Midterm 1 Flashcards
What is the relationship between income and expenditure for an economy?
A. Income is greater than expenditure.
B. Income is less than expenditure.
C. Income equals expenditure.
D. Income could be greater or less than expenditure.
C
In a simple circular-flow diagram, how are total income and total expenditures in an economy interrelated?
A. They are equal because firms re-invest their revenue.
B. They are equal only if there is no saving.
C. They never equal because some people’s income does not come from production activities.
D. They are equal because every transaction has a buyer and a seller.
D
Which of the following is the correct definition of GDP?
A. the market value of all goods produced within a country
B. the market value of all final goods and services produced by the citizens of a country
C. the market value of all final goods and services consumed within a country over a number of years
D. the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time
D
In order to include many different products in an aggregate measure, how is GDP computed?
A. using values of goods based on surveys of consumers
B. using primarily costs of production
C. using primarily market prices
D. using weights that are computed by how much of a particular good is produced relative to total output
C
Suppose that an apartment complex converts to a condominium where the renters are now owners of their former apartments. What is included in GDP?
A. The rent was included in GDP; the purchases of the condominiums are not.
B. The rent was included in GDP, and so is the purchase of the condominiums.
C. The rent was not included in GDP; the purchases of the condominiums are.
D. The rent was not included in GDP; the purchases are not included either.
A
Which of the following non-market goods or services is included as an estimate in Canadian GDP?
A. the value of unpaid housework
B. the value of vegetables that people grow in their gardens
C. the estimated rental value of owner-occupied homes
D. the estimated value of illegal drugs
C
Over the past few decades Canadians have chosen to cook less at home and eat more at restaurants. What effect has this practice had on GDP?
A. It has increased measured GDP.
B. It has reduced measured GDP.
C. It has not affected measured GDP.
D. It has had an ambiguous effect on GDP.
A
A professional gambler moves from a province where gambling is illegal to a province where gambling is legal. What impact does this move have on Canada’s GDP?
A. It raises GDP.
B. It decreases GDP.
C. It does not change GDP because gambling is never included in GDP.
D. It does not change GDP because in either case his income is included.
A
Roommates Grace and Kelly are sharing household chores and think they have an even exchange. Other things the same, if instead they paid each other for the chores the other did, what would happen to GDP?
A. It would fall.
B. It would rise.
C. It would be unaffected because paid or not, household chores are not included in GDP.
D. It would be unaffected because paid or not, household chores are included in GDP.
B
How are grapes treated in GDP terms?
A. They are always counted as intermediate goods
B. They are counted as intermediate goods only if they are used to produce another good like wine.
C. They are counted as intermediate goods only if they are consumed.
D. They are counted as intermediate goods whether they are used to produce other goods or consumed.
B
George buys and lives in a newly constructed home he paid $200 000 for in 2010. He sells the house in 2011 for $225 000. How is GDP impacted?
A. The 2011 sale increases 2011 GDP by $225 000 and does nothing to 2010 GDP.
B. The 2011 sale increases 2011 GDP by $25 000 and does nothing to 2010 GDP.
C. The 2011 sale does not increase 2011 GDP and does nothing to 2010 GDP.
D. The 2011 sale increases 2011 GDP by $225 000, and 2010 GDP is revised upward by $25 000.
C
Anna, a Canadian citizen, works only in Germany. How is the value added to production from her employment included in GDP?
A. It is only included in Canadian GDP.
B. It is only included in German GDP.
C. It is included in both German and Canadian GDP.
D. It is included in neither German nor Canadian GDP.
B
An Italian company opens a pasta company in Ottawa. Where are the profits from this pasta company included? A. in both Canadian and Italian GNP B. in both Canadian and Italian GDP C. in Canadian GNP and Italian GDP D. in Canadian GDP and Italian GNP
D
Which of the following is included in Canadian GDP?
A. the difference in the price of the sale of an existing home and its original purchase price
B. goods produced by foreign citizens working in Canada
C. known illegal activities
D. goods produced by a Canadian company in France
B
If the government reports that “GDP increased at an annual rate of 6.0 percent for the fourth quarter of 2010,” by how much did GDP increase?
