Econ 640 Study for Test 2
Under 100% reserve banking, the money multiplier will be:
1
Suppose that the Fed buys $1 million of bonds from the First National Bank. If the First National Bank and all other banks use the resulting increase in reserves to purchase securities only and not to make loans, what will happen to checkable deposits? Assume the required reserve ratio is 10 percent.
1/0.10 x $1 million = $10 million Checkable deposits increase by $10 million.
If the Fed buys $1 million of bonds from the First National Bank, but an additional 10% of any deposit is held as excess reserves, what is the total increase in checkable deposits? Assume that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10% and the public's holdings of currency do not change.
1/0.10 x $1 million = $10 million where 10% is in reserve typically. But this question is asking for an additional 10%, so therefore, 1/0.20 x $1 million = $5 million Increase in checkable deposits is $5 million.
Rank the following assets from most liquid (1) to least liquid (6):
1: Currency 2: Checking account deposits 3: Savings deposits 4: Common Stock 5: Automobile 6: Houses
What happens to checkable deposits in the banking system when the Fed lends an additional $1 million to the First National Bank, assuming that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10%, banks do not hold any excess reserves, and the public's holdings of currency do not change?
Checkable deposits rise by $10 million.
For each of the following assets, indicate which, if any, of the monetary aggregates includes them:
Currency: M1 and M2 Money market mutual funds (noninstitutional): M2 only U.S. T-bills (with maturities of less than 90 days): Neither M1 nor M2 Small-denomination time deposits: M2 only Large-cap mutual funds: Neither M1 nor M2 Checkable deposits: M1 and M2
If the Fed sells $2 million of bonds to Irving the Investor, who pays for the bonds with a briefcase filled with currency, what happens to reserves and the monetary base? Use T-accounts to explain your answer.
Irving the Investor Assets: Liabilities: Currency: -$2 million Securities: +$2 million Federal Reserve System: Assets: Liabilities: Securities: -$2 million Currency: -$2 million Reserves remain unchanged, and the monetary base falls by $2 million
Which of the following is not an important reason for the regional Federal Reserve bank presidents to attend the FOMC meetings, even if they are nonvoting members?
It provides a greater opportunity for nonvoting members to become voting members in the future.
The presidents of each of the district Federal Reserve banks (including the New York Federal Reserve bank) are currently not required to undergo a formal political appointment and approval process. Do you think this is appropriate?
Maybe. A formal approval process is lengthy, which might leave some Federal Reserve districts without leadership, possibly creating more problems than it solves.
Which of the following does not explain why it is unlikely that the policy recommendation put forth by the chairman of the Board of Governors would ever be voted down by the rest of the FOMC?
The chairman always has the final vote when making monetary policy decisions.
Why is the Twelfth Federal Reserve district so geographically large, while the Second Federal Reserve district is so small by comparison?
The districts represent the population and economic interests in 1913 when the Federal Reserve Act was created.
If the central bank sells €1 million of bonds and banks reduce their borrowings from the central bank by €1 million, predict what will happen to the money supply.
The monetary base would fall by €2 million, leading to a decline in the money supply
Predict what will happen to the money supply if there is a sharp rise in the currency ratio.
The money supply falls
Should the Federal Reserve redraw its district boundaries, similar to how congressional districts are periodically realigned?
Uncertain. This would require Congress to rewrite the Federal Reserve Act, which could create opportunities for political interests to interfere with the monetary policy process.
In Brazil, a country that underwent a rapid inflation before 1994, many transactions were conducted in dollars rather than in reals, the domestic currency. During this period, the US dollar served what property or properties in Brazil?
Unit of account, Medium of exchange, and Store of value
Why did the Bank of England up until 1997 have a low degree of independence?
Until 1997, the power to set interest rates was determined exclusively by Her Majesty's Treasury.
In prison, cigarettes are sometimes used among inmates as a form of payment. All of the following explain how cigarettes solve the "double coincidence of wants" problem, even if a prisoner does not smoke, except:
exchanging cigarettes for other goods and services increases transaction costs.
