Economics 002 - Principles of Economics II » Fall 2020 » Midterm Exam

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Question #1
Which of the following best describes a monetary policy tool?
A.   government spending
B.   taxes
C.   interest rates
D.   household savings
Question #2
The basic difference between macroeconomics and microeconomics is that:
A.   microeconomics is concerned with the trees (individual markets) while macroeconomics is concerned with the forest (aggregate markets).
B.   macroeconomics is concerned with groups of individuals while microeconomics is concerned with single countries.
C.   microeconomics looks at the forest (aggregate markets) while macroeconomics looks at the trees (individual markets).
D.   macroeconomics is concerned with generalization while microeconomics is concerned with specialization.
Question #3
_____________ - a term referring to the fact that for many goods, as the level of production increases, the average cost of producing each individual unit declines.
A.   Economies of scale
B.   Skill
C.   Specialization
D.   Division of labor
Question #4
The two main tools of macroeconomic policy include monetary policy, and fiscal policy, which involves __________ spending.
A.   household
B.   business
C.   capital market
D.   government
Question #5
In the ____________, households work and receive payment from firms.
A.   savings market
B.   labor market
C.   financial investment market
D.   financial capital market
Question #6
Macroeconomics:
A.   analyzes mergers and acquisitions between firms.
B.   is concerned with the expansion and contraction of the overall economy.
C.   is concerned with the expansion of a small business into a large corporation.
D.   is narrower in scope than microeconomics.
Question #7
Scarcity implies that:
A.   at the current market price, consumers are willing to purchase more of a good than suppliers are willing to produce.
B.   consumers would be willing to purchase the same quantity of a good at a higher price.
C.   consumers are too poor to afford the goods and services available.
D.   it is impossible to completely fulfill the unlimited human desire for goods and services with the limited resources available.
Question #8
Marginal thinking is best demonstrated by:
A.   measuring all of the costs of a meal against all of the benefits when deciding whether to order a second milkshake
B.   acquiring the information relevant to a choice before making that choice
C.   choosing to spend one more hour studying economics because you think the improvement in your score on the next quiz will be worth the sacrifice of time.
D.   deciding to never purchase a coat made with animal skins or furs
Question #9
The opportunity cost of an action:
A.   is a subjective valuation that can be determined only by the individual who chooses the action.
B.   can be determined by adding up the bills incurred as a result of the action.
C.   can be determined by considering both the benefits that flow from as well as the monetary costs incurred as a result of the action.
D.   can be objectively determined only by economists.
Question #10
Which of the following would most likely shift the production possibilities curve inward?
A.   technological progress
B.   an increase in the production of capital goods
C.   a decrease in the average number of hours worked per week as the labor force chooses to enjoy more leisure time
D.   an increase in the number of hours factories are in use
Question #11
As depicted in _________________________________, it is necessary to give up some of one good to gain more of the other good.
A.   the production possibilities frontier
B.   allocative efficiency
C.   scarcity
D.   utility
Question #12
In economics, the demand for a good refers to the amount of the good that people:
A.   will buy at various prices.
B.   will buy at alternative income levels.
C.   would like to have if the good were free.
D.   need to achieve a minimum standard of living.
Question #13
After widespread press reports about the dangers of contracting "mad cow disease" by consuming beef from Canada, the likely economic effect on the U.S. demand curve for beef from Canada is:
A.   no change; only the supply curve for beef is likely to be affected.
B.   a shift of the demand curve for beef to the left.
C.   a shift of the demand curve for beef to the right.
D.   a movement down along the demand curve for beef to the right.
Question #14
The downward slope of the demand curve again illustrates the pattern that as _____________ rises, _________________ decreases.
A.   quantity supplied, quantity demanded
B.   price, quantity supplied
C.   quantity demanded, price
D.   price, quantity demanded
Question #15
_________ is calculated by taking _________ and then subtracting the value of how much physical capital is worn out, or reduced in value because of aging, over the course of a year.
A.   GNP; NNP
B.   NNP; GDP
C.   GDP; NNP
D.   NNP; GNP
Question #16
Which of the following is included in GDP calculations?