A. 6.0 percent during 2010
B. 24.0 percent during 2010
C. 6.0 percent during the fourth quarter of 2010
D. 1.5 percent during the fourth quarter of 2010
D
In the nation of Ophelia, quarterly GDP is always higher in the second quarter than in other quarters. In order to account for this predictable jump in GDP, what will Ophelia’s government statisticians most likely do?
A. make sure to account for inventory changes during the second quarter
B. report real GDP, not nominal GDP
C. focus on GNP rather than GDP during the second quarter
D. make a seasonal adjustment for the second quarter data
D
What government level(s) is(are) considered when computing government purchases for GDP accounting purposes?
A. the federal government only
B. provincial and federal governments only
C. local, provincial, and federal governments
D. local and provincial governments, but not the federal government
C
When a firm produces consumer goods and adds some to inventory rather than selling it, how is the increase in inventory counted in GDP?
A. It is not counted in the current quarter GDP.
B. It is counted in the current quarter GDP as investment.
C. It is counted in the current quarter GDP as consumption.
D. It is counted in the current quarter GDP as a statistical discrepancy.
B
A German citizen buys an automobile produced in Canada by a Japanese company. What happens as a result?
A. Canadian net exports increase, Canadian GNP and GDP are unaffected, Japanese GNP increases, German net exports decrease, and German GNP and GDP are unaffected.
B. Canadian net exports, GNP, and GDP increase; Japanese GDP increases; German net exports decrease; and German GDP is unaffected.
C. Canadian net exports and GDP increase, Japanese GNP increases, German net exports decrease, and German GDP and GNP are unaffected.
D. Canadian net exports, GNP, and GDP are unaffected; Japanese GNP increases; German net exports decrease; and German GDP and GNP decrease.
C
Which of the following represents a transfer payment?
A. You transfer $1000 from your bank account to a mutual fund.
B. The bank transfers $10 quarterly interest to your savings account.
C. The government sends your grandfather his pension cheque.
D. Your employer automatically transfers $100 each month from your wages to a nontaxable medical spending account.
C
To encourage formation of small businesses, the government could provide subsidies. How would these subsidies be treated?
A. They would be included in GDP because they are part of government expenditures.
B. They would be included in GDP because they are part of investment expenditures.
C. They would not be included in GDP because they are transfer payments.
D. They would not be included in GDP because the government raises taxes to pay for them.
C
Which of the following is included in the investment component of GDP?
A. purchases of stocks and bonds
B. purchases of capital equipment that was manufactured in a foreign country by a foreign firm
C. the estimated rental value of owner-occupied housing
D. purchases of new durable goods and appliances
B
Which of these will increase Canadian net exports? ?
A. A Canadian resident buys a skateboard manufactured in Canada by a German firm.
B. A US resident buys a Blackberry manufactured in Canada.
C. A Canadian resident buys a souvenir in Paris.
D. A Canadian resident buys Microsoft stock.
B
What would be the cause of total spending rising from one year to the next?
A. The economy must be producing a larger output of goods and services.
B. Prices at which goods and services are sold must be higher.
C. Either the economy must be producing a larger output of goods and services, or the prices at which goods and services are sold must be higher, or both.
D. Employment or productivity must be rising.
C
Which of the following best describes real GDP?
A. Real GDP evaluates current production at current prices.
B. Real GDP evaluates current production at the prices that prevailed in some specific year in the past.
C. Real GDP is not a valid measure of the economy’s performance, since prices change from year to year.
D. Real GDP is a measure of the value of goods only; hence, it excludes the value of services.
B
Suppose GDP consists of wheat and rice. In 2006, 20 bushels of wheat are sold at $4 per bushel, and 10 bushels of rice are sold at $2 per bushel. If the price of wheat was $2 per bushel and the price of rice was $1 per bushel in 2001, the base year, what can we conclude?
