ECN 204 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce, Financial Institution, Overnight Rate

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Alexandra Karkaby

14/03/18 Week 9

Monetary Policy

● In Canada, monetary policy is conducted by the Bank of Canada.

○ Monetary policy is about ensuring that money can play its vital role in helping our

economy run smoothly. The Bank of Canada focuses on protecting the value of

the Canadian money by keeping inflation low and stable.

○ Target inflation: 1-3%

Benefits:

● Low inflation means that people don’t have to expend time and money making

adjustments to prices (menu costs) and protecting themselves (shoe-leather costs).

● Stable and predictable inflation makes it easier to make sound economic decisions

about the future.

Why not 0% Inflation?

1. Zero Lower Bound on nominal interest rates:

● The nominal interest rate cannot be negative, but the real interest rate - approximately

equal to the nominal interest rate minus the inflation rate - can be.

● However, this is only true is there is some positive inflation - if inflation was 0%, the real

interest rate could not be negative.

● With negative real interest rates, there is a strong incentive for people to spend and

borrow rather than save, which is particularly important during a recession.

2. Difficulties in measuring inflation accurately:

● Official inflation statistics tend to overstate the true rate of inflation.

● Thus, aiming for 0% inflation would imply that the true rate of inflation was actually

negative.

3. Downward Wage Rigidities

● For psychological and contractual reasons, workers will strongly resist decreases in

nominal wages; accordingly, labour markets will not be able to smoothly adjust to

downturns in the economy.

● However, with some positive inflation, real wages can decrease, even if nominal wages

are held constant.

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● For this reason, having some positive inflation is said to “grease the wheels” of the

economy.

The Business of The Bank of Canada

● In addition to conducting the monetary policy, the Bank is responsible for:

○ Currency: designs and distributes Canadian bank notes.

○ Financial System Stability: promotes safe, sound, and efficient financial systems.

○ Funds Management: Acts as the fiscal agent for the government of Canada.

● The Bank is not a chartered bank (unlike RBC, TD, CIBC, Scotia, BMO, National).

○ Referred to as the Bankers’ Bank; occasionally provides loans to the Chartered

banks.

Bank of Canada Independence

● The Bank is a crown corporation - a government-owned enterprise that functions much

like a private corporation.

● The Governor is appointed for a term of 7 years by the Bank’s Board of Directors (not by

the federal government).

● The Deputy Minister of Fitnance sits on the Board of Directors but does not have voting

rights.

● This organizational structure is chosen to protect the Bank from political pressures.

○ May be viewed as undemocratic.

How Monetary Policy Works: Basic Ideas

● Changes in monetary policy are decided to cause changes in interest rates, thus:

○ Increases in interest rates will decrease AD for 2 reasons:

1. Higher interest rates make it more expensive to borrow, leading to less demand from

households and businesses.

2. Higher interest rates also lead to an appreciation of the domestic currency, as foreign

financial investors are attracted to higher returns (thereby increasing the demand for the

domestic currency).

○ Decrease in interest rates will increase AD for similar reasons.

● The Bank does not “set” interest rates, but can heavily influence them.

●Contractionary monetary policy

○ when inflation is too high, the Bank will try to cause an increase in interest rates,

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Document Summary

In canada, monetary policy is conducted by the bank of canada. Monetary policy is about ensuring that money can play its vital role in helping our economy run smoothly. The bank of canada focuses on protecting the value of the canadian money by keeping inflation low and stable. Low inflation means that people don"t have to expend time and money making adjustments to prices (menu costs) and protecting themselves (shoe-leather costs). Stable and predictable inflation makes it easier to make sound economic decisions about the future. Why not 0% inflation: zero lower bound on nominal interest rates: The nominal interest rate cannot be negative, but the real interest rate - approximately equal to the nominal interest rate minus the inflation rate - can be. However, this is only true is there is some positive inflation - if inflation was 0%, the real interest rate could not be negative.

Related Questions

In periods of high inflation,

A) people want to hold as much money as possible
B) the purchasing power of money is decreasing
C) nobody wants to work and earn income
D) low nominal interest rates are likely to result
E) nobody wants to buy goods and services

Which of the following is not an effect of hyperinflation?

A) Price differences among sellers of the same product become larger.
B) People hold on to currency only for very short periods of time.
C) People tend to exchange the currency that is subject to high inflation for a more stable currency.
D) More resources are used efficiently to overcome inflation's effects on transactions costs.
E) Inflation-induced activity that is rational for individuals often has a detrimental effect on the economy as a whole.

