6355 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Aggregate Supply, Price Level, Frictional Unemployment

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redcockroach788

20 Jun 2018

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University of Canberra

Department

University of Canberra

Course

6355

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all

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Week 11 – Inflation and Unemployment

Inflation

Price level: a measure of the average prices of goods and services in the economy

Inflation: the sustained increase in the general level of prices in the economy

Deflation: is a sustained decline in the general price level

Inflation rate: the percentage increase in the general price level in the economy from one

year to the next

Consumer Price Index

- a measure of charges in retail prices of a basket of goods and services representative

of consumption expenditure by typical Australian households in capital cities

1 0 0

y e a r b a s ei n b a s k e t m a r k e t o fc o s t

y e a rc u r r e n t i n b a s k e t m a r k e t o fC o s t

t oe q u a la l w a y si sy e a rb a s ef o rC P I

xP I

Measuring Inflation

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Consumer Price Index =

1 2 21 0 0

$ 7 5 0

$ 9 1 5

)2 0 1 3(

1 2 01 0 0

$ 7 5 0

$ 9 0 0

)2 0 1 2(

1 0 01 0 0

$ 7 5 0

)2 0 0 5(C

xC P I

xP I

Inflation is measured as the rate of change in the CPI

Inflation rate =

1-t

1-t -t

C P I

C P IC P I

e.g. Inflation Rate (2012-12) =

%6 7.11 0 0

1 2 0

021 - 1 2 2

Is the CPI accurate?

- The CPI is the most widely used measure of inflation

- Four sources of bias in the CPI may lead to it overstating the inflation rate

- Substitution bias

- Increase in quality bias

- New product bias

- Outlet bias

The Costs of High Inflation

Some well-known costs include:

- Inflation erodes the purchasing power of money

- In general, loss of confidence, uncertainty, efficiency costs

- Costs of real resources (e.g. Menu costs, shoe leather costs etc).

- Adverse effects on incentives: ‘unearned’ redistributions of wealth. Loans and wages

in nominal contracts

- Higher effective tax rates due to ‘bracket creep’ in a progressive tax system, reducing

the incentive to work (more distortions)

Bracket Creep

Why inflation causes distortion in the tax system

10% increase in inflation and your nominal income:

Income Tax paid

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Document Summary

Price level: a measure of the average prices of goods and services in the economy. Inflation: the sustained increase in the general level of prices in the economy. Deflation: is a sustained decline in the general price level. Inflation rate: the percentage increase in the general price level in the economy from one year to the next. P i : f a measure of charges in retail prices of a basket of goods and services representative of consumption expenditure by typical australian households in capital cities. Inflation is measured as the rate of change in the cpi. The cpi is the most widely used measure of inflation. Four sources of bias in the cpi may lead to it overstating the inflation rate. In general, loss of confidence, uncertainty, efficiency costs. Costs of real resources (e. g. menu costs, shoe leather costs etc). Adverse effects on incentives: unearned" redistributions of wealth.

Related Questions

The table below lists annual consumer price index and inflation rates for a country over the period 2005-2010. Assume the year 2005 is used as the base year.

Year	Consumer Price Index	Inflation Rate
2005	100
2006	115	B
2007	125	C
2008	140	D
2009	A	10%
2010	160	E

8.7%

120

25%

12%

The price index was 170 in the first year, 180 in the second year, and 195 in the third year. The inflation rate was about

5.9 percent between the first and second years, and 8.3 percent between the second and third years.

5.6 percent between the first and second years, and 7.7 percent between the second and third years.

10 percent between the first and second years, and 15 percent between the second and third years.

80 percent between the first and second years, and 95 percent between the second and third years.

0.1 points

QUESTION 17

The price index was 150 in the first year, 142.5 in the second year, and 138.2 in the third year. The economy experienced

		5.0 percent deflation between the first and second years, and 3.0 percent deflation between the second and third years.
		7.5 percent deflation between the first and second years, and 4.3 percent deflation between the second and third years.
		5.3 percent inflation between the first and second years, and 4.1 percent inflation between the second and third years.
		7.5 percent inflation between the first and second years, and 4.3 percent inflation between the second and third years

0.1 points

QUESTION 18

Which of the following statements is correct about the relationship between the nominal interest rate and the real interest rate?

The real interest rate is the nominal interest rate minus the rate of inflation.

The real interest rate is the nominal interest rate times the rate of inflation.

The real interest rate is the nominal interest rate plus the rate of inflation.

The real interest rate is the nominal interest rate divided by the rate of inflation.

0.1 points

QUESTION 19

If the nominal interest rate is 6 percent and the rate of inflation is 2 percent, then the real interest rate is

4 percent.

-4 percent.

3 percent.

8 percent.

0.1 points

QUESTION 20

If the nominal interest rate is 7 percent and the real interest rate is -2.5 percent, then the inflation rate is

9.5 percent.

4.5 percent.

-4.5 percent.

-9.5 percent.

. From 2009 to 2010, the CPI for education increased from 279.3 to 281.8. What was the inflation rate for education between 2009 and 2010?