A. Nominal 2006 GDP is $100, real 2006 GDP is $50, and the GDP deflator is 50.
B. Nominal 2006 GDP is $100, real 2006 GDP is $50, and the GDP deflator is 200.
C. Nominal 2006 GDP is $50, real 2006 GDP is $100, and the GDP deflator is 200.
D. Nominal 2006 GDP is $40, real 2006 GDP is $100, and the GDP deflator is 50.
B
If the GDP deflator is 200 and nominal GDP is $1 trillion, what is real GDP? A. $5 billion B. $200 billion C. $500 billion D. $2 trillion
C
The information below was reported by the World Bank in 2000.
Nominal GDP, Population Kenya: $10 400 million, 30.1 million Tanzania: $9000 million, 33.7 million Zimbabwe: $7200 million, 12.6 million
On the basis of this information, which list below contains the correct ordering of GDP per person from highest to lowest? A. Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe B. Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania C. Zimbabwe, Kenya Tanzania D. Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya
C
Many things that society values, such as good health, high-quality education, enjoyable recreation opportunities, and desirable moral attributes of the population, are NOT measured as part of GDP According to most economists, why is GDP a useful measure of society’s well-being?
A. GDP is not a useful measure of society’s well-being because it does not measure many things that society values.
B. GDP is a useful measure of society’s well-being because providing these other attributes is the responsibility of government.
C. GDP is a useful measure of society’s well-being because it measures a nation’s ability to produce the things that contribute to well-being.
D. GDP is an excellent measure of society’s well-being because these other values cannot actually be measured.
C
Suppose that 25 years ago a country had nominal GDP of 1000, a GDP deflator of 200, and a population of 100. Today that country has a nominal GDP of 3000, a deflator of 400, and a population of 150. What happened to the real GDP per person? A. It more than doubled. B. It rose, but less than doubled. C. It fell. D. It has not changed.
D
Babe Ruth, the famous baseball player, earned $80 000 in 1931. Today, the best baseball players can earn 200 times as much as Babe Ruth in 1931. However, prices have also risen since 1931. What can we conclude from this information?
A. The best baseball players today are better off than Babe Ruth was in 1931.
B. Because prices have also risen, the standard of living of baseball stars hasn’t changed since 1931.
C. One cannot make judgments about changes in the standard of living based on changes in prices and changes in incomes.
D. One cannot determine whether baseball stars today enjoy a higher standard of living than Babe Ruth did in 1931 without additional information regarding increases in prices since 1931.
D
Which of the following situations is described by the term “inflation”?
A. The overall level of prices in the economy is increasing.
B. Incomes in the economy are increasing.
C. Stock-market prices are rising.
D. The economy is growing rapidly.
A
What does the CPI measure?
A. the overall price of inputs purchased by a typical producer
B. the overall price of goods and services bought by a typical consumer
C. the overall price of goods and services produced in the economy
D. the overall price of stocks on the Toronto Stock Exchange
B
Which of the following agencies calculates the CPI?
A. the National Price Board
B. the Department of Weight and Measurements
C. Statistics Canada
D. the Ministry of Finance
C
How often is the CPI calculated? A. weekly B. monthly C. quarterly D. yearly
B
In the CPI, how are goods and services weighted?
A. according to how much consumers buy of each item
B. according to whether the goods and services are necessities or luxuries
C. according to the levels of production of the goods and services in the domestic economy
D. according to the expenditures on them in the GDP national income accounts
A
The market basket used to calculate the CPI in Aquilonia is 4 loaves of bread, 6 litres of milk, 2 shirts, and 2 pairs of pants. In 2005 the price of bread was $1.00 per loaf, the price of milk was $1.50 per litre, the price of a shirt was $6.00, and the price of a pair of pants was $10.00. In 2006 the price of bread was $1.75 per loaf, the price of milk was $2.25 per litre, the price of a shirt was $7.50, and the price of a pair of pants was $13.00. What was the inflation rate, as measured by the CPI, for Aquilonia between 2005 and 2006? A. 20 percent B. 24.4 percent C. 30 percent D. 36.67 percent
D
If this year the CPI is 125 and last year it was 120, what do we know?