Construction workers at times face high rates of unemployment because their work is both seasonal and subject to wide swings over the business cycle.

A) True
B) False

The view that union wage demands may be a source of inflation would be best associated with the

A) supply shock view of inflation
B) demand pull view of inflation
C) cost push view of inflation
D) demand push view of inflation
E) monetary view of inflation

Unemployment rates __________ during contractions and __________ during expansions.

A) rise, fall
B) fall, fall
C) rise, stay the same
D) stay the same, fall
E) fall, rise

The metropolitan with the lowest unemployment rate is

A) Detroit
B) Atlanta
C) San Diego
D) Honolulu
E) Portland

Uncertainty about inflation

A) shifts the attention of business managers away from exchange rate movements and toward concerns about productivity
B) reduces the difficulty of making international business decisions
C) creates uncertainty about the value of the dollar relative to foreign currencies
D) enhances money's importance as a link between the present and the future
E) makes contracts easier to negotiate

Which of the following is not consistent with full employment?

A) an unemployment rate of 5 percent or 6 percent
B) seasonal unemployment
C) structural unemployment
D) cyclical unemployment
E) frictional unemployment

Which of the following groups has historically had the highest unemployment rate?

A) professional workers
B) white teenagers
C) black teenagers
D) black adults
E) white adults

10.

An increase in a person's real wage necessarily means

A) greater purchasing power
B) a lower nominal wage
C) a lower nominal wage after payment of taxes
D) a higher nominal wage
E) a higher nominal wage after payment of taxes

In periods of high inflation,

Which of the following is not an effect of hyperinflation?

Construction workers at times face high rates of unemployment because their work is both seasonal and subject to wide swings over the business cycle.

A) True
B) False

The view that union wage demands may be a source of inflation would be best associated with the

A) supply shock view of inflation
B) demand pull view of inflation
C) cost push view of inflation
D) demand push view of inflation
E) monetary view of inflation

Unemployment rates __________ during contractions and __________ during expansions.

A) rise, fall
B) fall, fall
C) rise, stay the same
D) stay the same, fall
E) fall, rise

The metropolitan with the lowest unemployment rate is

A) Detroit
B) Atlanta
C) San Diego
D) Honolulu
E) Portland

Uncertainty about inflation

Which of the following is not consistent with full employment?

A) an unemployment rate of 5 percent or 6 percent
B) seasonal unemployment
C) structural unemployment
D) cyclical unemployment
E) frictional unemployment

Which of the following groups has historically had the highest unemployment rate?

A) professional workers
B) white teenagers
C) black teenagers
D) black adults
E) white adults

10.

An increase in a person's real wage necessarily means

A) greater purchasing power
B) a lower nominal wage
C) a lower nominal wage after payment of taxes
D) a higher nominal wage
E) a higher nominal wage after payment of taxes

11.

A decrease in the interest rate, other things constant, will

A) shift the supply of loanable funds curve to the left
B) shift the supply of loanable funds curve to the right
C) decrease the quantity of loanable funds demanded
D) decrease the quantity of loanable funds supplied
E) shift the demand for loanable funds curve to the right

12.

Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in the price level.

A) True
B) False

13.

The official unemployment rate would be higher if it included the existence of hidden unemployment or individuals who are

A) on unemployment compensation
B) not working
C) working part-time but prefer full-time work
D) voluntarily retired
E) unemployed and looking for work

