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Inflation, Unemployment, & Stabilization Policies 20-30% of AP Exam. Section 6. Unit Outline. A . Fiscal and monetary policies 1 . Demand-side effects 2 . Supply-side effects 3 . Policy mix 4 . Government deficits and debt B . The Phillips curve 1 . Short-run and long-run Phillips curves - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Inflation, Unemployment, & Stabilization Policies
20-30% of AP ExamSection 6
A . Fiscal and monetary policies◦ 1 . Demand-side effects◦ 2 . Supply-side effects◦ 3 . Policy mix◦ 4 . Government deficits
and debt B . The Phillips curve
◦ 1 . Short-run and long-run Phillips curves
◦ 2 . Demand-pull versus cost-push inflation
◦ 3 . Role of expectations
Unit Outline
Fiscal Policy, Deficit, & Public Debt
Module 30
Government decisions about tax rates and spending levels.
Two types:◦ Expansionary – Grows the economy/increases deficit
Decrease Taxes Increase Spending Increase transfers
◦ Contractionary – Slows the economy/reduces deficit Increase Taxes Decrease Spending Decrease Transfers
Reminder: Fiscal Policy
The budget balance is the difference between the government’s tax revenue and its spending, both on goods and services and on government transfers, in a given year. ◦ A budget surplus is a positive budget balance and a budget deficit
is a negative budget balance.
the budget balance (or savings by the government) is defined by: ◦ SGovernment = T - G – TR
T is the value of tax revenues G is government purchases of goods and services TR is the value of government transfers.
The Budget Balance
Expansionary Policies reduce the budget balance for the year
Contractionary Policies increase the budget balance for the year
Fiscal Policy and the Budget Balance:
Expansionary fiscal policy is in order.
3 options:◦ Cut taxes.◦ Increase transfers.◦ Increase government spending.
These three policies should
increase AD and reverse the recession, but will cause the budget balance to decrease. This means either a smaller surplus or a bigger deficit.
Example 1: Recessionary Gap
Contractionary fiscal policy is in order. 3 options:◦ Increase taxes.◦ Decrease transfers.◦ Decrease government
spending.
These three policies should decrease AD and reverse the inflation, but will cause the budget balance to increase. This means either a bigger surplus or a smaller deficit.
Example 2: Inflationary Gap
Changes in the budget balance don’t always perfectly reflect changes to fiscal policy. ◦ Just because the balance is decreasing does not mean an
expansionary policy is being implemented Two important reasons why it is more complicated.
1. Two different changes in fiscal policy that have equal-size effects on the budget balance may have quite unequal effects on the economy. Example: If government spending increases by $1000, it will have a larger impact on real
GDP than a tax decrease of $1000. The budget balance would change by $1000 in each case, but the impacts would be different.
2. Often, changes in the budget balance are themselves the result, not the cause, of fluctuations in the economy.
Keep in mind:
1. Problems of Timing• Recognition Lag- Congress must
react to economic indicators before it’s too late
• Administrative Lag- Congress takes time to pass legislation
• Operational Lag- Spending/planning takes time to organize and execute (changing taxing is quicker)
Other Problems with Fiscal Policy
2. Politically Motivated Policies• Politicians may use economically
inappropriate policies to get reelected.
• Ex: A senator promises more public works programs when there is already an inflationary gap.
Other Problems with Fiscal Policy
3. Crowding-Out Effect• If the government spends more money, and needs to
increase borrowing, it will lead to increased interest rates• This may “crowd out” business and individuals and
decrease investment spending which will in turn reduce economic growth
Other Problems with Fiscal Policy
Monetary Policy and Interest Rates
Module 31
Actions taken by the Federal Reserve (or a central bank) to control the supply of money
Two types:◦ Expansionary – Lowers interest rates/grows the economy/increases
inflation OMO: Buy bonds Lower Reserve Requirement Lower Discount Rate
◦ Contractionary – Increases interest rates/slows the economy/reduces inflation OMO: Sell Bonds Increase Reserve Requirement Increase Discount Rate
Reminder: Monetary Policy
Main tool of stabilization policy in practice◦ Like Fiscal Policy, there are lags BUT Central
Banks are able to act more quickly then the government in implementing changes.
