ADVANCED ANALYSIS Return to problem 3 and assume that the exchange rate is fixed at 110. In year 1, what is the minimum initial size of the U.S. reserve of loonies such that the United States can maintain the peg throughout the year? What is the minimum initial size that is necessary at the start of year 2? Next, consider only the data for year 1. What peg should the United States set if it wants the fixed exchange rate to increase the domestic money supply by $1.2 trillion?

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Short Answer

Expert verified

The minimum initial size of the U.S. reserve of loonies will be 15 billion in year 1.

The minimum initial size of the U.S. reserve of loonies will be 05 billion in year 2.

The peg the United States should set if it wants the fixed exchange rate to increase the domestic money supply by $1.2 trillion will be 1 loonie = $190.

Step by step solution

01

Foreign exchange market replaced by government peg

As long as the U.S. government can come up with the necessary amounts of both dollars (to satisfy exchange requests for loonies) and loonies (to fulfill exchange requests for dollars), the fixed exchange rate will pre-empt the foreign exchange market.

The U.S. government can maintain the peg preferred by both buyers and sellers. Thus, there is no possibility of a given buyer and seller ever voluntarily agreeing to exchange dollars for loonies at any other exchange rate.

However, if the U.S. government ever stops honoring its pledge to exchange dollars for loonies and loonies for dollars at the fixed exchange rate, a private market for foreign exchange will instantly pop back into existence to connect the buyers and sellers of dollars and loonies. Because the exchange rate will be determined by supply and demand once again, it may end up at an equilibrium value substantially different from the fixed exchange rate that the government abandoned.

02

Minimum size of loonies in year 1


The exchange rate is fixed at 110, which means 1 loonie = $110.

For year 1, the minimum initial size of the U.S. reserve of loonies such that the United States can maintain the peg throughout the year should be 15 billion(quantities of loonies supplied).

03

Minimum size of loonies in year 2

The exchange rate is fixed at 110, which means 1loonie = $110.

For year 2, the minimum initial size of the U.S. reserve of loonies such that the United States can maintain the peg throughout the year should be 05 billion (quantities of loonies supplied).

04

Government’s new peg for year 1

Since $1.2 trillion = $1200 billion

At present peg the number of dollars available in the U.S. economy is:

110 x 15 = $1650 billion

The required supply is $(1650+1200) billion = $2850 billion

So the peg will be, 2850×1101650=190

The required peg is 1 loonie= $190 (The dollar has depreciated because the U.S. government is indirectly increasing the number of loonies or FOREX reserves).

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Alpha’s balance-of-payments data for 2020 are shown below. All figures are in billions of dollars. What are the (a) balance on goods, (b) balance on goods and services, (c) balance on the current account, and (d) balance on capital and financial account?

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Refer to the following table, in which Qd is the quantity of loonies demanded, P is the dollar price of loonies, Qs is the quantity of loonies supplied in year 1, and Qs′ is the quantity of loonies supplied in year 2. All quantities are in billions, and the dollar-loonie exchange rate is fully flexible.

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a. What is the equilibrium dollar price of loonies in year 1?

b. What is the equilibrium dollar price of loonies in year 2?

c. Did the loonie appreciate, or did it depreciate relative to the dollar between years 1 and 2?

d. Did the dollar appreciate or did it depreciate relative to the loonie between years 1 and 2?

e. Which one of the following could have caused the change in relative values of the dollar (used in the United States) and the loonie (used in Canada) between years 1 and 2: (1) More rapid inflation in the United States than in Canada, (2) an increase in the real interest rate in the United States but not in Canada, or (3) faster income growth in the United States than in Canada?

Generally speaking, how is the dollar price of euros determined? Cite a factor that might increase the dollar price of euros. Cite a different factor that might decrease the dollar price of euros. Explain: "A rise in the dollar price of euros necessarily means a fall in the euro price of dollars." Illustrate and elaborate: "The dollar-euro exchange rate provides a direct link between the prices of goods and services produced in the eurozone and in the United States."Explain the purchasing-power-parity theory of exchange rates, using the euro-dollar exchange rate as an illustration.

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