Current Events:
May 3 (Bloomberg) -- Robert Theleen, chairman and chief executive officer of ChinaVest Ltd., talks with Bloomberg's Susan Li about the Shanghai World Expo. The $44 billion Expo attracted thousands of visitors on its first day, causing long queues at the fairs pavilions in Chinas richest city. The exhibition runs for the next six months. Theleen also discusses China's economy and monetary policy. (Source: Bloomberg)
The Chapter 21 Multiple Choice Test, composed of 50 questions, is on Tuesday: per the 4th Quarter procedure, there are no Test Prep pages.
The Chapter 22 Multiple Choice Test, composed of 50 questions, is on Friday: per the 4th Quarter procedure, there are no Test Prep pages.
After these Tests, however, more Test sample questions, will be posted.
Now that the lecture presentations are complete we can review for the Test. Be sure to review Chapters 23-26 (we will have Tests on this material as well if we have time, TBA). I will hand out a packet from the most recent AP Economics Workshop Handbook 2008-2009 which includes sample questions and student answers which will help you review.
In the meantime, re-arrange yourselves into your three small groups and you can review sample Chapter multiple choice questions to answer. Decide within the groups how you want to sub-divide the questions and we can then review the suggested answers.
As we have time we can attempt diagnostic, full-length tests, and detailed answer explanations as well.
Review of Chs. 15 - 20 Multiple Choice Sample Questions
Ch. 26
Ideas for Capturing Your Classroom Audience
Chapter Checkpoints
Exchange Rates
Question: If China were to revalue its currency by 10% so in effect the yuan appreciated by 10%, would this have an impact on the U.S. current account?
The point is to check that students can: integrate the understanding of the effect of changes in currency values on imports and exports and therefore on the current account.
Monetary and Fiscal Policy in an Open Economy
Question: The United States seems to rely more on monetary policy to maintain stable prices, low interest rates, low unemployment, and healthy economic growth.
Does the fact that the United States has really embraced global trade (imports and
exports combined are over 25% of gross domestic product) and we have a flexible
(floating) exchange rate help explain why monetary policy seems more important
than fiscal policy?
The point is to check that students can: understand how the exchange rate system
(fixed or flexible) impacts the effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policy.
Examples Used in the End-of-Chapter Questions
Question 2 refers to remittances. For a map illustrating the amounts of remittances to various countries see the Web site of the Multilateral Investment Fund from the Inter-American Development Bank. The site is located on the Web at: http://www.iadb.org/mif/remesas_map.cfm?language=English&parid=5&item1d=2.
Question 4 asks “how are most exchange rates determined?” and the answer is by
supply and demand in free markets. China has been viewed as an exception, but in
2005 the Chinese government took an important step toward allowing its currency
to float. For more information see the story by Peter S. Goodman in The
Washington Post titled, “China Ends Fixed-Rate Currency: Administration Hails
Policy Shift” (July 22, 2005, page A01, available on the Web at: http://www .washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/21/AR2005072100351.html.
Question 11 refers to the devaluation of Zimbabwe’s currency in mid-2006. But they
“only” (in simple terms) removed three 0’s. Turkey, in January 2005, took six 0’s off in the “redenomination” of their currency. Learn more about Turkey (and how things have worked out) on this site from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1833730.stm.
For Further Analysis
Using the AS/AD Model to Explore the Impacts of Changes in the Value of the
Dollar
The example provided in the student handout can be used as an in-class small group
exercise or as an individual in-class exercise. It is designed to complement and
extend the text’s material exchange rates and their effect on the U.S. economy using the AS/AD model. The exercise begins with the analysis described by Figure 4 in the chapter and then has students consider the opposite case (of dollar appreciation).
The exercise concludes asking students to evaluate the differing effects and
address the question of “what’s better” for the U.S. economy: a strong dollar or a
weak dollar?
