At the end of 2009, the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent, the inflation rate was 0.8 percent, and the overnight loans rate target was 0.25 percent. In mid- 2014, the unemployment rate was about 7 percent, the inflation rate was 2.1 percent, and the overnight loans rate target was 1 percent. Why might the Bank of Canada decide to raise the overnight rate in 2015?
> Describe the situation in the market for a good or service that Canada exports.
> William Watson, an economics professor at McGill University, Montreal, says there’s nothing magical, mystical, or personal about job creation. It occurs when someone who wants to sell a product or service contracts with someone else to help them do it. I
> Describe the situation in the market for a good or service that Canada imports.
> Italy has dropped its resistance to an E.U. trade agreement with South Korea, which will wipe out $2 billion in annual duties on E.U. exports. Italians argued that the agreement, which eliminates E.U. duties on South Korean cars, would put undue pressure
> Answer the following questions. a. What is the TPP? b. Who in Canada would benefit and who would lose from a successful TPP? c. Illustrate your answer to part (b) with an appropriate graphical analysis assuming that tariffs are not completely eliminated.
> The cost of protecting jobs in uncompetitive sectors through tariffs is high: Saving a job in the sugar industry costs American consumers $826,000 in higher prices a year; saving a dairy industry job costs $685,000 per year; and saving a job in the manuf
> Before 1995, trade between Canada and Mexico was subject to tariffs. In 1995, Mexico joined NAFTA and all Canadian and Mexican tariffs have gradually been removed. Explain how the price that Canadian consumers pay for goods from Mexico and the quantity o
> South Korea will reopen its market to most Canadian beef. South Korea banned imports of beef in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease. The ban closed what was then the fourth-largest market for Canadian beef, valued at $50 million a year. Ass
> South Korea will reopen its market to most Canadian beef. South Korea banned imports of beef in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease. The ban closed what was then the fourth-largest market for Canadian beef, valued at $50 million a year. Exp
> Draw a graph of the market for corn in the poor developing country in Problem 15(b) to show the changes in the price of corn, the quantity produced, and the quantity consumed by people in that country. Problem 15(b) is as follows: The hunger crisis in p
> The hunger crisis in poor countries has its roots in Canadian, U.S., and European policies of subsidizing the diversion of food crops to produce biofuels like corn-based ethanol. That is, doling out subsidies to put the world’s dinner into the gas tank.
> Suppose that the world price of steel is $100 a tonne, India does not trade internationally, and the equilibrium price of steel in India is $60 a tonne. India then begins to trade internationally. a. How does the price of steel in India change? b. How do
> Under what circumstances does the government have a budget surplus?
> Suppose that the world price of eggs is $1 a dozen, Canada does not trade internationally, and the equilibrium price of eggs in Canada is $3 a dozen. Canada then begins to trade internationally. a. How does the price of eggs in Canada change? b. Do Canad
> William Dudley, president of the New York Fed, raised the prospect of the Fed becoming more explicit about its inflation goal to “help anchor inflation expectations at the desired rate.” a. What monetary policy strategy is William Dudley raising? b. How
> On September 15, 2014, the OECD predicted that global growth would continue at a moderate rate and that Canada’s economic growth will strengthen. If the OECD forecasts turn out to be correct, what would most likely happen to the output gap and unemployme
> With low interest rates, business investment and trade are expected to bring growth through 2016. Explain the effects of the Bank of Canada’s low interest rates on business investment. Draw a graph to illustrate your explanation.
> During 2011, Canada is in an environment of substantial headwinds from Europe and the United States, and monetary policy may need to maintain stimulus to achieve the inflation target at full employment. a. How would the Bank of Canada “maintain stimulus”
> During 2011, Canada is in an environment of substantial headwinds from Europe and the United States, and monetary policy may need to maintain stimulus to achieve the inflation target at full employment. Explain the situation faced by the Bank of Canada i
> How does the Bank of Canada hit its overnight loans rate target?