A.   cash income received by a self-employed landscaper that is not reported to the IRS
B.   the university tuition paid to enroll in a course
C.   sales revenue received from a yard sale
D.   a crisp $50 bill received on your birthday
Question #17
Which of the following is true?
A.   The timing of business fluctuations is regular and therefore easily predictable.
B.   During the contractionary phase of the business cycle, the rate of unemployment is generally quite low.
C.   A depression is a recession that is mild and relatively brief.
D.   The expansions and contractions of real world business cycles last varying lengths of time and often differ in magnitude.
Question #18
Investment (I) includes:
A.   the amount spent on purchases of art.
B.   the amount spent on new factories and machinery.
C.   the amount spent on stocks and bonds.
D.   the amount spent on consumer goods that last more than one year.
Question #19
GDP does not directly include:
A.   the value of intermediate goods sold during a period.
B.   the value of final goods and services produced, but not sold, during a period.
C.   the value of services rendered during a period.
D.   the value of goods produced domestically and sold abroad.
Question #20
A business cycle reflects changes in economic activity, particularly real GDP. The stages of a business cycle are:
A.   trough, expansion, recession, peak
B.   expansion, peak, recession, trough
C.   contraction, recession, expansion, boom
D.   expansion, trough, recession, peak
Question #21
The change in inventories, a component of aggregate supply, comprises roughly __________ of GDP.
A.   0.5%
B.   20%
C.   10%
D.   1%
Question #22
To achieve a high standard of living, a nation should:
A.   promote economic growth.
B.   use less capital and more labor in the production process.
C.   increase welfare payments to the poor.
D.   increase the tax deduction for child dependents.
Question #23
In macroeconomics, the connection from inputs to outputs for the entire economy is called _______________.
A.   physical capital
B.   human capital
C.   an aggregate production function
D.   a production function
Question #24
Country Able and Country Baker initially have the same real GDP per capita. Country Able experiences no economic growth, while Country Baker grows at a sustained rate of 7 percent. In 12 years, Country Baker's GDP will be approximately ___________ that of Country Able.
A.   double
B.   triple
C.   one-fourth
D.   one-half
Question #25
Of the world’s population of 6.7 billion people, _________ are scraping by on incomes that average less than $2 per day.
A.   260 million
B.   6.2 billion
C.   2.6 billion
D.   5 billion
Question #26
Which of the following is unlikely to affect the rate of economic growth?
A.   technological change
B.   the quality of available resources
C.   the quantity of available resources
D.   the level of government spending
Question #27
A nation can achieve higher economic growth if:
A.   the productivity of labor declines
B.   more resources are allocated to consumption goods.
C.   it devotes more resources to research and development.
D.   taxes are imposed on investment in capital.
Question #28
The unemployment rate may overestimate the true extent of unemployment if:
A.   many people who claim to be unemployed actually work in the underground economy.
B.   many part-time employees would like to work fulltime, but are unable to get the additional work.
C.   either B) or C) occurs.
D.   people falsely claim that they are actively seeking work in order to receive unemployment benefits.
Question #29
Freelife, New Hampshire has a labor force of 78,567 persons and employment of 74,382. The unemployment rate for the city is:
A.   5.6%.
B.   6.0%.
C.   7.1%
D.   5.3%.
Question #30
Through good economic years and bad, many European economies had unemployment rates hovering near _________ since the 1970s.
A.   10%
B.   1%
C.   5%
D.   20%
Question #31
Cyclical unemployment arises when:
A.   the agriculture sector completes the cycle of planting, cultivating, and harvesting the nation's food supply.
B.   labor unions strike for higher wages.
C.   the business cycle enters an expansionary phase.
D.   business activity in the macroeconomy declines.
Question #32
Suppose that everyone who has looked for a job for more than six months gave up in despair and stopped looking. What would happen to the unemployment rate?
A.   It would change, but the effect cannot be predicted.
B.   It would increase.
C.   It would fall.
D.   It would not change.
Question #33
The extent of _______________________ will depend on how easy it is for workers to learn about alternative jobs, which may reflect the ease of communications about job prospects in the economy.
