Use shifts of the AD and AS curves to explain (a) the U.S. experience of strong economic growth, full employment, and price stability in the late 1990s and early 2000s and (b) how a strong negative wealth effect from, say, a precipitous drop in house prices could cause a recession even though productivity is surging.

Short Answer

Expert verified

a. The change in AD and AS curve is of the same magnitude; that is shown below:

b. The AD curve falls, and there is a rise in AS curve, which is shown below:

Step by step solution

01

Explanation of part (a)

The U.S. experienced strong economic growth, full employment, and price stability in the late 1990s and early 2000s, i.e., both AD and AS curve rises in the same magnitude.

The aggregate demand curve shifts from AD1 to AD2, and the aggregate supply curve shifts from AS1 to AS2 as productivity increases and the labor force grows. Hence, the output level rises, but the price level remains constant. The magnitude in change is the same for both AD and AS curves; thus, the equilibrium shifts rightward.

02

Explanation of part (b)

A steep drop in house prices could cause a recession even though productivity surges; thus, the AD curve shifts left, and the AS curve shifts to the right due to productivity increase.

The AD curve shift left or fall from AD1 to AD2 because of a steep drop in house prices, but the AS curve shifts rightward from AS1 to AS2 because productivity increases. The price falls from P1 to P2, and the quantity falls from Q1 to Q2. Hence, it is a recessionary situation.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

what is aggregate demand

Why does a reduction in aggregate demand in the actual economy reduce real output, rather than the price level? Why might a full-strength multiplier apply to a decrease in aggregate demand?

Suppose that consumer spending initially rises by \(5 billion for every 1 percent rise in household wealth and that investment spending initially rises by \)20 billion for every 1 percentage point fall in the real interest rate. Also, assume that the economy’s multiplier is 4. If household wealth falls by 5 percent because of declining house values, and the real interest rate falls by 2 percentage points, in what direction and by how much will the aggregate demand curve initially shift at each price level? In what direction and by how much will it eventually shift?

Suppose that the table presented below shows an economy’s relationship between real output and the inputs needed to produce that output:

Input QuantityReal GDP
150.0\(400
112.5300
75.0200
  1. What is productivity in this economy?

  2. What is the per-unit cost of production if the price of each input unit is \)2?

  3. Assume that the input price increases from \(2 to \)3 with no accompanying change in productivity. What is the new per-unit cost of production? In what direction would the $1 increase in input price push the economy’s aggregate supply curve? What effect would this shift of aggregate supply have on the price level and the level of real output?

  4. Suppose that the increase in input price does not occur but, instead, that productivity increases by 100 percent. What would be the new per-unit cost of production? What effect would this change in per-unit production cost have on the economy’s aggregate supply curve? What effect would this shift of aggregate supply have on the price level and the level of real output?

Explain: “Unemployment can be caused by a decrease of aggregate demand or a decrease of aggregate supply.” In each case, specify the price-level outcomes.

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