| LOS b: Discuss monetary policy and the tools utilized by central banks to carry out monetary policy. A country is experiencing a core inflation rate of 7% during a recessionary period of real GDP growth. If the central bank has a single mandate to achieve price stability and uses inflation targeting with an acceptable range of zero to 4%, its monetary policy response is most likely to decrease: 
 
 
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| A) | GDP growth in the short run. |  |  
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| B) | short-term interest rates. |  |  
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| C) | the foreign exchange value of the country’s currency. |  |  
 
 
 
If the central bank has a price stability mandate, it will most likely respond to the above-target inflation rate by decreasing the money supply, even though GDP growth is in a recessionary phase. Decreasing the money supply will result in higher short-term interest rates and appreciation of the currency, but will likely cause GDP growth to decrease further in the short run.  |