Econ Final
17. The government has a balanced budget if A) its total revenues are equal to its total expenditures. B) its total revenues are less than its total expenditures. C) its total revenues are greater than its total expenditures. D) the money supply is less than total expenditures.
A Difficulty: Easy
56. Discretionary fiscal policy refers to A) deliberate government efforts to stabilize the economy through government spending and taxes. B) the use of automatic stabilizers and intervention policies to stabilize the economy. C) any government policy that requires a lag period of at least three months. D) the deliberate use of government spending and taxes to complement the effects of monetary policy in an effort to stabilize the economy.
A Difficulty: Easy
6. Payments to households that do not require anything in exchange are called A) transfer payments. B) government purchases. C) consumption expenditures. D) investment expenditures.
A Difficulty: Easy
26. If the federal budget is initially balanced and government expenditures remain constant, then an increase in GDP will _________ tax revenues and create a budget _________. A) increase tax revenues and create a budget surplus. B) increase tax revenues and create a budget deficit. C) decrease tax revenues and create a budget surplus. D) decrease tax revenues and create a budget deficit.
A Difficulty: Medium
29. Suppose a country has a national debt of $2,000 billion, a GDP of $28,000 billion, and a budget deficit of $115 billion. How much will its new national debt be? A) $2,115 billion B) $1,885 billion C) $28,115 billion D) $25,885 billion
A Difficulty: Medium
37. As populations age, the burden of current fiscal policy in many countries is increasingly borne by A) younger people in the population. B) older people in the population. C) the government. D) new immigrants into a country.
A Difficulty: Medium
42. An example of an automatic stabilizer is A) personal income taxes. B) inheritance taxes. C) veterans' benefits. D) corporate dividends.
A Difficulty: Medium
43. Personal income taxes and transfer payments A) acts as automatic stabilizers. B) magnify fluctuations in GDP. C) are discretionary fiscal policy tools only. D) are influenced by monetary policy.
A Difficulty: Medium
48. During an expansion, which of the following occur because of automatic stabilizers? I. Income tax revenues tend to rise. II. Government transfer payments tend to rise. III. The government's budget deficit tends to fall or its budget surplus tends to rise. IV. They tend to amplify the rise in real GDP. A) I and III only B) I, II, and III only C) I, III, and IV only D) I, II, III, and IV
A Difficulty: Medium
62. An expansionary fiscal policy I. includes an increase in government spending. II. includes tax cuts. III. increases a government budget deficit or reduces a government budget surplus. A) I, II, and III B) I and II only C) I and III only D) II and III only
A Difficulty: Medium
71. If there is a recessionary gap in the economy, discretionary fiscal policy would likely involve an action to A) shift the aggregate demand curve to the right. B) shift the aggregate demand curve to the left. C) shift both the aggregate demand curve and aggregate supply curve to the right. D) shift both the aggregate demand curve and aggregate supply curve to the left.
A Difficulty: Medium
72. Suppose fiscal authorities raise state income tax rates. As a result, disposable income falls, thereby A) decreasing consumption spending, and causing the aggregate demand curve to shift to the left. B) decreasing consumption spending, and causing a movement along a given aggregate demand curve. C) increasing saving, and causing the aggregate demand curve to shift to the left. D) increasing saving, and causing a movement along a given aggregate demand curve.
A Difficulty: Medium Figure 12-1
50. During an economic expansion, A) higher income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget deficit or reduce a budget surplus. B) higher income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget surplus or reduce a budget deficit. C) lower income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget deficit or reduce a budget surplus. D) lower income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget surplus or reduce a budget deficit.
B
14. The bulk of federal receipts come from A) property taxes and personal income tax. B) personal income tax and from payroll taxes. C) corporate income taxes and personal income tax. D) personal income tax and property taxes.
B Difficulty: Medium
16. Taxes assessed on firms and employees on wages and salaries earned are called A) dividend taxes. B) payroll taxes. C) corporate profits taxes. D) earned income taxes.
