The Monetary System Key Terms Flashcards
Money
The set of assets in an economy that people regularly use to buy goods and services from other people.
What are the three functions of money?
A medium of exchange, a unit of account, a store value
Medium of exchange
an item that buyers give to sellers when they want to purchase goods and services.
Unit of account
The yardstick people use to post prices and record debts.
Store of value
an item that people can use to transfer purchasing power from the present to the future.
What distinguishes money from other assets in the economy (stocks, bonds, art, real estate?
It’s three functions (medium of exchange, store of value, unit of account).
Liquidity
The ease with which an asset can be converted into the economy’s medium of exchange.
Commodity Money
Money that takes the form of a commodity with intrinsic value.
Fiat Money
Money without intrinsic value that is used as money because of government decree.
Money stock
The quantity of money circulating the economy
currency
the paper bills and coins in the hands of the public.
Demand Deposits
Balances in bank accounts that depositors can access on demand by writing a check.
Why aren’t credit cards money?
Because credit cards are not a method of payment, but a method of deferring payment.
Federal Reserve System
The central bank of the United States
The Fed is an example of a
central bank
Central bank
an institution designed to oversee the banking system and to regulate the quantity of money in the economy.
The Fed is run by its
board of governors
How many people are on the board of governors?
Seven members who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
How long are the governors’ terms?
14 years
Why are Fed governors given just long terms?
to give them independence from short-term political pressures when they formulate monetary policy.