Advocates of Fed independence fear that subjecting the Fed to direct presidential or congressional control would:
impart an inflationary bias to monetary policy and force monetary authorities to sacrifice the long-run objective of price stability.
In recent years, the tendency for central banks has been to:
increase independence
The ability of a central bank to set monetary policy instruments is ___________, while the ability of a central bank to set goals of monetary policy is _______.
instrument independence; goal independence
The theory of bureaucratic behaviour when applied to the Fed helps to explain why the Fed:
is so secretive about the conduct of future monetary policy
The European System of Central Banks (ESCB) is similar to the Federal Reserve System in that:
it is structured such that the central banks for each country have a similar role to that of the Federal Reserve banks.
Critics of Fed independence argue that:
it is undemocratic to have monetary policy controlled by an elite group responsible to no one
While legislation enacted in 1998 granted the Bank of Japan new powers and greater autonomy, its critics contend that:
its independence is limited by the Ministry of Finance's veto power over part of the Bank's budget
The theory of bureaucratic behavior suggests that the objective of a bureaucracy is to maximize:
its own welfare.
In Canada, the Bank of Canada and the government jointly set the goal of monetary policy, a target for inflation. Thus, when compared to the Fed, the Bank of Canada has:
less goal independence
The European Central Bank (ECB) has complete control over monetary policy in eleven euro countries and has a charter that cannot be changed by legislation. In comparison to the Federal Reserve System the ECB is:
more independent.
The president of the United States can exert influence over the Federal Reserve in all of the following ways except:
reducing the Fed's net earnings.
The theory of bureaucratic behavior suggests that the Federal Reserve will:
A. devise clever strategies in an effort to avoid blame for poor economic performance. B. try to gain regulatory power over more banks. C. try to avoid a conflict with the president and Congress over increases in interest rates. All are correct
Increasing the independence of a central bank would probably:
A. reduce pressures to pursue inflationary policies B. hinder the coordination of monetary and fiscal policy C. allow the central bank to more easily pursue monetary policies that directly oppose the government's fiscal policies All are correct
'The independence of the Fed leaves it completely unaccountable for its actions.' Why is this statement not true?
A.The Fed has to report to Congress on a semiannual basis to explain its actions B.The legislation that structures the Fed is written by Congress and is subject to change C.The president can appoint a new chairman of the Board of Governors every four years All are correct
The table to the right shows hypothetical values, in billions of dollars. Use the table to calculate the M1 and M2 money supply for each year. (Enter your responses rounded to the nearest dollar.) The M1 money supply is the sum of rows A, E, and G for each year. The M2 money supply is the sum of the components A - G for each year.
A: Currency B. Money market mutual fund shares C: Saving account deposits D: Money market deposit accounts E: Demand and checkable deposits F: Small-denomination time deposits G: Traveler's checks H: 3-month Treasury bills
Which of the Federal Reserves measures of the monetary aggregates—M1 or M2—is composed of the most liquid assets? Which is the larger measure?
All else equal, M1 is the monetary aggregate composed of the most liquid assets and M2 is the larger measure.
Why is the New York Federal Reserve always a voting member on the FOMC?
All of the above are correct.
Show the T-account for the banking system in equilibrium.
Banking System Assets Liabilities Reserves +$1 billion Discount loans +$1 billion Loans +$10 billion Checkable deposits +$10 billion
Which of the following players can affect the money supply by its holdings of excess reserves?
Banks
The Fed provides an emergency load to a bank for $1,000,000
Banks: Assets and liabilities increase. Fed: Assets and liabilities increase
It is not unusual to find a business that displays a sign saying "no personal checks, please."
Based on this observation, a checking account must be less liquid than currency.
Most of the time it is quite difficult to separate the three functions of money. Money performs its three functions at all times, but sometimes we can stress one in particular. For each of the following situations, identify which function of money is emphasized.