Monetary Policy
Fed Funds Rate – Interest rate banks charge other banks for loans (based on Discount Rate)
Every 6 weeks, when the FOMC meets, a Target FFR is set.◦ This target rate is reached through Open Market
Operations carried out at the New York branch. This alters the supply of money and allows the FED
to drive rates up or down.
Target Federal Funds Rate
Expansionary Policy◦ Lower interest rates = higher investment
spending◦ Higher investment spending = higher GDP◦ Higher GDP = more consumer spending
Monetary Policy and Aggregate Demand
Contractionary Policy◦ Higher interest rates = lower investment
spending◦ Lower investment spending = lower GDP◦ ….
Monetary Policy and Aggregate Demand
Central Banks tend to engage in expansionary policies when real GDP is below potential output (recessionary gap) and contractionary policies when real GDP exceeds potential (inflationary gap)
Monetary Policy in Practice
Rule proposed in 1993 by Stanford economist John Taylor◦ Federal Funds Rate = 1 + (1.5x inflation) + (0.5 X
output gap)◦ This rule is the best way of predicting the Federal
Reserve’s behavior when it comes to setting the discount rate
Taylor Rule
Used by some central banks outside the US Central Banks set a target for inflation, and
implement a monetary policy to hit that target. Two Advantages
◦ The public knows the objective of the bank for the year
◦ The central bank’s effectiveness can be judged by how close they are to hitting their target yearly
Disadvantage◦ Some argue this is too restrictive and reduces
flexibility to act in a crisis.
Inflation Targeting
Money, Output, and Prices in the Long
RunModule 32
In the short-run an increase in the money supply will reduce interest rates, increases investment spending, and increases consumer spending◦ Output and prices increase as AD shifts
right As a result of the expansionary
monetary policy, output is now ABOVE potential◦ This will cause nominal wages to rise, and
the SRAS curve to shift to the left
THE LONG RUN EFFECT OF AN INCREASE IN THE MONEY SUPPLY IS JUST AN INCREASE IN PRICE LEVELS
Monetary Policy in the Long Run
monetary neutrality: changes in the money supply have no real effects on the economy.
In the long run, the only effect of an increase in the money supply is to raise the aggregate price level by an equal percentage.◦ If MS grows by 50%, prices will grow by 50%◦ If MS decreases by 25%, prices will drop 25%
Economists argue that money is neutral in the long run.
Monetary Nutrality
A change in the money supply lowers interest rates in the short run
However, as price levels rise, the demand for money increases◦ This shifts the MD curve
to the right, bring interest rates back to where they began
Monetary Policy and Interest Rates (long run)
InflationModule 33
Hyperinflation◦ Extremely high inflation. Usually caused by a
government printing out too much fiat money
Cost-push inflation◦ Inflation caused by a negative supply shock◦ AKA Stagflation
Demand-Pull inflation◦ Inflation caused by increased demand in the
economy
Inflation: Reminders
Remember: ◦ YP = Potential Output (Assumes economy is at full
employment)◦ Short Run eq left of YP = Recessionary Gap
Unemployment is high, inflation is low◦ Short Run eq right of YP = Inflationary gap
Unemployment is low, inflation high
Output Gap and Unemployment
The Phillips CurveModule 34
In the short run there is a negative relationship between unemployment and inflation.◦ First theorized by economist Alban Phillips
The Phillips Curve
Reminder: Supply Shocks◦ Sudden changes in SRAS
Supply Shocks can cause the SRPC to shift◦ Positive, shifts down◦ Negative, shifts up
Supply Shocks and the Phillips Curve
Increase in expected inflation shifts the SRPC up
Expected inflation and the Phillips Curve
In the long run, employment is not impacted by inflation.◦ Therefore the Long-run Phillips Curve is vertical at
the Natural Rate of Unemployment
Long Run Phillips Curve
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