0.9%

9.0%

2.5%

90%

If the consumer price index changes from 125 in September to 150 in October, what is the rate of inflation?

20.0%

45.5%

16.7%

9.1%

. Suppose a basket of goods and services has been selected to calculate the CPI and 2014 has been selected as the base year. In 2013, the basketâs cost was $80; in 2014, the basketâs cost was $86; and in 2015, the basketâs cost was $90. The value of the CPI in 2015 was

104.6 and the inflation rate was 4.6%.

112.5 and the inflation rate was 4.6%.

112.5 and the inflation rate was 12.5%.

104.6 and the inflation rate was 12.5%.

Suppose a basket of goods and services has been selected to calculate the CPI. In 2002, the basketâs cost was $80; in 2008, the basketâs cost was $92; and in 2010, the basketâs cost was $108. The base year must be

The base year cannot be determined from the given information.

2002

2008

one of the years between 2008 and 2010.

Suppose a basket of goods and services has been selected to calculate the CPI and 2012 has been chosen as the base year. In 2012, the basketâs cost was $80.00; in 2013, the basketâs cost was $84; and in 2014, the basketâs cost was $87.60. The value of the CPI was

All of the above are correct.

109.5 in 2014.

105 in 2013.

100 in 2012.

Which of the following is correct?

The CPI is better than the GDP deflator at reflecting the goods and services bought by consumers.

The GDP deflator is better than the CPI at reflecting the goods and services bought by consumers.

The GDP deflator and the CPI are equally good at reflecting the goods and services bought by consumers.

The GDP deflator is more commonly used as a gauge of inflation than the CPI is.

The inflation rate is defined as the

percentage change in the price level from the previous period.

price level in an economy.

change in the price level from one period to the next.

price level minus the price level from the previous period.

Economists use the term inflation to describe a situation in which

the economy's overall price level is rising.

some prices are rising faster than others.

the economy's overall price level is high, but not necessarily rising.

the economy's overall output of goods and services is rising faster than the economy's overall price level.

1. Menu costs are:

A) the costs of materials.

B) the cost of changing prices.

C) particularly low when inflation is high.

D) a reason that the inflation rate typically underestimates true price level changes.

2. A market basket costs $150 to buy in the base year and $60 to buy in year X.

A. the price index for year X is 250.

B. Year X probably occurred after the base year.

C. Year X is the base year.

D. the price index for year X is .4 or 40%.

3. A traditional expansionary gap is created when the aggregate demand curve moves to the:

A. right of the natural rate of output; inflation rises and unemployment falls.

B. left of the natural rate of output; inflation falls and unemployment rises.

C. right of the natural rate of output; inflation falls and unemployment rises.

D. left of the natural rate of output; inflation rises and unemployment falls.

4. Consumers change their purchases and move ALONG the same consumption function when:

A) Their income changes

B) Their tastes change

C) The price level changes

D) All of the above.

5. If MPC is .75 then if consumer income rises by $10,000 we would predict that consumption will:

A. rise by $7500 while savings fall by $2500.

B. fall by $2500 while savings rise by $7500.

C. rise by $7500 while savings rise by $2500.

D. fall by $2500 while savings fall by $7500.

6. Autonomous consumption is

A. that part of consumption that rises or falls with changes in disposable income.
B. the minimum that people will spend even if disposable income is zero.
C. the amount people will spend when the C line crosses the 45-degree line.
D. the amount people will spend when income is equal to consumption.

7. A low rate of investment could be explained by a

A. low rate of saving and low-interest rates.
B. low rate of saving and high-interest rates.
C. high rate of saving and low-interest rates.
D. high rate of saving and high-interest rates.

8. Mr. A makes $40,000 a year; Ms. B makes $20,000 a year. Mr. A pays $6,000 in taxes while Ms. B pays $4,000 in taxes. Which of the following is true?

A. Taxes are progressive because Mr. A pays a higher dollar amount in taxes than Ms. B

B. Taxes are neutral because Mr. A makes more money before and after taxes than Ms. B.

C. Taxes are regressive because Mr. A pays a lower tax rate than Ms. B.

D. Taxes are progressive because Ms. B pays a lower dollar amount in tax.

9. The 45 degree line in the full AE model represents

A. all points where C = Y.

B. all points where AE = Y

C. all points where C + I = G + Xn

D. all points where C = I + G + Xn

10. International trade:

A. Allows countries to specialize in the goods at which they are best at producing.

B. can increase the goods and services both trading partners have.

C. can be unbalanced where one partner exports more to the other than the other way around.

D. all of the above.

11. If AD rises in the short run:

A. it pushes up the price level.

B. it decreases national output.

C. increases full employment.

D. all of the above.

12. We cut down trees and sell the timber for $8000. The timber is sawn up into lumber that sells for $18,000. The lumber is used to build furniture that sells to consumers for $30,000.

A. $30,000 goes into GDP.

B. $4000 goes into GDP.

C. $56,000 goes into GDP.

D. $22,000 goes into GDP.

13. The long-run annual growth rate of the U.S. economy tends to be about:

A. 1% or less.

B. 2%

C. 5%

D. 10% or more.