ECON 485
Consider the following data about the economy: currency outstanding (C) = $1 trillion, total deposits (D) = $750 billion, total reserves (R) = $76 billion, and the required reserve ratio (RR ratio) = 10%. What is the currency ratio in this economy?
1.33
At its inception, the power of the Federal Reserve rested in the
12 independent regional Federal Reserve banks
Joe has a $1,000 debt. He is a plumber and earns $50 per hour. The real burden of Joe's debt is
20 hours of work.
Federal government budget surpluses can lead to a "crowding out" effect, which pushes interest rates upward. T/F
False
The Federal Reserve is part of the US Treasury. T/F
False
The most powerful entity in the Federal Reserve is the board of governors. T/F
False
When the US Treasury decides to reduce the value of the US dollar relative to the British pound, there will be a decline in the monetary base in the United States. T/F
False
Following the Great Depression, the power of the Fed shifted to the
Federal Open Market Committee
Damon goes to the ATM machine and withdraws $500 in cash. How will this affect the monetary base?
The monetary base will remain unchanged with the increase in the currency in circulation being exactly offset by a decrease in bank reserves.
An increase in consumer income tends to cause an increase in the demand for money. T/F
True
Bank reluctance to loan out excess reserves limited the effectiveness of the Federal Reserve's policy of quantitative easing in 2008. T/F
True
One of the Federal Reserve's most used tools of monetary policy is the buying and selling of US government securities in the secondary market. T/F
True
The primary responsibility of all central banks is monetary policy. T/F
True
The rise of sweep accounts and the increasing popularity of ATMs have resulted in a decline in the potential effectiveness of the reserve requirement as a tool of monetary policy. T/F
True
Among the responsibilities of the Fed is
acting as the fiscal agent of the US Treasury
The Federal Reserve operates as
an independent entity.
In the 1990s, dot-com companies flourished and their valuations rose dramatically. This phenomenon has been referred to as a(n)
asset bubble.
Which of the following is the most liquid of a bank's assets?
cash
Today in the Federal Reserve system, the power rests with the
chair of the Federal Reserve
Monetary policy has the best chance of influencing the level of __________ unemployment.
cyclical
When the Federal Reserve increases the reserve ratio, the impact will be to
decrease the size of the money multiplier.
During the Great Recession, the price level in the United States
fell sharply.
The three governing bodies of the European Central Bank are the
governing council, general council, and executive board.
When the economy is caught in a liquidity trap, expansionary monetary policy will
have little impact on the economy.
When a central bank wants to pursue a contractionary monetary policy, it should
increase the required reserve ratio.
If the goal of monetary policy is to keep interest rates stable, the Federal Reserve's response to increases in the demand for money will be to
increase the supply of money.
During a credit crunch, the excess reserve ratio will
increase.
One of the biggest challenges the Federal Reserve faces in conducting monetary policy is the existence of __________ lags.
information and impact
An advantage of inflation rate targeting is
it reduces inflationary expectations.
The biggest change in the Federal Reserve's balance sheet between May 2007 and March 2013 was the __________ on the __________ side of the balance sheet.
jump in depository institution deposits; liability
Federal Reserve notes are considered to be
liabilities of the Federal Reserve.
When borrowers are hesitant to borrow to finance purchases because of pessimism about the future and banks are hesitant to lend because of a fear that borrowers will default on their loans, the economy is said to be experiencing a(n) __________ trap.
liquidity
A mortgage loan is an example of a __________ loan.
long-term consumer
When the Federal Reserve buys US Treasury securities on the open market, it is attempting to
lower interest rates.
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its two primary purposes were to
maintain the gold standard and be a "lender of last resort" to commercial banks
The responsibilities of the European Central Bank include
monetary policy, foreign exchange operations, and maintenance of the payments system.
As a country's financial markets become more highly developed, we can expect monetary policy to be
more effective.
One of the concerns about the Federal Reserve targeting high employment is that it might
neglect the goal of stable prices.
Savings accounts and certificates of deposit are commonly referred to as __________ accounts.
nontransaction
Banks want to hold as little cash as possible because holding cash
offers a minimal rate of return.
The most often used of the Federal Reserve's monetary tools is
open market operations.
Following the 2007 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve created the term auction facility (TAF) in order to
overcome the stigma banks experienced from borrowing from the Fed at the discount window in order to add liquidity to financial markets.
The Dodd-Frank Act allowed banks, for the first time, to
pay interest on demand deposits.
In modern times, the primary goal of central banks is
price stability.
The Federal Reserve notices an increase in the public's desire to hold cash and fears that it may cause an increase in interest rates. To keep interest rates steady, the Federal Reserve would likely execute a
repurchase agreement to provide a short-term boost to the money supply.
Actual bank reserves are equal to
required reserves + excess reserves
By far, the largest asset on the Federal Reserve's balance sheet is
securities
An unsecured personal loan is an example of a __________ loan.
short-term consumer
Banks basically do two things: __________ and __________.
take deposits; make loans
Currency in circulation plus bank reserves plus US Treasury currency in circulation is referred to as
the monetary base.
In its early days, the Fed's role as a lender of last resort was subject to
the real bills doctrine
Asset bubbles make it plain that monetary policy must be made in a world full of
uncertainty.
When the currency ratio increases, the impact of changes in the monetary base on the money supply is
weakened.
Banks must weigh the risk versus the return in deciding
what to hold in their portfolio of assets.
Liquidity is important to banks because it
allows them to meet the cash needs of their depositers.
A potential problem of a more politically controlled central bank is that
politicians may want to pursue monetary policies that are good in the short run but bad in the long run.