> What are the possible monetary policy instruments and which one does the Bank of Canada use? How has its value behaved since 2000?
> The 2011 inflation control target agreement between the Government of Canada and the Bank of Canada runs to the end of 2016. a. What role does the inflation control agreement say about the Bank’s control of the quantity of money? b. Why is it important t
> Monetary policy is too important to be left to the Bank of Canada. The government should be responsible for it.” How is responsibility for monetary policy allocated between the Bank of Canada and the government?
> What are the main items of government revenues and outlays?
> Unemployment is a more serious economic problem than inflation and it should be the focus of the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy.” Evaluate this statement and explain why the Bank’s policy goal is a target inflation rate.
> How might using the Taylor rule improve the Fed’s monetary policy?
> How might inflation targeting improve U.S. monetary policy?
> How do the Bank’s actions influence the inflation rate and how long does it take for inflation to respond to the Bank’s policy changes?
> How do the Bank’s actions influence real GDP and how long does it take for real GDP to respond to the Bank’s policy changes?
> How do the Bank of Canada’s actions change the exchange rate?
> Do interest rates fluctuate in response to the Bank of Canada’s actions?
> Describe the channels by which monetary policy ripples through the economy and explain how each channel operates.
> What happens when the Bank of Canada buys securities in the open market?
> What is the operating band?
> John H. Cochrane, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago, thinks we face the risk of inflation, and if inflation does break out the Fed will not have the ability to stop it and it will “bring stagnation rather than prosperity.” The source of
> Summarize the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy decision-making process.
> What is the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy instrument?
> How does the core inflation rate differ from the overall CPI inflation rate?
> What is the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy objective?
> Answer the following questions. a. What was the state of the Canadian economy in 2014? b. What was Carolyn Wilkin’s expectation about future real GDP growth and inflation in September 2014? c. How would maintaining the overnight rate at 1 percent influen
> Inflation targeting promotes well-anchored inflation expectations, which facilitates more effective stabilization of output and employment. Thus inflation targeting can deliver good results with respect to output and employment as well as inflation. What
> Suppose that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is following the Taylor rule. In 2009, it sets the official cash rate (its equivalent of the overnight loans rate) at 4 percent a year. If the inflation rate in New Zealand is 2 percent a year, what is its out
> U.S. Federal Reserve’s Plosser Opposes QE3 Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president Charles Plosser does not think that monetary policy can “do much to speed up the slow progress” in the labour market and opposes the Fed’s latest round of stimulus,
> Robert Shiller, Professor of Economics at Yale University, predicted that there was a very real possibility that the United States would be plunged into a Japan-style slump, with house prices declining for years. If the U.S. Federal Reserve had agreed wi
> Traders continued to make bets in favour of the yen, sending the U.S. dollar to a record low against the Japanese currency. a. How do “bets in favour of the yen” influence the exchange rate? b. How does the U.S. Federal Reserve’s monetary policy influenc
> After the first two months of the current fiscal year, Canada’s deficit sits at $4.4 billion, compared with $7.5 billion in the same period of 2009 when the economy was still in recession. The government projects that the budget shortfall of $54 billion
> From 2007 to 2009, the long-term real interest rate paid by the safest corporations increased from 2.3 percent to 3.8 percent. During that same period, the overnight loans rate fell from 4.5 percent to 0.25 percent a year. How does the overnight loans ra
> From 2007 to 2009, the long-term real interest rate paid by the safest corporations increased from 2.3 percent to 3.8 percent. During that same period, the overnight loans rate fell from 4.5 percent to 0.25 percent a year. What role does the long-term re
> At the end of 2009, the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent, the inflation rate was 0.8 percent, and the overnight loans rate target was 0.25 percent. In mid- 2014, the unemployment rate was about 7 percent, the inflation rate was 2.1 percent, and the over
> At the end of 2009, the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent, the inflation rate was 0.8 percent, and the overnight loans rate target was 0.25 percent. In mid- 2014, the unemployment rate was about 7 percent, the inflation rate was 2.1 percent, and the over
> Looking at the overnight loans rate since 2000, identify periods during which, with the benefit of hindsight, the rate might have been kept too low. Identify periods during which it might have been too high.
