policy?

    Setting or altering the money supply.

    Who makes the nation's monetary policy?

    The Federal Open Market Committee.

    What does the Federal Reserve do?

    Acts as a lender of last resort.

    Who appoints members of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors?

    The president of the U.S.

    Which group within the Federal Reserve discusses monetary policy?

    The FOMC.

    Who is responsible for regulating banks?

    The Board of Governors.

    Why does the New York Federal Reserve Bank president vote at FOMC meetings?

    It is not due to higher population.

    Who can vote on FOMC decisions?

    Members of the Board of Governors and some Federal Reserve Bank presidents.

    What happens during an open-market sale?

    The money supply decreases.

    What are the three functions of money?

    Store of value, unit of account, medium of exchange.

    What is not a function of money?

    Barter system.

    What allows purchasing power to be transferred to the future?

    Store of value.

    What function is illustrated by a price tag?

    Unit of account.

    What function is illustrated by handing over cash?

    Medium of exchange.

    What is commodity money?

    Has intrinsic value even if not used as money.

    What is fiat money?

    Valuable due to government decree.

    What is commodity-backed money?

    Can be exchanged for a fixed amount of a commodity.

    When did the U.S. abandon the gold standard?

    1971.

    What is the double coincidence of wants problem?

    Requires both parties to want what the other has.

    How does inflation affect money's functions?

    Erodes purchasing power and makes prices unreliable.

    What is near-money?

    Assets that store value but can't be used as a medium of exchange.

    What is the money supply?

    Total quantity of money in the economy.

    What are demand deposits?

    Checking account balances available on demand.

    What are small time deposits?

    CDs under $100,000 locked for a fixed period.

    What are money market mutual funds?

    Invest in short-term, low-risk securities.

    Are credit cards included in M1 or M2?

    Neither; they are a borrowing method.

    Does currency in bank vaults count toward M1?

    No, only public-held currency counts.

    Are bank deposits insured?

    Yes, up to $250,000 per depositor.

    Are money market mutual funds FDIC insured?

    No, unlike bank deposits.

    Why do economists use both M1 and M2?

    Different assets have different liquidity levels.

    Which is larger, M1 or M2?

    M2 is always larger.

    What is the difference between M1 and M2?

    M1 is more liquid; M2 includes near money.

    What is M1?

    Immediate transactions.

    What is M2?

    M1 plus assets not used directly as a medium of exchange.

    What is intrinsic value?

    Value of the physical material of an item.

    What is face value?

    Value printed on currency.

    How does intrinsic value compare to face value for fiat money?

    Face value exceeds intrinsic value.

    What is legal tender?

    Currency that must be accepted for debts.

    What is hyperinflation?

    Extremely rapid inflation affecting all money functions.

    Why did the U.S. abandon the gold standard?

    Limited money supply flexibility.

    What is the quantity theory of money?

    MV = PQ.

    What is the velocity of money?

    How quickly money circulates.

    Why does so much U.S. currency exist per person?

    Much circulates abroad.

    Why is cash a poor long-term store of value?

    Inflation erodes purchasing power.

    What is a self-fulfilling social convention in money?

    Value sustained by collective trust.

    What is token money?

    Coins with face value exceeding metal content.

    What is the Fed's inflation target?

    ~2% inflation.

    Why was the Federal Reserve created?

    To provide financial stability.

    What is the Fed's dual mandate?

    Maximum employment and price stability.

    What are the three tools of monetary policy?

    Open-market operations, reserve requirements, discount rate.

    What is the discount rate?

    Interest rate charged to banks by the Fed.

    What is the difference between the federal funds rate and the discount rate?

    Federal funds rate is interbank lending; discount rate is Fed to banks.

    What is expansionary monetary policy?

    Increasing money supply to stimulate the economy.

    What is contractionary monetary policy?

    Decreasing money supply to fight inflation.

    Why is the Fed considered independent?

    Insulates policy from political pressures.

    How many Federal Reserve Districts are there?

    12.

    What is the monetary base?

    Currency in circulation plus bank reserves.

    What is the formula connecting the monetary base to the money supply?

    Money Supply = Monetary Base × Money Multiplier.

    What is quantitative easing?

    Buying longer-term securities to inject money.

    What is the zero lower bound problem?

    Limits effectiveness of monetary policy.

    What makes the Fed different from a regular bank?

    Can create money and serves banks.

    What happens to the Fed's balance sheet when it buys bonds?

    Assets and bank reserves increase.

    When is expansionary monetary policy used?

    During recessions.

    When is contractionary monetary policy used?

    During high inflation.

    What is the step-by-step process when the Fed buys bonds?

    Increases money supply and lowers interest rates.

    Why are open-market operations preferred?

    They are flexible and precise.

    What is the relationship between money supply and interest rates?

    They move in opposite directions.

    What is the full transmission mechanism of expansionary monetary policy?

    Increases in money supply lead to GDP growth.

    What is interest on reserves (IOR)?

    Interest paid to banks on held reserves.

    What is a basis point?

    1/100th of a percentage point.

    How does the federal funds rate affect everyday borrowing?

    It serves as a benchmark for loan rates.

    What is the difference between target and effective federal funds rate?

    Target is the goal; effective is the actual rate.

    What is quantitative tightening?

    Letting bonds expire to reduce money supply.

    How does raising the federal funds rate fight inflation?

    Makes borrowing more expensive.

    What benchmark does the federal funds rate influence?

    Mortgage and loan rates.

    What is a reverse repurchase agreement?

    Temporarily drains reserves.

    Why does the Fed rarely change reserve requirements?

    Small changes have large effects.

    What is the fundamental accounting equation for a bank's T-account?