A.   frictional unemployment
B.   cyclical unemployment
C.   seasonal unemployment
D.   cyclical employment
Question #34
The unemployment rate in a town in which 65,400 persons are employed and 11,000 are unemployed equals:
A.   11%.
B.   16.8%.
C.   20.2 %.
D.   14.4%.
Question #35
Nancy's union has negotiated a three-year wage contract that provides for a 2.4% increase indexed to inflation. The rates of inflation are forecast to be 1.62%, 1.93% and 2.21% respectively. How will Nancy's wage increase be expressed in the new contract?
A.   COLA plus 2.4%
B.   COLA plus 1.9%
C.   COLA plus 2.2%
D.   COLA plus 1.6%
Question #36
While one occasionally sees references to inflation over short time periods, the term typically implies a(n)_____________ in prices.
A.   short term rise
B.   ongoing decrease
C.   short term decrease
D.   ongoing rise
Question #37
Which of the following is an example of one of the major categories in the overall CPI?
A.   entertainment
B.   transportation and insurance
C.   recreation
D.   apparel and accessories
Question #38
In the 1970s and 1980s, labor unions commonly negotiated wage contracts that had _______________________ which guaranteed that their wages would keep up with inflation.
A.   wage protection clauses
B.   inflation ceiling guarantees
C.   cost of living adjustments
D.   inflation protection plans
Question #39
An analyst needs to adjust the nominal GDP for the years 2000 and 2010 into real terms to conclude his comparison analysis. The nominal GDP in 2000 was $672 billion and $1,690 billion for 2010; the real interest rate was 6.79% in 2000 and 3.71% in 2010; the 2000 deflator was 24 and 51 in 2010. What is the real gain?
A.   38.58%
B.   18.34%
C.   70.61%
D.   151.48%
Question #40
Only one of the following statements about trade surplus and capital flow is correct. Which one is it?
A.   a trade surplus exists if there is a net inflow of capital excluding foreign borrowing and lending
B.   a trade surplus means that there is a net inflow of capital
C.   a trade surplus exists if there is a net outflow of capital excluding foreign borrowing and lending
D.   a trade surplus means that there is a net outflow of capital
Question #41
A country finds itself in the following situation: a government budget deficit of $800; total domestic savings of $1800, and total domestic physical capital investment of $1300. According to the national saving and investment identity, what is the current account balance?
A.   surplus of $1300
B.   deficit of $1300
C.   surplus of $300
D.   deficit of $300
Question #42
Economists typically rely on a broader measure of international trade known as the ___________________, which includes _____________________________.
A.   current trade balance; foreign aid announced by the government.
B.   current account balance; telecommunications, computers, finance, law, and advertising.
C.   current account balance; goods, services, international income flows, and foreign aid.
D.   current trade balance; finance, law, and software product design.
Question #43
With respect to the national saving and investment identity for any country, the quantity of _______________ at any given time by savings must ________________ for purposes of making investments.
A.   foreign aid supplied; be lower than the quantity of domestic aid demanded
B.   financial capital supplied; equal the quantity of capital financial demanded
C.   foreign financial capital imports; equal to supply of domestic capital available
D.   foreign capital imports; less than the supply of domestic capital available
Question #44
Assume that the level of domestic investment in a country rises, while the level of private and public saving remains unchanged. In these circumstances:
A.   the trade deficit will decline sharply.
B.   the rise in domestic investment will mean a higher trade deficit.
C.   government borrowing will increase sharply.
D.   the rise in domestic investment will mean a higher trade surplus.
Question #45
The _____________ holds that a rise in price level will make domestic goods relatively more expensive, ____________ exports and _______________ imports.
A.   employment effect; discouraging; encouraging
B.   wealth effect; encouraging; discouraging
C.   foreign price effect; discouraging; encouraging
D.   interest rate effect; encouraging; discouraging
Question #46
Changes in the price level of the different components of aggregate demand are reflected in the AD/ASAD/AS macroeconomic model by a ________________________.
A.   longer distance to equilibrium point
B.   downward sloping AD curve
C.   shorter distance to equilibrium point
D.   flatter top portion of AD curve
Question #47
When an economy's output increases and the price level decreases, the _________ curve has shifted to the ____________.
A.   AD; left
B.   AS; right
C.   AS; left
D.   AD; right

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