Midsemester Flashcards
What is the IS curve?
Way of summarising the way aggregate output in the economy is affected by changes in spending decisions of firms, households and the government, plots interest rates against output
How do expectations about the future affect the IS curve?
the investment plans of firms depend on their expectations of post-tax profits. Households prefer to smooth consumption so their current spending decisions are influenced by their expected lifetime income.
Increased uncertainty around the future can lead to precautionary savings
How can credit constraints affect the IS curve?
Credit constrains can mean that agents cannot take advantage of lower interest rates to increase investment / consumption
Changes in asset prices used for collateral can affect credit flows
How is the interest rate related to Demand
High interest rate is associated with lower output as spending on housing, consumer durables, machinery and equipment are lower
Where does the IS curve shift when expectations are more pessimistic
Shifts left - lower output for every interest rate
How does higher government spending affect the IS curve?
Shifts right
What does a higher multiplier mean for shifts and the steepness of the IS curve?
Shift is larger and the curve is flatter
What is the formula for consumption?
C = c0 + c1 (1 - t)y
= autonomous consumption + propensity to consume * disposable income
Formula for MPC
MPC = Change in consumption / change in disposable income
What is the intercept of the IS curve?
I + G + c0
What is the slope of the IS curve?
1 / 1 - c0 (1 - t)
If the G increases, how much does AD increase?
multiplier * change in G
What is the Fischer Equation?
r = i - pi
real rate = nominal interest rate - expected inflation
Is the IS curve rate real of nominal?
real as this is the true return on saving
What is the investment formula (IS)
I = a0 - a1 r
= future post-tax profits - interest rate sensitivity * rate
What is the long AD equation?
= 1 / 1 - c1 (1 - t) * (c0 + (a0 - a1r) + G)
What makes the IS curve flatter?
Higher K or a1
Any change in the size of the multiplier will change the slope of the IS curve. For
example, a rise in the marginal propensity to consume, c1, or a fall in the tax rate, t,
will increase the multiplier, making the IS flatter: it rotates counter clockwise from the
intercept on the vertical axis.
What shifts the IS curve
any change in autonomous consumption, autonomous investment
or government expenditure (co, a0, G) will cause the IS curve to shift by the change in
autonomous spending times the multiplier
What is an efficiency wage
Wages are set above the minimum that would be accepted so there is a threat of unemployment to induce effort
When unemployment is low, the cost of losing the current job is low so higher wages need to be offered
How do unemployment benefits affect the IS cure
Higher benefits shift the curve up as it lowers the relative cost of job loss