B Difficulty: Easy
18. The government has a budget deficit if A) its total revenues are equal to its total expenditures. B) its total revenues are less than its total expenditures. C) its total revenues are greater than its total expenditures. D) the money supply is less than total expenditures.
B Difficulty: Easy
34. One method of assessing the degree to which current fiscal policies affect future generations is through a device called A) inter-temporal fiscal accounting. B) generational accounting. C) long-term debt assessment technique. D) fiscal stabilization tool.
B Difficulty: Easy
1. In late 2008, the U.S. government extended unemployment insurance benefits for seven additional weeks, in recognition of the growing unemployment problem. This extension is an example of A) automatic fiscal policy. B) discretionary fiscal policy. C) expansionary monetary policy. D) supply-side fiscal policy.
B Difficulty: Medium
10. All of the following are examples of transfer payments except A) welfare benefits to the poor. B) dividend payments to the wealthy. C) Social Security payments to the elderly. D) unemployment compensation to the unemployed.
B Difficulty: Medium
11. Which of the following statements characterizes government transfer payment spending in the United States between 1960 and 2011? A) Transfer payment spending by the federal government and by state and local governments has decreased as a percentage of GDP. B) Transfer payment spending by the federal government and by state and local governments has about tripled as a percentage of GDP. C) Transfer payment spending by the federal government and by state and local governments has remained constant as a percentage of GDP. D) Transfer payment spending by the federal government and by state and local governments has fluctuated widely over this period.
B Difficulty: Medium
22. The national debt A) is the sum of all past federal deficits plus any surpluses. B) grows when the government runs a deficit. C) grows when government spending increases. D) is a major problem facing the U.S. government.
B Difficulty: Medium
28. Suppose a country has a national debt of $5,000 billion, a GDP of $20,000 billion, and a budget surplus of $130 billion. How much will its new national debt be? A) $5,130 billion B) $4, 870 billion C) $15,130 billion D) $19, 870 billion
B Difficulty: Medium
32. Suppose a country's debt rises by 6% and its GDP rises by 8%. What happens to the debt-GDP ratio? A) It rises if there is a budget deficit that period. B) It falls. C) It rises. D) There is insufficient information to answer the question.
B Difficulty: Medium
36. Generational accounting is useful for A) assessing the effect of current monetary policy decisions on generations yet unborn. B) assessing the effect of current fiscal policy decisions on generations yet unborn. C) comparing local, state, and federal fiscal policies. D) assessing the effect of government budget deficits on generations yet unborn.
B Difficulty: Medium
38. Generational accounting estimates for the United States for the year 2004 show that A) the net burden on males is much lower than for females. B) the net burden on females is much lower than for males. C) the net burden on minorities is much greater than for Caucasians. D) the net burden on college-educated Americans is lower than for those without a college education.
B Difficulty: Medium
45. A transfer payment that rises automatically during a recession is A) interest payments on the national debt. B) unemployment compensation. C) Social Security payments to retired persons. D) government payments to war veterans.
B Difficulty: Medium
51. In general, personal income taxes A) rise automatically during a recession. B) rise automatically during an expansion. C) rise automatically during a contraction. D) are decreased during a recession through legislative actions of Congress.
B Difficulty: Medium
55. Automatic stabilizers A) increase the problems that lags cause in using fiscal policy as a stabilization tool. B) are changes in taxes or government spending that increase aggregate demand without requiring policymakers to act when the economy goes into recession. C) are changes in taxes or government spending that policymakers agree to when the economy goes into recession. D) are part of discretionary fiscal policy.
B Difficulty: Medium
57. Which of the following describes a discretionary fiscal policy action/program? A) the progressive income tax system B) The government increases funding for the Dislocated Worker Program, a federal initiative that provides retraining and career counseling. C) the unemployment compensation program D) the system of welfare programs
B Difficulty: Medium
65. An expansionary fiscal policy shifts the aggregate demand curve A) to the right and is used to close an inflationary gap. B) to the right and is used to close a recessionary gap. C) to the left and is used to close an inflationary gap. D) to the left and is used to close a recessionary gap.
