Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of the four main goals of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy?

Accepted Answer

Balanced government budget

Question 2

Suppose the Federal Reserve wants to decrease the federal funds rate in an ample-reserves regime. Which tool would it most likely use?

Accepted Answer

Decrease the interest rate on reserve balances (IORB)

Question 3

If the Fed conducts open market purchases of Treasury securities, what is the most likely short-term effect on the money supply and interest rates?

Accepted Answer

Money supply increases and interest rates decrease

Question 4

Which equation best describes the relationship between the money supply ($M$), money demand ($MD$), and the equilibrium interest rate ($i^*$) in the money market?

Accepted Answer

$M = MD$ at\ i^*$

Question 5

During the 2007-2009 financial crisis, the Fed used quantitative easing. What did this policy involve?

Accepted Answer

Purchasing long-term securities to increase bank reserves

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why the Fed cannot target both the money supply and the interest rate simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

The money demand curve links the two variables, so controlling one determines the other

Question 7

Suppose the Fed raises the interest rate on overnight reverse repurchase agreements (ON RRP). What is the most likely effect on the federal funds rate?

Accepted Answer

It establishes a higher lower bound for the federal funds rate

Question 8

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the use of forward guidance by the Fed?

Accepted Answer

The Fed announces it will keep the federal funds rate near zero for the next two years

Question 9

If the Fed wants to reduce inflation that is threatening long-run economic growth, which policy is it most likely to implement?

Accepted Answer

Contractionary monetary policy by raising interest rates

Question 10

Which of the following is a potential risk of the Fed keeping interest rates too low for too long after a recession?

Accepted Answer

It may cause real GDP to exceed potential GDP, leading to high inflation

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the effect of higher U.S. interest rates on net exports?

Accepted Answer

Net exports decrease because the U.S. dollar appreciates

Question 12

A bank is deciding whether to hold excess reserves. Which of the following would most likely increase the amount of reserves the bank chooses to hold?

Accepted Answer

An increase in the interest rate paid on reserves by the Fed

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of a moral hazard problem related to the Fed's actions during the 2007-2009 financial crisis?

Accepted Answer

Banks may take on more risk, expecting the Fed to bail them out

Question 14

Suppose the Fed is operating in a scarce-reserves regime. Which tool is it most likely to use to influence the federal funds rate?

Accepted Answer

Open market operations

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the chain of effects when the Fed lowers the federal funds rate?

Accepted Answer

Lower short-term rates → lower long-term rates → increased consumption and investment → higher aggregate demand

Question 16

Which of the following is a direct effect of the Fed selling Treasury securities in the open market?

Accepted Answer

The money supply decreases

Question 17

If the Fed faces the zero lower bound on the federal funds rate, which combination of tools is it most likely to use?

Accepted Answer

Quantitative easing and forward guidance

Question 18

Which of the following best explains why the Fed's monetary policy cannot completely eliminate recessions?

Accepted Answer

There are lags in recognizing economic conditions and implementing policy

Question 19

Which of the following is a likely consequence if the Fed delays expansionary monetary policy until after a recession has ended?

Accepted Answer

It may cause real GDP to overshoot potential GDP, resulting in high inflation

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the effect of quantitative easing on long-term interest rates?

Accepted Answer

It lowers long-term interest rates by increasing the price of long-term securities

Monetary Policy: Tools, Mechanisms, and Economic Impact

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