Lecture 3 Flashcards
Define inflation
the loss of the value of money
Why does inflation occur?
because the supply of money increases faster than the supply of the goods
Why can the supply of money can increase?
- because private (bank) money increases rapidly as banks increase the supply of credit
- government money increases as the government increases the supply of fiat money, normally to buy goods and services without rising taxes
Define fiat money
Fiat money is a government-issued currency that is not backed by a commodity such as gold.
What is the inflation rate?
the percentage change in the price level
What is the equation for the inflation and what do each of the components mean?
Πt = [P(t+1) - P(t)]/Pt
where
Πt is the inflation rate
P(t+1) is the price level in the next period
P(t) is the price level in this period
What can we use as a measure of the price level in the equation for inflation rate? What does this mean for the equation for inflation rate?
CPI
this means that the equation for inflation rate can be
Πt = [(new CPI-initial CPI)/initial CPI] x 100
What is the inflation rate target?
1-3%
According to the Phillip’s curve, there is an inverse relationship between inflation rate and what? What does this mean?
unemployment
this means that an increase in the inflation rate leads to a decrease in unemployment
Will the CPI tend to overstate or understate the cost of living?
overstate
Why does the CPI tend to overstate the cost of living?
due to substitution bias, new goods and quality changes
The CPI can overstate the cost of living due to substitution bias. What is this?
This is when consumers substitute towards goods that are relatively inexpensive when the prices change
The CPI can overstate the cost of living due to the introduction of new goods. What does this mean?
the variety increases the standard of living, but new goods are not included in the basket right away
The CPI can overstate the cost of living due to quality changes. What does this mean?
as the quality of a good rises, it’s value rises even if the dollar price remains the same
In NZ, whose job is it to control the inflation rate?
the reserve bank
What is disinflation?
a slowing of the rate of inflation