B Difficulty: Medium
7. Which of the following statements characterizes government purchases in the United States between 2001 and 2011? A) Government purchases as a share of GDP have declined. B) Government purchases as a share of GDP have increased. C) Government purchases as a share of GDP have remained constant. D) Government purchases have fluctuated widely over this period.
B Difficulty: Medium
70. If there is an inflationary gap in the economy, discretionary fiscal policy would likely involve an action to A) shift the aggregate demand curve to the right. B) shift the aggregate demand curve to the left. C) shift both the aggregate demand curve and aggregate supply curve to the right. D) shift both the aggregate demand curve and aggregate supply curve to the left.
B Difficulty: Medium
73. Refer to Figure 12-1. The economy is initially at output level Y1 and there is A) an inflationary gap. B) a recessionary gap. C) equilibrium at full employment. D) a short-run and a long-run equilibrium.
B Difficulty: Medium
8. Medicaid, welfare payments, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families are classified as A) unilateral payments. B) transfer payments. C) gifts. D) income redistribution payments.
B Difficulty: Medium
24. Judged by international standards, the national debt of the United States, in terms of its national debt as a percentage of GDP is A) the highest among the developed nations. B) the lowest among the developed nations. C) above average among the developed nations. D) below average among the developed nations.
C Difficulty: Medium
69. An inflationary gap can be closed with A) using an expansionary monetary policy. B) using a policy action such as a reduction in taxes. C) using a policy action such as a reduction in government purchases. D) imposing price controls to prevent prices from rising.
C Difficulty: Medium
19. The government has a budget surplus if A) its total revenues are equal to its total expenditures. B) its total revenues are less than its total expenditures. C) its total revenues are greater than its total expenditures. D) the money supply is less than total expenditures.
C Difficulty: Easy
21. The sum of all past federal deficits minus any surpluses is called the A) transfer balance. B) national deficit. C) national debt. D) national budget.
C Difficulty: Easy
23. The national debt A) is the difference between total government revenues and government expenditures. B) is the sum of all past federal deficits plus any surpluses. C) is the sum of all past federal deficits less any surpluses. D) grows when government spending increases.
C Difficulty: Easy
40. What is an automatic stabilizer? A) It refers to a discretionary policy that is triggered when actual output is not equal to potential output to improve the economy's performance. B) It refers to a stabilization program that keeps inflation in check automatically. C) It refers to any government program that tends to reduce fluctuations in GDP automatically. D) It refers to a government program that is automatically triggered when the economy enters a recession.
C Difficulty: Easy
5. Public investment expenditure for highways, schools, and national defense is included in which component of GDP? A) consumption B) gross private investment C) government purchases D) public investment
C Difficulty: Easy
3. Government tax and expenditure policies that affect real GDP are called A) automatic fiscal policy. B) discretionary fiscal policy. C) fiscal policy. D) supply-side policy.
C Difficulty: Easy 4. The government purchases component of aggregate demand includes I. all purchases by government agencies of goods and services produced by firms. II. direct production by government agencies themselves. III. government expenditures on transfer payments. A) I only B) I and II only C) I and III only D) I, II, and III Ans: B Difficulty: Easy
13. The three major categories of government spending are A) government purchases, defense spending, and interest payments. B) defense spending, Medicare and Medicaid, and net interest. C) government purchases, transfer payments, and net interest. D) government purchases, defense spending, and transfer payments.
C Difficulty: Medium
15. State and local tax receipts are dominated by A) property taxes and state income taxes. B) state income taxes and sales taxes. C) property taxes and sales taxes. D) sales taxes and business taxes.