The format of the exercise asks students to demonstrate their understanding by
analyzing a reverse situation to that described in the text. It also provides a chance to introduce students to the debates about economics and to get them to think about whether appreciation or depreciation is better for an economy and whether it benefits or hurts certain portions of society.
If you wish to elaborate on the analysis you can ask students to consider financial effects such as capital flows and the interest rate; this material is covered in the chapter. You may wish to supplement the assignment with current articles about the value of the dollar and views as to whether the U.S. government should “manage” the dollar more than it does at present. Other points that could be addressed include how long the long run really is and whether the short-run effects may swamp the long run. Stone’s section in microeconomics about the different definitions of time in economics is very useful.
Web-Based Exercise
This example can be used as a small group exercise or as an individual exercise. The exercise provides an opportunity for students to apply the material in the chapter about purchasing power parity and the Big Mac Index to get a feel for forecasting exchange rates. The exercise asks students to look at the Big Mac Index data from some previous period(s) and see if the currencies noted as “overvalued” subsequently depreciated and if those noted as “undervalued” subsequently appreciated.
You can change how extensive this assignment is by adding more past periods of
time or supplementing the Big Mac data with articles about various currencies
explaining the factors affecting them.
Students may also be intrigued by The Economist’s “lattenomics” that uses
Starbucks coffee instead of burgers. A video clip and explanation are among the
resources on the site at http://www.economist.com/markets/Bigmac/Index.cfm.
PPP and the Big Mac
As described in the text, the Big Mac Index published by The Economist has always
been meant to be a humorous and intuitive way to explain purchasing power parity.
However, as simple as it is, the Big Mac Index has been pretty good at predicting the future course of some currencies. Visit the Web site for the Big Mac Index at
http://www.economist.com/markets/Bigmac/Index.cfm and answer the following:
Collect data to answer the following:
1) Pick three currencies that were listed as overvalued at the time and three
that were listed as undervalued. Have those currencies subsequently moved
in the indicated directions?
2) Describe the limitations of the Big Mac Index.
Tips from a Colleague
The most challenging part of this chapter is the material on the current and capital accounts. Students are likely to understand that if we import more than we export we have a trade deficit, but the logic of why this results in a capital account surplus is likely to elude them. You might consider a simple intuitive illustration of swapping goods. Offer to trade an inexpensive stick pen for a student’s hat or other item which has an obviously higher value. Explain that such a direct swap of goods would be similar to imports and exports. When the student suggests that the goods being traded are not equal in value, offer different amounts of money (hypothetically) to make up the difference. Explain that the willingness of someone to take U.S. money to make up the difference is analogous to the increased holdings of U.S. assets by foreigners that make up the capital account.
Email HW to gmsmith@shanahan.org
1. Be sure to review Chapters 22-26 (we will have Tests on this material as well if we have time, TBA). Some students have asked to be tested as close as possible after covering the material.
2. Exchange Rates
Question: If China were to revalue its currency by 10% so in effect the yuan appreciated by 10%, would this have an impact on the U.S. current account?
The point is to check that students can: integrate the understanding of the effect of changes in currency values on imports and exports and therefore on the current account.
3. As review for HW, typical questions that you may encounter on the actual AP Economics Macro Test are included daily:
Review Questions (Princeton):
a) an increase in government spending
b) a decrease in investment
c) expansionary monetary policy
d) contractionary monetary policy
e) an increase in the interest rate
37. In order to go from national income to GDP one must
a) add depreciation expenses
b) add indirect taxes
c) subtract subsidies
d) add the net income of foreigners
e) all of the above
38. In the aggregate expenditure/Keynesian Cross model, saying that some components are autonomous means that they
a) a rightward shift in the aggregate supply curve
b) An increase in input costs that corresponds with an increase in unemployment
c) An increase in output that corresponds with a decrease in the price level
d) A leftward shift in the aggregate supply curve
e) A rightward shift in the aggregate demand curve
