Chapter 15 Reading Guide –pp.407-431
Section 1
1. What is the structure of the Federal Reserve System?
2. What are the regulatory functions of the Fed?
Section 2
3. How do fractional reserves change the money supply?
4. What is monetary policy?
5. What are the tools used to conduct monetary policy?
Section 3
6. How does monetary policy affect interest rates in the short run?
7. How does monetary expansion lead to inflation in the long run?
8. What is M1? M2? What is the difference btwn them?
9. How are interest rates affected by political pressure?
True False – If false, correct the statement.
____ 10. The Federal Reserve System is supervised by a Board of Governors whose members are appointed by the
president for life.
____ 11. The Fed requires all member banks to deposit a percentage of every deposit either in their bank vaults or in the
Fed to use as a reserve.
____ 12. Banks may use excess reserves to purchase federal securities, which are secure but cannot be quickly converted to
cash.
____ 13. The Fed can implement its monetary policy by buying and selling government securities.
____ 14. If the Fed increases the interest rate, it will increase the supply of money.
____ 15. A long-run effect of increasing the money supply can be inflation.
____ 16. The real rate of interest is the interest rate minus the rate of inflation.
Multiple Choice – Choose the best answer
____ 17. The Federal Reserve
a. is made up of 12 district banks and 25 branch banks.
b. is made up of district banks that operate independently from one another.
c. is managed by a 12-member board of directors.
d. was established in 1930s.
____ 18. Liabilities are
a. reserves a bank must set aside.
c. cash a bank can use for making loans.
b. debts and obligations.
d. the same as net worth.
____ 19. In the short run, an increase in the money supply results in
a. lower interest rates.
c. economic expansion.
b. higher interest rates.
d. increased consumer spending.
____ 20. Unlike many politicians, the Fed
a. must respond to pressure from the public.
b. recognizes high interest rates as a sign of an unhealthy economy.
c. is concerned about short-term interest rates.
d. is concerned about the long-run health of the economy.
____ 21. The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee
Chapter 15 Reading Guide –pp.407-431
a.
b.
c.
d.
advises the Fed on the overall health of the economy.
regulates savings and loan associations, savings banks, and credit unions.
advises the Fed on consumer credit laws.
is the Fed's primary monetary policymaking body.
____ 22. When the Fed refers to M1, it is referring to such elements of the money supply as
a. money market funds.
c. traveler's checks and currency.
b. savings deposits.
d. stocks.
Organization of the Federal Reserve System
____ 23. Which group on the Federal Reserve organization chart decides whether to raise or lower interest rates?
a. Federal Open Market Committee
c. Federal Advisory Council
b. Board of Governors
d. Federal Reserve Banks
____ 24. The president of the United States appoints members of which group on the Federal Reserve organization chart?
a. Federal Open Market Committee
c. Federal Advisory Council
b. Board of Governors
d. Federal Reserve Banks
____ 25.
Like a driver applying a quick tap of the brakes, the Federal Reserve yesterday raised the cost
of borrowing to keep the U.S. economy from running ahead too fast. As a result, consumers
can expect to pay a little more when buying homes, cars, and other big-ticket items, as well as
when carrying credit-card balances.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, July 1, 1999.
Why will the Fed’s action in the passage cause the result described?
a. Sellers of expensive items will raise their prices.
b. Banks will raise their loan interest rates.
c. Inflation will increase.
d. Banks will have to meet a higher reserve requirement.
Reserve Requirements
Bank Deposits
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
Required Reserve
%
5%
10%
15%
$ Amount of
Required Reserve
P
R
T
$ Amount Bank
May Loan
Q
S
U
____ 26. What dollar amount should appear in place of the letter P in the table?
a. $1,000,000
c. $1,900,000
b. $100,000
d. $190,000
____ 27. What dollar amount should appear in place of the letter S in the table?
Chapter 15 Reading Guide –pp.407-431
a. $200,000
b. $2,200,000
c. $1,800,000
d. $180,000
Sequencing the Check Clearing Process
____ 28. The illustration shows the steps in the check-clearing process. Use the letter designations to put these steps in the
correct sequence, starting the process with item K.
a. K, S, T, M, W, V
c. K, S, M, W, T, V
b. K, M, T, W, V, S
d. K, M, W, T, V, S
____ 29.
...[Federal Reserve] Chairman Alan Greenspan decided seven years ago to publicize the
central bank’s interest-rate moves once they were made. Now, each meeting of the Fed—
whether the central bank changes rates or not—triggers a chorus of instant analysis of what it
means for the economy and the financial markets.
Source: Business Week, July 23, 2001.
Which function of the Federal Reserve is the subject of this passage?
a. serving as the federal government’s banker
b. holding and settling reserve requirements
c. regulating the money supply
d. supplying paper currency
Chapter 15 Reading Guide –pp.407-431
____ 30.
This cartoon illustrates that when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, banks
a. lend more money to their customers.
b. increase interest rates to their borrowers.
c. impose late payment penalties on their customers.
d. compound interest on their savings accounts.
____ 31.
Federal Reserve policymakers cut their short-term interest rate target an aggressive half-point
to 2% Tuesday.... This cut was the Fed’s 10th attempt this year to shore up the U.S. economy,
which is still weakening after the Sept. 11 attacks. The moves represent some of the most
furious rate-cutting in Fed history.... Fed officials have now pushed the rate banks charge
each other for overnight loans to its lowest level since 1961....
Major banks lowered the prime rate in [lockstep] with the Fed, bringing it down to 5% from
5.5%. That translates into lower rates for home-equity loans, business loans, and some credit
cards.
Source: “Fed Slashes Interest Rates,” ISA Today, November 7, 2001.
In taking the actions described in the passage, the Fed was trying to
a. increase the amount banks keep on reserve.
b. decrease the money supply.
c. increase business activity.
d. decrease business activity.
Monetary Policy
Tool
Reserve
Requirement
Open Market
Operations
Discount
Rate
F
G
H
I
J
K
Fed Action
Lower reserve requirement.
Raise reserve requirement.
Sell bonds.
Buy bonds.
Raise discount rate.
Lower discount rate.
____ 32. Which letter designations in the table mark Fed actions that will expand the money supply?
a. F, I, K
c. G, H, J
b. F, H, J
d. G, I, J
____ 33. Which letter designations in the table mark Fed actions that will contract the money supply?
a. F, I, K
c. G, H, J
b. F, H, J
d. G, I, J