C Difficulty: Medium
27. If the federal budget is initially balanced and government expenditures remain constant, then a decrease in GDP will A) decrease tax revenues and create a budget surplus. B) increase tax revenues and create a budget surplus. C) decrease tax revenues and create a budget deficit. D) increase tax revenues and create a budget deficit.
C Difficulty: Medium
30. Suppose in the beginning of 2013, a country has a national debt of $5,000 billion. Its GDP in 2013 is $20,000 billion and its budget surplus of $130 billion. Compute its debt-GDP ratio at the end of the year. A) 2.6% B) 25.0% C) 24.4% D) 6.5%
C Difficulty: Medium
33. Suppose a country's debt rises by 6% and its GDP rises by 5%. What happens to the debt-GDP ratio? A) It rises if there is a budget deficit that period. B) It falls. C) It rises. D) There is insufficient information to answer the question.
C Difficulty: Medium
35. Generational accounting A) is a method of assessing the impact of fiscal policy lags from one generation to another. B) measures the number of generations it takes to pay off the national debt at a given point in time. C) evaluates the impact of current fiscal policies on different generations in the economy, including future generations. D) is an accounting method that defers to the future, the cost of any government policy the rewards of which will be reaped in the future.
C Difficulty: Medium
46. Automatic stabilizers are considered A) discretionary fiscal policies. B) discretionary monetary policies. C) non-discretionary fiscalpolicies. D) non-discretionary monetarypolicies.
C Difficulty: Medium
49. During a contraction, A) higher income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget deficit or reduce a budget surplus. B) higher income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget surplus or reduce a budget deficit. C) lower income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget deficit or reduce a budget surplus. D) lower income tax revenues tend to automatically increase a budget surplus or reduce a budget deficit.
C Difficulty: Medium
52. During a recession, unemployment insurance ensures that A) firms layoff fewer of its employees than it would if there is no unemployment insurance. B) disposable income increases as GDP falls. C) disposable income does not fall by as much as GDP decreases. D) the marginal propensity to consume increases.
C Difficulty: Medium
53. Changes in expenditures and taxes that occur through automatic stabilizers A) shift the aggregate demand curve to the right in the event of an economic expansion. B) shift the aggregate demand curve to the left in the event of an economic contraction. C) do not shift the aggregate demand curve. D) cause a movement up along the aggregate demand curve the event of an economic expansion and a movement down along the aggregate demand curve the event of an economic contraction.
C Difficulty: Medium
58. Which of the following describes a discretionary fiscal policy action/program? A) the progressive income tax system B) the unemployment compensation program C) Congress authorizes a temporary increase in unemployment insurance benefits for an additional seven weeks. D) the system of welfare programs
C Difficulty: Medium
59. Suppose Congress increases the corporate profit tax rates. This is an example of A) discretionary fiscal policy of the expansionary variety. B) automatic fiscal policy of the expansionary variety. C) discretionary fiscal policy of the contractionary variety. D) automatic fiscal policy of the contractionary variety.
C Difficulty: Medium
61. Expansionary fiscal policy includes A) increasing taxes and increasing government purchases. B) lowering interest rates, decreasing taxes and increasing transfer payments. C) decreasing taxes and increasing government expenditures. D) lowering the interest rates, decreasing taxes and decreasing government spending.
C Difficulty: Medium
63. Contractionary fiscal policy includes A) increasing taxes and increasing government purchases. B) raising interest rates, increasing taxes, and decreasing transfer payments. C) increasing taxes and decreasing government expenditures. D) raising interest rates, decreasing taxes, and decreasing government spending.
C Difficulty: Medium
64. A contractionary fiscal policy I. decreases a government budget deficit or increases a government budget surplus. II. includes tax cuts. III. may include discretionary cuts in transfer payments. A) I, II, and III B) I and II only C) I and III only D) II and III only
C Difficulty: Medium
66. A contractionary fiscal policy shifts the aggregate demand curve A) to the right and is used to close an inflationary gap. B) to the right and is used to close a recessionary gap. C) to the left and is used to close an inflationary gap. D) to the left and is used to close a recessionary gap.