A. Most goods have become more expensive.
B. The price level has increased.
C. The inflation rate has increased.
D. Some goods have become cheaper.
B
If the price index in the first year was 90, in the second year was 100, and in the third year was 95, what did the economy experience?
A. 10 percent inflation between the first and second years and 5 percent inflation between the second and third years
B. 10 percent inflation between the first and second years and 5 percent deflation between the second and third years
C. 11 percent inflation between the first and second years and 5 percent inflation between the second and third years
D. 11 percent inflation between the first and second years and 5 percent deflation between the second and third years
D
From October 2009 to October 2010, the CPI in country A rose from 116.5 to 119.8. In country B, it rose from 97.2 to 102.3. What were the inflation rates in the two countries? A. 3.3 percent in A and 6.7 percent in B B. 3.3 percent in A and 5.1 percent in B C. 2.8 percent in A and 6.7 percent in B D. 2.8 percent in A and 5.2 percent in B
D
For questions 41 consider the table below, which shows the CPI for various categories of goods and services.
2006: Food and Beverages- 168.4 Housing- 169.6 Transportation- 153.3 Gasoline- 139.6
2007: Food and Beverages- 173.6 Housing- 176.2 Transportation- 154.3 Gasoline- 141.4
Among these categories, what was the highest rate of inflation? A. 6.6 percent B. 5.2 percent C. 3.9 percent D. 3.1 percent
C
The table below pertains to an economy with only two goods—books and calculators. The fixed basket consists of 5 books and 10 calculators.Use it to answer questions 42, 43, and 44.
Price of books, Price of calculators
2005: $24, $8
2006: $30, $12
2007: $32, $15
Using 2005 as the base year, what is the consumer price index?
A. 100 in 2005, 135 in 2006, and 155 in 2007
B. 100 in 2005, 270 in 2006, and 310 in 2007
C. 200 in 2005, 270 in 2006, and 310 in 2007
D. 200 in 2005, 540 in 2006, and 620 in 2007
A
The table below pertains to an economy with only two goods—books and calculators. The fixed basket consists of 5 books and 10 calculators.Use it to answer questions 42, 43, and 44.
Price of books, Price of calculators
2005: $24, $8
2006: $30, $12
2007: $32, $15
Using 2006 as the base year, what is the consumer price index?
A. 78.22 in 2005, 100 in 2006, and 121.10 in 2007
B. 74.07 in 2005, 100 in 2006, and 114.81 in 2007
C. 100 in 2005, 135 in 2006, and 155 in 2007
D. 200 in 2005, 270 in 2006, and 310 in 2007
B
The table below pertains to an economy with only two goods—books and calculators. The fixed basket consists of 5 books and 10 calculators.Use it to answer questions 42, 43, and 44.
Price of books, Price of calculators
2005: $24, $8
2006: $30, $12
2007: $32, $15
Using 2007 as the base year, what is the consumer price index?
A. 52.66 in 2005, 84.25 in 2006, and 106.5 in 2007
B. 64.52 in 2005, 87.10 in 2006, and 100 in 2007
C. 52.66 in 2005, 90.89 in 2006, and 100 in 2007
D. 100 in 2005, 135 in 2006, and 155 in 2007
B
What are the categories of Canadian consumer spending, ranked from largest to smallest?
A. food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, housing, transportation, and health and personal care
B. health and personal care, housing, food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, and transportation
C. housing, food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, transportation, and health and personal care
D. housing, transportation, food, health and personal care, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco products
D
If the cost of shelter increases by 10 percent, then, other things the same, how much is the CPI likely to increase? A. by about 10 percent B. by about 7 percent C. by about 3 percent D. by about 1 percent
C
What does the rate of core inflation EXCLUDE?
A. clothing and footwear
B. alcoholic beverages and tobacco products
C. the most volatile components from the CPI basket of goods and services
D. the least volatile components from the CPI basket of goods and services
C
Which of the following best characterizes the consumer price index?
