ECON-1007EL Chapter Notes - Chapter 32: Government Budget Balance, Deficit Spending, Real Interest Rate

A recent report on GDP growth rates showed that the GDP of Dorada, a developed economy, has declined by 1.5 percent this year. Emily George and her friend Tabitha Jude, both students of economics, are discussing the possible reasons for the decline in the growth rate. Emily feels that the government deficit has reached an unsustainable level, as a result of which interest rates now are extremely high. This has reduced government expenditure in recent times, leading to a decline in GDP. Tabitha however disagrees. According to her, the fall in GDP must imply a fall in consumer spending as household consumption accounts for the largest share in Dorada's GDP. Which of the following, if true, will strengthen Emily's claim that the high fiscal deficit is affecting the government's ability to spend?

A. The central government's grants-in-aid to the local governments increased by 7 percent.

B. A sizeable portion of the tax revenue generated in Dorada is being used to make interest payments on sovereign debt.

C. The President's economic advisory council is of the opinion that the fiscal deficit should not exceed 3 percent of the country's GDP.

D. Given that the government of Dorada has never defaulted on sovereign debt, it enjoys very high credit ratings.

E. The government of Dorada scaled up its defense expenditure by more than 50 percent in the last two years.

40. If the inflation rate falls below the rate that is expected, which of the following will happen?
A) inflationary expectations will increase and the Phillips curve will shift downward in the short run
B) inflationary expectations will decrease and the short-run Phillips curve will shift downward in the long run
C) inflationary expectations will decrease and the short-run Phillips curve will shift upward in the long run
D) inflationary expectations will increase and the Phillips curve will shift upward in the short run
E) inflationary expectations will decrease and the Phillips curve will shift downward in the short run

41. Which case represents the largest increase in the real national debt?
A) the price level increases by 500 percent and nominal debt increases by 500 percent
B) the price level increases by 200 percent and nominal debt increases by 600 percent
C) the price level decreases by 50 percent and nominal debt increases by 300 percent
D) the price level increases by 400 percent and nominal debt increases by 200 percent
E) the price level decreases by 90 percent and nominal debt increases by 200 percent

42. Which of the following is a transfer payment?
A) the federal government's budget deficit
B) unemployment compensation payments
C) military spending
D) wages of government employees
E) the excise tax on gasoline

43. One problem with using countercyclical fiscal policy is that
A) it may take months for the policy to be enacted
B) the policy may take effect too quickly
C) the money supply cannot be changed until several months have passed
D) tax cuts must be matched with spending changes
E) it has no effect on consumption spending

44. Suppose you are the president of a large bank. In which situation would you be most reluctant to loan money to a country?
A) its nominal debt is $10 trillion
B) its nominal debt is 1 percent of nominal GDP
C) its nominal deficit is $150 billion
D) its real deficit is 100 percent of real GDP
E) its real debt is 1 percent of real GDP

45. The national debt
A) can be paid off without major economic effects
B) need never be paid off
C) is no more serious a problem than is a corporation's debt
D) should not exist during a period of economic prosperity
E) is the simple sum of post budget deficits

46. Tax avoidance
A) reduces the difference between the average and marginal tax rates
B) increases federal revenue when it reduces the need for IRS workers
C) reduces federal revenue but does not affect tax progressivity
D) makes the tax system less progressive
E) makes the tax system more progressive

47. The national debt
A) is currently greater than the annual federal deficit
B) is reduced by the revenue generated from the federal deficit
C) decreases as the deficit is reduced
D) is a flow variable
E) varies depending on developments in the stock market

48. In the long run,
A) a larger budget deficit means a larger money supply
B) lower investment spending means slower growth of the standard of living
C) a larger budget deficit means higher consumption spending
D) a larger budget surplus means a smaller capital stock
E) government spending has no effect on the budget deficit or surplus

49. In an expansion,
A) federal budget deficits tend to rise
B) federal budget deficits tend to fall
C) the federal debt tends to rise faster than in a recession
D) federal government tax receipts tend to fall
E) there is pressure on the Fed to monetize the debt

50. Which of the following is not considered an automatic stabilizer?
A) food stamp program for people with low incomes
B) welfare program for families with dependent children
C) Medicaid, a health program for the poor
D) financial assistance for disabled people
E) unemployment programs that pay benefits to those who lose their jobs

The Modified Keynesian Model

Y = C + I + G + X – IM … equilibrium condition in a 4-sector model where:

C = 150 + 0.9DI … consumption function

I = 50 … autonomous investment

G = 100 … autonomous government spending

X = 200 … autonomous exports

IM = 100 … autonomous imports

And also:

DI = Y – T + Tr T = 0 … autonomous taxes

Tr = 0 … autonomous transfer payments

YF = 5000 … full-employment Y

1. Solve for the equilibrium level of real output/income (Y*) in this economy.

2. Given the model above, net exports equal $________. Does this represent a trade deficit or trade surplus?

3. Given the model above, the federal budget has a (deficit/surplus) equal to $________.

4. What is the value of the MPC? … the value of the MPS?

5. Calculate the “oversimplified” expenditure multiplier.

6. Suppose that full-employment (YF) equals $5000. Is there a recessionary or inflationary output gap?

7. (Refer to question “6”.) How much is the gap equal to?

8. Suppose the government chooses to eliminate the gap by using expansionary fiscal policy (i.e., increasing G). Given the numbers above, by how much would government spending (G) need to increase to achieve the goal of full-employment?

9. Suppose instead that the government decided to lower taxes to eliminate the output gap in question “6”. How much would taxes need to fall to achieve the goal of full-employment?

10. Which action (raising G or lowering T) has the largest effect on the federal budget deficit and the national debt?

11. Suppose the national debt equaled $6000 before the tax cut (refer to question “9”). What would be the value of the national debt after this policy action?