C Difficulty: Medium
2. All of the following are instruments of fiscal policy except A) rebate on payroll taxes. B) education tax credits. C) unemployment insurance benefits. D) an interest rate cut.
D Difficulty: Easy
39. The use of government expenditures and taxes to influence the level of economic activity is called A) deficit management policy. B) debt management policy. C) financial policy. D) fiscal policy.
D Difficulty: Easy
12. The bulk of transfer payment spending in the United States is undertaken by A) non-profit organizations in the private sector. B) state governments. C) local governments. D) the federal government.
D Difficulty: Medium
20. Which of the following statements is true regarding the government budget? A) The government's budget has been in deficit since the 1960s. B) The government's budget has been in deficit since World War II except for a brief period between 1998 and 2001. C) The government's budget was generally in surplus until the 1980s, then mostly in deficit since except for a brief period between 1998 and 2001. D) The government's budget was generally in surplus in the 1960s, then mostly in deficit since except for a brief period between 1998 and 2001.
D Difficulty: Medium
31. Suppose in the beginning of 2013, a country has a national debt of $8,000 billion. Its GDP in 2013 is $32,000 billion and its budget deficit of $1,600 billion. Compute its debt-GDP ratio at the end of the year. A) about 5. 0% B) about 20,0% C) about 25.0% D) about 30%
D Difficulty: Medium
41. All of the following are examples of automatic stabilizers except A) personal income taxes. B) means-tested federal transfer payments. C) welfare benefits. D) government emergency spending.
D Difficulty: Medium
44. Which of the following is an automatic stabilizer? I. inheritance taxes II. government payments to war veterans III. aid to families with dependent children IV. sales taxes A) I, II, III, and IV B) I, II, and III only C) II and III only D) III only
D Difficulty: Medium
47. During a recession, rising transfer payments and falling tax collections I. help cushion households from the impact of the recession. II. buffers the fall in real GDP (relative to a situation where transfer payments do not rise and tax revenues do not fall). III. tend to increase a budget deficit or reduce a budget surplus. A) I only B) I and II only C) II and III only D) I, II, and III
D Difficulty: Medium
54. Which of the following is an advantage of automatic stabilizers? A) The lag for automatic stabilizers is relatively long. B) It is much easier to measure the impact of automatic stabilizers compared to the impact of discretionary fiscal policy. C) There is no administrative cost to implementing automatic stabilizers. D) Because they affect disposable personal income directly, automatic stabilizers act swiftly to reduce the degree of changes in real GDP.
D Difficulty: Medium
60. In 2003, Congress passed a substantial cut in income taxes. The Federal Reserve also lowered interest rates. How can these two actions be categorized? A) Both actions can be categorized as fiscal policy. B) Both actions can be categorized as monetary policy. C) The tax cut can be categorized as monetary policy and the lowering of interest rates can be categorized as fiscal policy. D) The tax cut can be categorized as fiscal policy and the lowering of interest rates can be categorized as monetary policy.
D Difficulty: Medium
67. In the United States, most of the government's taxing and spending is A) to stabilize the economy and move it to its potential output. B) to bring about greater income equality. C) to keep inflation at a moderate level. D) for purposes other than economic stabilization.
D Difficulty: Medium
68. A recessionary gap can be closed with A) using a contractionary monetary policy. B) an increase in taxes. C) a decrease in government purchases. D) using an expansionary fiscal policy.
D Difficulty: Medium
9. Transfer payments typically A) rise during expansionary periods. B) fall during recessions. C) do not change as the economy expands and contracts during the business cycle. D) fall during expansionary periods and rise during recessionary periods.
D Difficulty: Medium
it began rising again in 2002. III. Judged by international standards, the U.S. national debt relative to its GDP is above average among developed nations. A) I only B) II only C) III only D) I, II, and III
D Difficulty: Medium