Brooke accepts money in exchange for performing her daily tasks at her office, since she knows she can use that money to buy goods and services. In this case, money is being used as a medium of exchange. Tim wants to calculate the relative value of oranges and apples, and therefore checks the price per pound of each of these goods quoted in currency units. In this case, money is being used as a unit of account. Maria is currently pregnant. She expects her expenditures to increase in the future and decides to increase the balance in her savings account. In this case, money is being used as a store of value.
In what ways can the regional Federal Reserve Banks influence the conduct of monetary policy?
By having members serve on the Federal Advisory Council. By having five of their presidents sit on the FOMC. Through their administration of the discount facilities at each bank. All above are correct
What happens to checkable deposits in the banking system when the Fed sells $2 million of bonds to the First National Bank, assuming that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10%, banks do not hold any excess reserves, and the public's holdings of currency do not change?
Checkable deposits decline by $20 million.
If a bank sells $10 million of bonds to the Fed to pay back $10 million on the loan it owes, what will be the effect on the level of checkable deposits? Assume that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10%, banks do not hold any excess reserves, and the public's holdings of currency do not change.
Checkable deposits do not change.
Assume that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10%, banks do not hold any excess reserves, and the public's holdings of currency do not change. If the Fed reduces reserves by selling $5 million worth of bonds to the banks, what will the T-account of the banking system look like when the banking system is in equilibrium? What will have happened to the level of checkable deposits?
Checkable deposits fall by $50 million and the T-account is: Banking System Assets Liabilities Reserves -$5 million Checkable deposits -$50 million Securities +$5 million Loans -$50 million
If you decide to hold $100 less cash than usual and therefore deposit $100 more cash in the bank, what effect will this have on checkable deposits in the banking system if the rest of the public keeps its holdings of currency constant? Assume the required reserve ratio is 10% and banks do not hold any excess reserves.
Checkable deposits increase by $1,000.
Properly categorize each of the following concepts:
Debt Stock variable Money Stock variable Income Flow variable Savings deposits Stock variable Wealth Stock variable
Relate each concept to its corresponding definition:
Debt: What you owe—the accumulation of spending over and above periodic earnings Money: A tool used to facilitate transactions, store wealth, or to be used as a yardstick to compare values. Income: Earnings received from working, property rentals, entrepreneurship, or the ownership of financial assets. Savings: The difference between what is earned and what is spent. This adds to total wealth. Wealth: What you own: The total collection of assets that serve to store value. This includes not only money but also other assets such as bonds, common stock, art, land, furniture, cars, and houses.
How do checkable deposits differ from demand deposits?
Demand deposits are those transactions accounts against which an unlimited number of checks can ordinarily be written. Checkable deposits often carry restrictions on transferability.
Classify the following transaction as affecting either assets, a liabilities, or neither for each of the "players" in the money supply process—the Federal Reserve, banks, and depositors. You use your debit card to purchase a meal at a restaurant for $100.
Depositors: Assets rise and are offset by a fall in assets due to lower checking account balances. Banks: Reserve assets decrease and checkable deposit liabilities decrease.
Which of the following players can affect the money supply through open market operations?
The central bank
Assume that you are interested in earning some return on idle balances you usually keep in your checking account and decide to buy some money market mutual fund shares by writing a check.
Everything else the same, M1 will decrease and M2 will stay the same When the funds were in your checking account, they were counted as M1. When you buy money market mutual funds, they are counted in M2 (but not in M1), so M1 decreases. Consequently, M2 does not increase because the funds were already counted in M2 (as part of M1—a component of M2).
The diagram to the right shows the rate of inflation in the United States over the past 35 years. As it is well known, the United States experienced double-digit inflation in the late 1970s. What property would lead individuals to hold more money in the 1990s than in the 1970s?
Everything else equal, this would demonstrate the property of money as a store of value.
"The Fed can perfectly control the amount of reserves in the system." Is this statement true, false, or uncertain? Explain your answer.
False. A shift from deposits to currency will affect the amount of reserves, and since other players are involved in this process, the Fed ultimately cannot control the level of reserves in the system.
"The Fed can perfectly control the amount of the monetary base, but has less control over the composition of the monetary base." Is this statement true, false, or uncertain? Explain your answer.