    Total Assets = Total Liabilities + Owner's Equity.

    What are the two forms bank reserves take?

    Vault cash and deposits at the Fed.

    What is a bank run?

    Simultaneous withdrawals by depositors.

    What is the difference between bank illiquidity and insolvency?

    Illiquidity is temporary; insolvency is permanent.

    How does FDIC insurance prevent bank runs?

    Guarantees deposits up to $250,000.

    How does a $1,000 deposit create money with a 10% reserve ratio?

    Leverages through multiple lending cycles.

    Why is the actual money multiplier smaller than theoretical?

    Banks hold excess reserves and currency.

    What is bank capital?

    Owner's equity cushion against losses.

    What are capital requirements?

    Minimum capital banks must hold.

    What is moral hazard in banking?

    Riskier behavior due to protection from risk.

    What is the leverage ratio?

    Assets divided by capital.

    What happens to the money supply when a loan is repaid?

    It decreases.

    What was the reserve requirement set to in March 2020?

    Zero.

    Does money creation through banking create new wealth?

    No, it creates corresponding liabilities.

    What assets do banks commonly hold besides reserves?

    Government securities and physical assets.

    Why did the 2008 financial crisis partly occur?

    Banks were undercapitalized.

    Where does the money multiplier formula come from?

    Sum of an infinite geometric series.

    What is the real-world money multiplier formula?

    m = 1 ÷ (rr + er + cd).

    What happened to the money multiplier after 2008?

    It fell due to interest on excess reserves.

    What is the difference between deposit multiplier and money multiplier?

    Deposit measures deposits; money measures total money supply.

    What is the currency drain ratio?

    Proportion of money held as cash.

    Why is the theoretical money multiplier a maximum?

    Excess reserves and currency holdings reduce it.

    What happened to the money multiplier during the Great Depression?

    It collapsed due to bank runs.

    What is the paradox of thrift?

    Increased saving can reduce total savings.

    If the money multiplier is 5, how to decrease money supply by $500,000?

    Sell $100,000 worth of bonds.

    What happens to the money multiplier as the reserve ratio approaches zero?

    It approaches infinity.

    What happens to the money multiplier as the reserve ratio approaches 100%?

    It approaches 1.

    What is narrow banking?

    Banks hold 100% reserves.

    How does the money multiplier connect to inflation?

    Excess money supply growth leads to rising prices.

    Why did QE after 2008 not cause hyperinflation?

    Banks held reserves instead of lending.

    What happens during a recession to the money multiplier?

    Banks hoard reserves, reducing lending.

    What are the four key assumptions of the simple money multiplier model?

    No leakages, all money deposited, banks lend all excess reserves.

    Why are reserve requirements the least used tool?

    Small changes have large effects.

    What happened to U.S. reserve requirements in March 2020?

    Set to zero for all depository institutions.

    What is the announcement effect of reserve requirement changes?

    Sends a powerful market signal.

    What is the difference between required and desired reserves?

    Required are legal minimums; desired are based on bank strategy.

    How do reserve requirements affect bank profitability?

    Higher requirements mean less lending and lower profits.

    What is a liquidity trap?

    Ineffective monetary policy at near-zero rates.

    How has interest on excess reserves replaced reserve requirements?

    Controls bank reserve preferences.

    What is sterilization in monetary policy?

    Offsetting money supply effects of reserve changes.

    Why did the elimination of reserve requirements become possible after 1933?

    FDIC insurance reduced run incentives.

    What are the advantages of fractional reserve banking?

    Creates credit and supports economic growth.

    What are the disadvantages of fractional reserve banking?

    Creates systemic risk and inflation.

    How does China use reserve requirements differently?

    Changes them frequently to control credit.

    What is the safety vs. efficiency tradeoff in banking?

    Higher reserves mean safer banks but less activity.

    How did the 2008 financial crisis change reserve requirement thinking?

    Focused more on capital requirements.

    What is the transmission mechanism from a reserve requirement increase to GDP?

    Higher requirements lead to lower GDP.

    Why do banks hold excess reserves even when requirements are zero?

    For operational needs and precautionary buffers.

    What is 100% reserve banking?

    Banks hold all deposits as reserves.

    What are the three main reasons banks hold excess reserves?

    Precautionary, profit, and risk aversion.

    What law authorized the Fed to pay interest on excess reserves?

    Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

    How does IOER set a floor on the federal funds rate?

    Banks won't lend below the IOER rate.

    What is the 'pushing on a string' metaphor in monetary policy?

    Fed can restrict money supply but can't force lending.

    What is the bank lending channel?

    Mechanism linking Fed actions to bank loans.

    What is the velocity of money?

    Measures how quickly money circulates.

    What is forward guidance?

    Fed communicates future policy intentions.

    What is the portfolio balance effect?

    Fed bond purchases raise asset prices.

    How do negative interest rates on reserves work?

    Charge banks for holding excess reserves.

    What is the wealth effect in monetary policy?

    Increased asset prices lead to higher spending.

    What is the Taylor Rule?

    Guideline for setting rates based on inflation and output gaps.

    What is secular stagnation?

    Prolonged low economic growth.

    What is the paradox of excess reserves?

    Rational for individual banks but harmful collectively.

    How do excess reserves behave procyclically?

    Minimized before crises, accumulated during.

    What is the fallacy of composition regarding excess reserves?

    Rational for one bank but harmful for all.

    What happened to excess reserves during COVID-19?

    Surged to $3.5+ trillion.

    What are the long-run effects of persistent excess reserve accumulation?

    Secular stagnation and reduced lending capacity.

    What are the Fed's main tools for responding to excess reserves?

    Buy bonds, lower IOER, and use forward guidance.