> The U.S. Federal Reserve Act of 2000 instructs the Federal Reserve to pursue its goals by “maintain[ing] long-run growth of the monetary and credit aggregates commensurate with the economy’s long-run potential to increase production.” a. How would follow
> In the 1980s, it was Argentina, Mexico, and the Philippines that struggled with unsustainable debt loads. In the 1990s, it was Russia and the go-go economies of East Asia. Today, it is the United States, Japan, and Europe. a. How would the budget deficit
> In the 1980s, it was Argentina, Mexico, and the Philippines that struggled with unsustainable debt loads. In the 1990s, it was Russia and the go-go economies of East Asia. Today, it is the United States, Japan, and Europe. How does a government get funds
> Suppose Parliament decided to strip the Bank of Canada of its monetary policy powers and decided to legislate interest rate changes. How would you expect the policy choices to change? Which arrangement would most likely provide price stability?
> Members expected real GDP growth to be moderate over coming quarters and then to pick up very gradually, with the unemployment rate declining only slowly. With longer-term inflation expectations stable, members anticipated that inflation over the medium
> The Bank of Canada and the Government of Canada have agreed that the Bank will achieve an inflation rate target. Based on the performance of Canadian inflation and unemployment, has the Bank’s inflation targeting been successful?
> The NDP called for immediate action to create jobs by investing in infrastructure and green energy programs to give the economy a kickstart. It needs more than corporate tax cuts, the NDP said. What would have a larger effect on aggregate demand: corpora
> The NDP called for immediate action to create jobs by investing in infrastructure and green energy programs to give the economy a kickstart. It needs more than corporate tax cuts, the NDP said. Explain whether, and if so how, “investing in infrastructure
> The NDP called for immediate action to create jobs by investing in infrastructure and green energy programs to give the economy a kickstart. It needs more than corporate tax cuts, the NDP said. Is the NDP’s proposed infrastructure spending a fiscal stimu
> Jim Flaherty tabled a 2011 budget with a deficit for this year gradually falling to a surplus in 2015. Mr. Flaherty said the budget aims to find that balance between helping Canadian families and businesses and securing economic growth. Explain the effec
> The economy is in a recession, the recessionary gap is large, and there is a budget deficit. a. Do we know whether the budget deficit is structural or cyclical? Explain your answer and use a graph to illustrate it. b. Do we know whether automatic fiscal
> The economy is in a recession, and the recessionary gap is large. a. Describe the discretionary and automatic fiscal policy actions that might occur. b. Describe a discretionary fiscal stimulus package that could be used that would not bring an increase
> Suppose that instead of taxing nominal capital income, the government taxed real capital income. Use graphs to explain and illustrate the effect that this change would have on: a. The tax rate on capital income. b. The supply of and demand for loanable f
> The government is considering raising the tax rate on labour income and asks you to report on the supply-side effects of such an action. Use appropriate graphs and report directions of change, not exact magnitudes. What will happen to: a. The supply of l
> At the end of 2011, China’s government debt was ¥4,700 billion (¥ is yuan, the currency of China). In 2012, the government spent ¥6,000 billion and ended the year with a debt of ¥5,300 billion. How much did the government receive in tax revenue in 2012?
> Does Canada have a stable short-run Phillips curve? Explain why or why not.
> How do we tell whether a budget deficit needs discretionary action to remove it?
> How do taxes and transfer payments programs work as automatic fiscal policy to dampen the business cycle?
> What is the Laffer curve and why is it unlikely that Canada is on the “wrong” side of it?
> Why are income taxes on capital income more powerful than those on labour income?