False. Since the Fed cannot control the amount of discount lending to financial institutions, it does not have perfect control over the amount of reserves in the banking system and hence the monetary base.
People in the United States in the nineteenth century were sometimes willing to be paid by cheque rather than with gold, even though they knew that there was a possibility that the cheque might bounce. Which of the following would represent an advantage of gold over cheques as a form of money?
Gold has intrinsic value when compared to cheques
In ancient Greece, what property made gold a more likely candidate for use as money than wine?
Gold's property as a store of value made it a more likely candidate for use as money when compared to wine.
In October 2008, the Federal Reserve began paying interest on the amount of excess reserves held by banks. How, if at all, might this affect the multiplier process and the money supply?
Holding the monetary base constant, paying interest on reserves should raise the excess reserves ratio, which reduces the money multiplier and reduces the money supply.
What effect might a financial panic have on the money multiplier and the money supply? Why?
In a financial panic, you would expect the money multiplier to decrease and the money supply to decrease, which would cause the excess reserves ratio to increase. Thus depositors are likely to increase their holdings of currency.
Which of the following statements about central bank structure and independence is true?
In recent years, there has been a remarkable trend toward increasing independence.
If you use an online payment system such as PayPal to purchase goods or services on the Internet, this will affect
Neither M1 nor M2 Neither M1 nor M2 is affected: Although PayPal and many other e-money systems work as other forms of money do to facilitate purchases of goods and services, this form of payment does not count in M1 or M2. Because PayPal and similar payment systems are generally credit-based, this requires payment at a future date for funds used today; those future payments must be made using existing money that is already in the system, such as currency or funds in a bank deposit account. In other words, the M1 and M2 money supplies would theoretically remain the same, but money would move from your checking account to a third party, once the credit transaction is settled.
Do the fourteen-year nonrenewable terms for governors effectively insulate the Board of Governors from political pressure?
No. In order to gain additional power to regulate the financial system, the governors need the support of Congress and the president to pass favorable legislation.
Which of the following is a disadvantage of using fiat money?
Public authorities may be tempted to produce too much of it
If the Fed sells $2 million of bonds to the First National Bank, what happens to reserves and the monetary base? Complete the T-accounts below to explain your answer.
Reserves and the monetary base fall by $2 million, as the following T-accounts indicate: First National Bank: Assets: Liabilities: Reserves: -$2 million Securities: +$2 million Federal Reserve System: Assets: Liabilities: Securities -$2 million Reserves: -$2million Reserves fall by $2 million, and the monetary base falls by $2 million. Monetary base = assets
If a bank depositor withdraws $1,000 of currency from an account, what happens to reserves, checkable deposits, and the monetary base? Assume that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10% and banks do not hold any excess reserves.
Reserves fall by $1,000, checkable deposits fall by $10,000, and the monetary base remains unchanged.
If the Fed lends five banks an additional total of $100 million but depositors withdraw $50 million and hold it as currency, what happens to reserves and the monetary base? Use T-accounts to explain your answer.
Reserves increase by $50 million but the monetary base increases by $100 million, as the T-accounts for the five banks and the Fed indicate: Five Banks Assets Liabilities Reserves +$50 million Discount Loans +$100 million Deposits -$50 million Federal Reserve System Assets Liabilities Discount Loans: +$100 million Reserves: +$50 million Currency: +$50 million Reserves increase by $50 million, and the monetary base increases by $100 million
Which of the following functions is not performed by any of the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks?
Setting interest rates payable on time deposits
Which of the following functions is not performed by the twelve Federal Reserve Banks?
Setting the reserve requirement.
Despite the important role that the Board of Governors has in setting monetary policy, seats to serve on the Board of Governors can sometimes be empty for several years. How could this happen?
Since members of the Board of Governors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, these seats may remain vacant due to the arduous and lengthy political approval process that candidates must endure.
Which of the following entities in the Federal Reserve System controls the discount rate?
The Board of Governors
Which of the following entities in the Federal Reserve System sets reserve requirements?
The Board of Governors
Which is more independent, the Federal Reserve or the European Central Bank? Why?