byzantiumrhinoceros988

The demand for money
A) d and e are correct
B) all of the following are correct
C) decreases as the average selling price of a unit of outputincreases
D) increases as GDP increases
E) is increased by credit card usage
2. The higher the interest rate, the more of their wealth peoplewill hold as money.
A) True
B) False
3. The money demand curve slopes
A) downward because the cost of holding money decreases as theinterest rate decreases
B) downward because the cost of holding money increases as theinterest rate decreases
C) upward because people demand more money as GDP increases
D) upward because people demand more money as GDP decreases
E) downward because people demand more money as the price levelincreases
4. Which of the following, other things constant, will shift themoney demand curve to the left?
A) an increase in the interest rate
B) a decrease in the interest rate
C) a decrease in real GDP
D) an increase in real GDP
E) an increase in the price level
5. An increase in the money supply will
A) increase the demand for money at each interest rate
B) decrease the demand for money at each interest rate
C) lead people to try to exchange money for interest-bearingassets
D) lead people to try to exchange interest-bearing assets formoney
E) increase the interest rate
6. When an increase in the money supply reduces the interest rate,investment and nominal GDP increase.
A) True
B) False
7. In the short run, a decrease in the money supply will cause adecrease in Gross Domestic Product and a decrease in the pricelevel.
A) True
B) False
8. The demand curve for investment is graphed with __________ onthe vertical axis and __________ on the horizontal axis.
A) the interest rate; investment
B) investment; the interest rate
C) the price level; investment
D) investment; the price level
E) real GDP; investment
9. As the interest rate increases,
A) the demand for investment curve shifts to the right
B) the demand for investment curve shifts to the left
C) there is a movement downward along the demand for investmentcurve
D) there is a movement upward along the demand for investmentcurve
E) GDP increases
10. If the economy experiences a contractionary gap and the Fedstimulates the economy, then:
A) The money supply is increasing because the Fed prints moremoney
B) The money supply is decreasing because the Fed hoardsmoney
C) The money supply is increasing because the Fed makes open-marketpurchases
D) The money supply is decreasing because the Fed makes open-marketsales
E) There is no change in the money supply because the Fed cannotinfluence the money supply
11. If the Fed decreases the money supply, GDP
A) increases because the resulting increase in the interest rateleads to a decrease in investment
B) increases because the resulting decrease in the interest rateleads to an increase in investment
C) decreases because the resulting increase in the interest rateleads to a decrease in investment
D) decreases because the resulting increase in the interest rateleads to an increase in investment
E) decreases because the resulting decrease in the interest rateleads to an increase in investment
12. An increase in the money supply can increase the price level,real GDP, or both, but it is impossible to tell exactly what willhappen without knowing the slope of the aggregate supplycurve.
A) True
B) False
13. If the economy experiences an expansionary gap and the Fedsells US government securities in the open-market, then:
A) Money supply increases, investment increases, aggregate demandincreases
B) Money supply increases, the interest rate increases, and theaggregate demand increases
C) Money supply decreases, the interest rate decreases, and theaggregate demand falls
D) Money supply decreases, the investment decreases, and theaggregate demand decreases
E) Interest rate falls, investment falls, aggregate demandincreases
14. If the money supply equals $1,000 and nominal GDP equals$3,000, then V
A) equals 1/3
B) equals 3
C) equals 3 million
D) cannot be determined since we do not know anything aboutprices
E) cannot be determined since we do not know anything about realGDP
15. If the money supply is increasing at a constant 8 percent,velocity is constant, real GDP is increasing at 5 percent, and theinflation rate is 3 percent, which of the following is true?
A) The growth rate of GDP is too low to be maintained.
B) The inflation rate is too low to be maintained.
C) Velocity is too low to be maintained.
D) The money supply growth rate is too low to be maintained.
E) This situation can continue indefinitely.
16. If real output and velocity are stable and predictable, thenthe equation of exchange can be used to derive a simplerelationship between
A) the money supply and the price level
B) the money supply and the interest rate
C) the money supply and the foreign exchange rate
D) velocity and real GDP
E) velocity and nominal GDP
17. For the quantity theory of money to yield usefulpredictions,
A) fiscal policy must be ineffective in altering aggregatedemand
B) fiscal policy must be effective in altering aggregatedemand
C) the economy must be operating at the potential level of realGross Domestic Product
D) velocity must be stable or predictable
E) velocity must be unstable
18. A rising rate of inflation
A) makes people more willing to hold money as an asset
B) reduces the usefulness of money as a store of value and thusincreases the velocity of money
C) increases the usefulness of money as a medium of exchange andthus reduces the velocity of money
D) is usually preceded by a reduction in the money supply
E) does not, apparently, have any effect on the velocity ofmoney
19. There is considerable disagreement about whether the Fedshould
A) engage in open market operations
B) have the power to set reserve requirements
C) reduce the money supply when the economy is growing
D) allow banks to invest in the stock market
E) attempt to control interest rates or should instead attempt tocontrol the money supply
20. For interest rates to remain stable during economic expansions,the growth rate of the money supply should
A) exceed the growth in the demand for money
B) just match the growth in the demand for money
C) be less than the growth in the demand for money
D) be zero
E) just match the growth in nominal GDP

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ECN 204 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce, Financial Institution, Overnight Rate

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