Economics Chapter 14 Flashcards
The monetary sector
The functions of money
Medium of exchange
Unit of account
Store of value
Medium of exchange
Due to the inadequacies of the barter system
Money therefore serves as a lubricant or intermediary to smooth the process of exchange and to make it more
efficient
Barter system
An economy that functions without money where goods are exchanged for other goods
Shortcoming of the barter system
Required double coincidence of wants
Trade was inefficient ,cumbersome
Transaction costs were high
What is money?
Money is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services or that is accepted in
settlement of debt
Unit of account
Is an agreed measure for stating the prices of goods and services
enables us to obtain measures of the total value of all goods and services produced in the economy, such as GDP. Makes it easier to calculate the opportunity cost. Values of good and services can be standardized
Store of value
A common form for holding wealth is money, since it can always be exchanged for other goods and
services at a later date. Wealth can, however, also be held in other forms, such as fixed property, real assets, stocks
and shares
money serves as a standard of deferred payment
The advantage of store of value
It is usually more convenient and can be used immediately in exchange for other assets. We therefore say that money is the most liquid form in which wealth can be kept
The disadvantages of store of value
In times of high inflation money loses its
purchasing power and is not a good store of value
Standard of deferred payment meaning
Money is the measure of value for future payments
What money is not
Money is not income/wealth because income and wealth are usually measured or expressed in monetary terms (eg in rand), they are often confused with money
Income
is the reward earned in the production process. Natural resources, labor, capital and entrepreneurship are rewarded in the form of rent, wages and salaries, interest and profit
Wealth
consists of assets that have been accumulated over time. Wealth can take many forms, such as fixed property, shares, oriental carpets or paintings
Different kinds of money
The earliest forms of money were commodities, where the intrinsic value of the commodity was equal to the
exchange value assigned to it
Properties of the commodities
Properties such as uniformity, durability, divisibility and the ability to be carried (which is determined by size and weight) were not to be found in all commodities
Fiduciary/credit money
The total value of the paper money in issue was thus greater than the value of the gold backing it.
Modern bank notes
Declared by law as legal tender. This means that such notes or
coins cannot be refused if they are tendered as payment
The conventional measure (M1)
M1 is defined solely on the basis of the function of money as a medium of exchange.M1 includes coins and notes (in circulation outside the monetary sector) as well as all demand deposits (including cheque and transmission deposits) of the domestic private sector with monetary institutions. Everything that normally serves as a means of payment is included in the definition of M1
Who does the monetary sector in SA include?
The monetary sector in South Africa includes the South African Reserve Bank, the Corporation for Public Deposits, the Land Bank, Postbank, private banking institutions and mutual building
societies
Coins and notes (in circulation outside the monetary sector)
Only coins and notes in circulation outside the monetary sector constitute a part of the money stock. Only cash in the hands of the public can be used as a means of payment
Demand deposits
Refer to deposits that can be withdrawn immediately by means of a cheque or electronic fund transfer (EFT)
Definition of money can be written in the form of an equality, as follows
M=C+D
M=Quantity of money
C=Cash(coins and notes in circulation outside the monetary sector)
D=Demand deposits(deposits that can be withdrawn immediately and are generally accepted as payment in SA)