The European Central Bank—Its charter cannot be changed through legislation, making it more independent than the Federal Reserve.
Which of the following entities in the Federal Reserve System directs open market operations?
The FOMC
If the Federal Reserve has a specific mandate from Congress to achieve "maximum employment and low, stable prices," then how does the Fed have goal independence?
The Fed is free to interpret exactly what these objectives mean.
How does the Federal Reserve have a high degree of instrument independence?
The Federal Reserve can choose any method it wants in order to achieve a given set of policy objectives.
Assume that the required reserve ratio on checkable deposits is 10% and the public's holdings of currency do not change. If reserves in the banking system increase by $1 billion as a result of discount loans of $1 billion, and checkable deposits increase by $9 billion, why isn't the banking system in equilibrium?
The banking system is not in equilibrium because there continues to be $100 million of excess reserves (equals $1 billion of reserves minus $900 million of required reserves, 10 percent of the $9 billion of deposits).
Suppose that the required reserve ratio is 9%, currency in circulation is $610 billion, the amount of checkable deposits is $890 billion, and excess reserves are $16 billion. The money supply is: The currency deposit ratio is: The excess reserves ratio is The money multiplier is: Suppose the central bank conducts an unusually large open market purchase of bonds held by banks of $1,450 billion due to a sharp contraction in the economy. Assuming the ratios you calculated in the previous steps are the same, the money supply should Suppose the central bank conducts the same open market purchase as in the previous step, except that banks choose to hold all of these proceeds as excess reserves rather than loan them out, due to fear of a financial crisis. Assuming that currency and deposits remain the same, the new amount of excess reserves is The new excess reserves ratio is The money supply is The money multiplier is: Following the financial crisis in 2008, the Federal Reserve began injecting the banking system with massive amounts of liquidity, and at the same time, very little lending occurred. As a result, the M1 money multiplier was below 1 for most of the time from October 2008 through 2011. How does this relate to your answer to the previous step?
The money supply is the sum of currency in circulation and the amount of checkable deposits. 610 billion + 890 billion = $1500 billion The currency deposit ratio can be found by dividing the amount of currency by the amount of checkable deposits. 610/890 = 0.685 To calculate the excess reserves ratio, divide the amount of excess reserves by the amount of checkable deposits. 16/890 = 0.018 1+0.685/0.09+0.018+0.685 = 2.12 Increase MB = 610+80.1+16+1450 = 2156.1 billion 2.12*2156.1 = 4.571 billion 16+1450 = $1466 billion 1466/890 = 1.65 The money supply is still $1,500 billion, since both currency and deposits have not changed. 1+0.685/0.09+1.65+0.685 = 0.69 If large amounts of reserves enter the banking system but are held as excess reserves, it is possible for the money multiplier to fall below one.
If the economy starts to boom and loan demand picks up, what do you predict will happen to the money supply?
The money supply will increase.
The Fed buys $100 million of bonds from the public and also lowers the reserve requirement r. What will happen to the money supply?
The money supply will increase.
What do you predict would happen to the money supply if expected inflation suddenly increased?
The money supply will increase.
Which of the following is not part of the checks and balances of the Federal Reserve System?
The requirement that all depository institutions keep deposits at the Fed.
During the Great Depression years from 1930-1933, both the currency ratio c and the excess reserves ratio e rose dramatically. Based on the information in the graphs above, which of the following statements is true?
The rise in c results in a decline in the overall level of multiple deposit expansion and the rise in e reduces the amount of reserves available to support deposits, both leading to a smaller money multiplier.
What is the primary tool that Congress uses to exercise some control over the Fed?
The threat that Congress will acquire greater control over the Fed's finances and budget.
The players in the money supply process include all of the following except:
The treasury
Why was the Federal Reserve System set up with twelve regional Federal Reserve banks rather than one central bank, as in other countries?
The writers of the Federal Reserve Act wanted to ensure the Fed's power was not centralized in a single location.
What is the main disadvantage of moving to e-money or moving to a cashless society?