> U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday warned that “time was short” for Eurozone leaders bidding to solve a debt crisis. Cameron called on Germany to accept the “collective responsibility” of the euro project and beef up the zone’s 440-billion-euro
> In The New York Times articles and in blogs, economists Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz say that, with slow recovery from recession, there is a need for more fiscal stimulus in both the United States and Europe despite the large federal budget deficit a
> Answer the following questions. a. What was the state of the Japanese economy in 2013? b. Explain the effects of Japan’s high level of government spending and debt on the level of employment and potential GDP. c. Explain how inflation and faster growth m
> China’s economy is slowing from its normal 9 percent or higher economic growth rate to just below 9 percent. The source of the slowdown is the global economic slowdown that is restricting exports growth and the government’s deliberate decision to discour
> The economy is growing slowly, the inflationary gap is large, and there is a budget deficit. a. Do we know whether the budget deficit is structural or cyclical? Explain your choice and sketch a graph to illustrate your answer. b. Do we know whether autom
> The economy is in a boom and the inflationary gap is large. a. Describe the discretionary and automatic fiscal policy actions that might occur. b. Describe a discretionary fiscal restraint package that could be used that would not produce serious negativ
> If the natural unemployment rate increases, what happens to the short-run Phillips curve and the long-run Phillips curve?
> How does demand-pull inflation begin?
> What are some problems that can arise when each stage of a supply chain focuses solely on its own profits when making decisions? Identify some actions that can help a retailer and a manufacturer work together to expand the scope of strategic fit.
> What is the difference in implied uncertainty faced by a convenience store chain such as 7-Eleven, a supermarket chain, and a discount retailer such as Costco?
> What are some factors that influence implied uncertainty? How does the implied uncertainty differ between an integrated steel mill that measures lead times in months and requires large orders and a steel service center that promises 24-hour lead times an
> In what way do supply chain flows affect the success or failure of a firm like Amazon? List two supply chain decisions that have a significant impact on supply chain profitability.
> Consider the supply chain involved when a customer orders a book from Amazon. Identify the push/pull boundary and two processes each in the push and pull phases.
> What types of networks are best suited to highly differentiated products?
> Consider a firm such as Ford, with more than 150 facilities worldwide. List the pros and cons of having many facilities and why it may or may not be suitable for the automobile industry.
> Consider a firm such as Dell, with very few production facilities worldwide. List the pros and cons of this approach and why it may or may not be suitable for the computer industry.
> McMaster-Carr sells maintenance, repair, and operations equipment from five warehouses in the United States. WW Grainger sells products from more than 350 retail locations, supported by several warehouses. In both cases, customers place orders using the
> Consider the supply chain involved when a customer purchases a book at a bookstore. Identify cycles in this supply chain and the location of the push/pull boundary.
> Amazon.com has built new warehouses as it has grown. How does this change affect various cost and response times in the Amazon.com supply chain?
> How is the rise in transportation costs likely to affect global supply chain networks?
> How do import duties and exchange rates affect the location decision in a supply chain?
> How do the location and size of warehouses affect the performance of a firm such as Amazon.com? What factors should Amazon.com take into account when making this decision?
> Consider the sale of home improvement products at Home Depot or a chain of hardware stores such as True Value. Who can extract the greatest benefit from going online? Why?
> Is e-business likely to be more beneficial in the early part or the mature part of a product’s life cycle? Why?
> Why has e-business been more successful in the computer hardware industry compared to the grocery industry? In the future, how valuable is e-business likely to be in the computer hardware industry?
> In the future, do you see the value added by distributors decreasing, increasing, or staying about the same?
> What types of distribution networks are typically best suited for commodity items?
> A distributor has heard that one of the major manufacturers from which it buys is considering going direct to the consumer. What can the distributor do about this? What advantages can it offer the manufacturer that the manufacturer is unlikely to be able
> What are some strategic planning and operational decisions that must be made by an apparel retailer like The Gap?