Q1. U.S. banks will generally opt to hold excess reserves if they believe general business conditions in the U.S. economy are subject to greater uncertainty. If all else is held constant, what is the most likely impact of this action?

A)  The money supply will increase during a period of inflation, but will decrease if the economy goes into a recession.

B)  There will be no effect on the money supply.

C)  The money supply will decrease.

Q2. On January 5, the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) bought $10,000,000 of U.S. Treasury securities in the open market. At the time, the reserve requirement was 25%, and all banks had zero excess reserves. What is the potential impact of the Fed's purchase on the U.S. money supply?

A)  $40,000,000 increase.

B)  $10,000,000 increase.

C)  $25,000,000 decrease.

答案和详解如下：

Q1. U.S. banks will generally opt to hold excess reserves if they believe general business conditions in the U.S. economy are subject to greater uncertainty. If all else is held constant, what is the most likely impact of this action?

A)  The money supply will increase during a period of inflation, but will decrease if the economy goes into a recession.

B)  There will be no effect on the money supply.

C)  The money supply will decrease.

Correct answer is C)

If banks choose to hold excess reserves, they will decrease their lending. Less bank lending will cause the money supply to decrease.

Q2. On January 5, the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) bought $10,000,000 of U.S. Treasury securities in the open market. At the time, the reserve requirement was 25%, and all banks had zero excess reserves. What is the potential impact of the Fed's purchase on the U.S. money supply?

A)  $40,000,000 increase.

B)  $10,000,000 increase.

C)  $25,000,000 decrease.

Correct answer is A)

Buying securities by the Fed increases the money supply because they are injecting money into the banking system. The money supply can potentially increase by 1 / 0.25 × $10,000,000 = $40,000,000.

thx