There are problems with security and privacy
The money multiplier declined significantly during the period 1930-1933 and also during the recent financial crisis of 2008-2010. Yet the M1 money supply decreased by 25% in the Depression period but increased by more than 20% during the recent financial crisis. What explains the difference in outcomes?
There was a significant increase in the monetary base during the recent financial crisis.
Which of the following statements regarding Federal Reserve independence is incorrect?
The 14-year non-renewable terms for governors effectively insulate the Board of Governors from political pressure
'The independence of the Fed has meant that it takes the long view and not the short view.' Assume this statement is correct and answer the following questions.
The Fed's personnel are not directly affected by the outcome of the next election; therefore, it has some level of independence: True The Fed can still be influenced by political pressure: False The Fed's lack of accountability may make the Fed more irresponsible: False The members of the board generally cannot be reappointed to their position; they do not need to do favours in order to keep their job in the future. True
The Fed is the most independent of all US government agencies. What is the main difference between it and other government agencies that explains the Fed's greater independence?
The Fed's source of revenue is free from the appropriations process
The Fed promotes secrecy by not releasing the minutes of the FOMC meetings to Congress or the public immediately. Based on this statement, indicate whether the following are arguments for (pros) or arguments against (cons) this policy.
This policy allows the Fed more independence in making monetary policy decisions: Pro This policy encourages the Fed to be less accountable for its actions: Con This policy reduces transparency because people cannot figure out what the goal of the Fed is: Con This policy should reduce inflationary pressures and political business cycles: Pro
"The Federal Reserve System resembles the U.S. Constitution in that it was designed with many checks and balances." Is this statement true, false, or uncertain? Explain your answer.
True. Because of public hostility and the centralization of power, the Federal Reserve System was created with many checks and balances to diffuse power.
Should the Federal Reserve be subject to periodic auditing of its policies, procedures, and finances? Why or why not?
Uncertain. Auditing could make the Federal Reserve more accountable but less independent.
In September 2008, the growth rate of the M1 money supply was zero, while the growth rate of the M2 money supply was about 5%. In July 2009, the growth rate of M1 was about 17%, and the growth rate of M2 was about 8%. When interpreting changes in the growth rates of M1 and M2, Federal Reserve policymakers should recognize: (Check all that apply.)
the growth rate of M2 should be higher than the 3% increase shown over this period. an inflationary problem may exist in the future as the growth of M1 to 17% is alarmingly high. During the period in question, the M1 growth rate increased by 17%, while the M2 growth rate increased by only 3%. Although both measures are moving in the same direction, the magnitude of the difference in growth rates between the two makes it difficult to judge the appropriateness of monetary policy by just looking at the money supply measures alone. For instance, if focused only on the M2 money supply, knowing the economy was in severe economic contraction, it would suggest that the growth rate of M2 should be even higher than the 3% increase over this period. On the other hand, if focused only on the M1 growth increase of 17%, this may seem alarmingly high and suggest an inflationary problem in the future.
A dilemma challenging the existing structure of the European Central Bank (ECB) has been brought on by:
the possibility of expanding the membership in the Eurosystem
When the charter of the Second Bank of the United States expired in 1836:
there was no lender of last resort to provide reserves to the banking system.
The public interest view of central bank behavior suggests that the objective of a bureaucracy is to maximize:
the public's welfare.
The primary reason for the creation of the Federal Reserve System was:
to reduce or eliminate future bank panics.
The First National Bank receives an extra $100 of reserves but decides not to lend any of these reserves. How much deposit creation takes place for the entire banking system?
$0
'The money multiplier is necessarily greater than 1.' Is this statement true or false?
True, because, in reality, the required and excess reserves ratios typically add up to less than one
Loans that the Fed makes to banks appear on the balance sheet as part of its __________, and deposits made by banks appear on the Fed's balance sheet as part of its ____________.
assets; liabilities
Eliminating the Fed's independence might lead to a more pronounced political business cycle because a politically exposed Fed would be more concerned with:
short-run objectives and thus be more likely to engage in expansionary policies designed to lower unemployment and interest rates before an election.