A. It is a measure of a nation’s standard of living.
B. It shows the increase in productivity.
C. It measures the increase in the prices of all final goods and services produced within the borders of a country.
D. It is an imperfect measure of the cost of living.
D
When the relative price of a good increases, how will consumers respond?
A. by buying more of it and its substitutes
B. by buying less of it and its substitutes
C. by buying less of it and more of its substitutes
D. by buying more of it and less of its substitutes
C
Suppose the price of a litre of milk rises from $1 to $1.25 and the price of a T-shirt rises from $8 to $10. If the CPI rises from 150 to 175, what will people likely buy? A. more milk and more T-shirts B. more milk and fewer T-shirts C. less milk and more T-shirts D. less milk and fewer T-shirts
D
By not taking into account the possibility of consumer substitution, how is the CPI biased?
A. It understates the cost of living.
B. It overstates the cost of living.
C. It may overstate or understate the cost of living depending on how much prices rise.
D. It doesn’t accurately reflect the cost of living, but it is unclear if it overstates or understates the cost of living.
B
When the quality of a good improves, what happens to the purchasing power of the dollar?
A. It increases, so the CPI overstates the change in the cost of living if the quality change is not accounted for.
B. It increases, so the CPI understates the change in the cost of living if the quality change is not accounted for.
C. It decreases, so the CPI overstates the change in the cost of living if the quality change is not accounted for.
D. It decreases, so the CPI understates the change in the cost of living if the quality change is not accounted for.
A
Suppose that lawn mowers are part of the market basket used to compute the CPI. Then suppose that the quality of lawn mowers improves while the price of lawn mowers stays the same. If Statistics Canada precisely adjusts the CPI for the improvement in quality, then, other things equal, what will happen?
A. The CPI will rise.
B. The CPI will fall.
C. The CPI will stay the same.
D. Lawn mowers will no longer be included in the market basket.
B
Suppose that in 2010, OPEC succeeds in raising world oil prices by 300 percent. This price increase causes inventors to look at alternative sources of fuel for internal-combustion engines. A hydrogen-powered engine is developed, and it is cheaper to operate than gasoline engines. Which of the following problems in the construction of the CPI would this situation represent?
A. substitution bias and introduction of new goods
B. introduction of new goods and unmeasured quality change
C. unmeasured quality change and new goods
D. income bias and substitution bias
A
What do economists believe about the bias in the CPI as a measure of the cost of living?
A. Economists agree that the bias in the CPI is a very serious problem.
B. There is still debate among economists on whether CPI understates or overstates increases in the cost of living.
C. Economists agree on the severity of the CPI bias, but there is still debate on what to do about it.
D. There is still debate among economists on the severity of the CPI bias and what to do about it.
D
In Canada, if the price of imported oil rises so that the price of gasoline and heating oil rise, what happens to the GDP deflator and the consumer price index?
A. The GDP deflator rises much more than the consumer price index rises.
B. The consumer price index rises much more than the GDP deflator rises.
C. The GDP deflator and the consumer price index rise by about the same amount.
D. The consumer price index rises slightly more than the GDP deflator rises.
B
If the nominal interest rate is 8 percent and the rate of inflation is 2 percent, what is the real interest rate? A. 16 percent B. 10 percent C. 6 percent D. 4 percent
C
What does the real interest rate tell you?
A. how fast the number of dollars in your bank account rises over time
B. how fast the purchasing power of your bank account rises over time
C. the number of dollars in your bank account
D. the purchasing power of your bank account
B
In Japan in 2000 nominal interest rates were 1.5 percent and the inflation rate was –0.5 percent. What was the real interest rate? A. –2 percent B. –1 percent C. 1 percent D. 2 percent
D
In the country of Hyrkania, the CPI in 2005 was 140 and the CPI in 2006 was 154. Jake, a resident of Hyrkania, borrowed money in 2005 and repaid the loan in 2006. If the nominal interest rate on the loan was 14 percent, what was the real interest rate? A. 18 percent B. 14 percent C. 10 percent D. 4 percent
D