Unit 8: Basic Economic Concepts Flashcards
What is the US Fiscal Policy?
The government’s (president and congress) use of spending and taxation to influence economic activity
What determines if there is a National budget surplus or deficit?
Tax Revenue vs. Expenditures
What is the US Monetary Policy?
The central bank’s (controlled by Feds) actions that affect quantity of money and credit in an economy to influence economic activity
What does it mean if the economy is expansionary vs. contractionary, in terms of the Monetary Policy?
Expansionary: Loosening of the economy by the Feds
Contractionary: Tightening of the economy by the Feds
Describe Keynesian Economics
The idea that government intervention is very important. During recession, govt should lower taxes and increase govt spending (run a deficit)
What is the Monetarist Theory?
The idea that money supply determines prices
Describe Classical/Supply-side Economics
Belief in less taxes and less govt regulation
Idea that supply creates demand by providing jobs and wages
What is the Federal Fund rate?
The rate banks charge each other for overnight loans over $1 mil. Barometer of short term interest rates. Highly influenced -but not set- by Feds.
What is the Prime Rate?
The Loan rate set by banks for corporate loans
How do the Feds (Federal Reserve Board) influence the economy?
- Reserve requirements: amount banks must leave with the Feds - raise amount, banks have less money to lend out = higher interest rates
- Discount rate: rate charges by fed to banks borrowing money.
- open market operations: buy/sell US treasury securities - most common Fed tool.
What is GDP?
The market value of all goods and services produce in a country (net exports ^ GDP)
(If the GDP growth rate declines for: 2 qtrs = recession,6 qtrs = depression)
What is GDP?
The market value of all goods and services produce in a country (net exports ^ GDP)
What are the 4 stages of the Business Cycle?
Expansion
Peak
Contraction
Trough
What are some characteristics of an economy in the expansion stage of the business cycle?
Business activity is increasing
UP: inflation, industrial production, stock mkt, property values, GDP growth rate
DOWN: unemployment, inventories
What are some characteristics of an economy in the Peak stage of the business cycle?
Productive capacity has been reached and cannot expand further
DOWN GDP growth rate, slowdown in hiring
UP: inflation