Deck 2: Observing and Explaining the Economy

Question 1

Experimental economics

A) is the most common method in economics.
B) does not exist.
C) uses laboratory experiments to analyze economic behavior.
D) is the method used by most economists to analyze individuals' economic behavior.
E) is the method used by the government to collect economic data.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The table shows the price of motor fuel (mainly gasoline) and the overall price level (the consumer price index) in five-year intervals over the period 1990 through 2015.

Answer 2

Challenging

Question 3

All of the following are examples of an economic variable except

A) the amount of income tax that a household has to pay.
B) a family's income.
C) the price of gasoline.
D) an integer 24.
E) the number of oil refineries in the United States.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

To see whether the price of gasoline has risen compared to the prices of other goods and services, one would calculate

A) gasoline spending divided by spending on all other goods and services.
B) gasoline spending divided by total consumer spending.
C) the trend in the price of gasoline.
D) the price of gasoline divided by the overall price level.
E) the price of gasoline divided by the rate of inflation.

Question 5

It has been documented that beer consumption rises when the unemployment rate rises. To conclude that this correlation means that increased unemployment causes increased beer consumption is to mistake correlation for causality.

Question 6

Economics has always been a good example of an experimental science.

Question 7

Two variables are correlated if

A) they both move up or down at about the same time.
B) an increase in one variable only causes another variable to increase.
C) a fall in one variable only causes another variable to fall.
D) there is no observable pattern in the changes of the two variables over time.
E) changes in one variable do not cause changes in the other.

Question 8

To determine causality in many sciences such as physics, researchers

A) check for correlation.
B) use scatter diagrams.
C) perform controlled experiments.
D) plot the variables against time or location.
E) use only a small amount of data.

Question 9

If the price of gasoline decreases but not as much as the decrease in the average price of other goods and services, then the relative price of gasoline

A) cannot be determined.
B) decreases.
C) remains the same.
D) increases.
E) increases or decreases, depending on the price of automobiles.

Question 10

All of the following are what economists commonly do except

A) describing economic events.
B) explaining why economic events occur.
C) predicting some economic events.
D) finding ways to eliminate scarcity in resources.
E) making recommendations for economic policy.

Question 11

Explaining why the vehicle miles traveled per person have risen in recent years is one example of what economists do.

Question 12

If two variables are correlated, then it must be true that one of the variables causes the other.

Question 13

Controlled experiments are

A) seldom used in economics because economists do not like to repeat experiments.
B) often used because controlling other factors is relatively easy in economics.
C) not used as widely in economics as in other disciplines.
D) often used in economics.
E) performed by the government to collect economic data.

Question 14

The relative price of gasoline has decreased since 2012 because we have paid more dollars for each gallon of gasoline.

Question 15

If we observe that an increase in the amount of vehicle miles traveled rises after the price of gasoline rises, then we can conclude that

A) the amount of vehicle miles traveled and the price of gasoline are positively correlated.
B) the amount of vehicle miles traveled and the price of gasoline are negatively correlated.
C) the amount of vehicle miles traveled causes the price of gasoline to go up.
D) the price of gasoline causes the amount of vehicle miles traveled to go up.
E) a negative causation occurs between the amount of vehicle miles traveled and the price of gasoline

Question 16

Causation

A) occurs when there is no correlation between variables.
B) occurs when two variables are correlated.
C) means one event brings about another event.
D) means one event is observed to occur along with another.
E) means one event occurs subsequently to another event.

Question 17

The relative price of an iPhone is

A) the actual price that a consumer pays for the iPhone.
B) the actual price that the seller received for the iPhone.
C) the actual price of the iPhone compared with its suggested retail price.
D) the price of the iPhone compared with the average price of all goods and services.
E) zero if it is a used iPhone.

Question 18

Economic data always give an accurate picture of what affects consumers.

Question 19

An economic variable is any economic measure that

A) has different values because of researchers' different perspectives.
B) has no market value.
C) has a fixed value over time.
D) has no effect on the economy.
E) can vary over a range of values.

Question 20

Which of the following is not an economic issue?

A) Why is college tuition so high?
B) Why has health-care spending increased faster than the rest of the economy?
C) How can one earn $1 million without doing anything?
D) How can one reduce the currently high levels of unemployment in Europe?
E) Why are there so many brands of bottled water?

Question 21

Macroeconomics deals with large industries such as the health-care industry.

Question 22

An economic model is the same as a theory.

Question 23

A microeconomic model must be much smaller in size than a macroeconomic model.

Question 24

Economic models

A) are different from the phenomena they attempt to explain.
B) are new phenomena because they are by-products of experimental economics.
C) are not complicated because the behavior they describe is not complicated.
D) are complicated because human behavior is complicated.
E) would not be needed if controlled experiments were used more often.

Question 25

The ceteris paribus assumption is used in economics

A) because economic theory is an accurate reflection of the real world.
B) to isolate the important variables when formulating a theory.
C) primarily to identify unstable equilibrium situations.
D) to make the theory more complicated
E) to distinguish economics from other disciplines.

Question 26

The ceteris paribus, or everything else held constant, assumption is used in economics primarily to identify unstable equilibrium situations.

Question 27

Macroeconomics is concerned primarily with

A) the economy as a whole.
B) the operation of a particular firm.
C) individual consumer behavior.
D) the labor market.
E) a detailed examination of how price and output decisions are made in specific markets.

Question 28

The ceteris paribus assumption is always used whenever an economist analyzes the relationship of two variables.

Question 29

What is the difference between correlation and causality?

Question 30

Ceteris paribus means

A) that rational self-interest is being assumed.
B) "all variables are independent."
C) that no other assumptions are being made.
D) "other things being equal."
E) "all relationships are inverse."

Question 31

Two variables are negatively correlated if

A) the value of one variable decreases as the value of the other variable decreases.
B) the value of one variable increases as the value of the other variable decreases.
C) a fall in one variable only causes another variable to fall.
D) changes in one have no effect on the other.
E) the value of one variable remains constant as the value of another variable changes.

Question 32

When economists explain the relationship between the price of hotdogs and the number that consumers will buy, the ceteris paribus assumption implies that

A) the price of hotdogs is constant.
B) the quantity of hotdogs purchased is constant.
C) both the price and quantity of hotdogs purchased are constant.
D) factors other than the price and quantity of hotdogs purchased are constant.
E) everything in the world does not change.

Question 33

Explain why it is more difficult to determine causality in economics than in other sciences such as physics, chemistry, and biology.

Question 34

Economic models

A) are not complicated because the behavior they describe is not complicated.
B) require either algebra or graphs.
C) are complicated because human behavior is complicated.
D) are simplifications of the phenomena they attempt to explain.
E) need to be the same as the phenomena they describe.

Question 35

Which of the following is considered a macroeconomic question?

A) How to reduce costs in the healthcare industry?
B) What is the impact of competition on the profits of Apple, the maker of iPhones?
C) How can economic policy increase a nation's gross domestic product?
D) How does a family allocate income among different types of goods and services?
E) What factors determine the wage rate in the steel industry?

Question 36

Which of the following is most likely a microeconomic concept?

A) Concern over simultaneous high rates of inflation and unemployment
B) Price determination in the market of consumer goods
C) The rate of economic growth
D) Concern over an entire economy's balance of payments
E) How the composition of output is determined in an economy

Question 37

A model gives the most realistic description of the real world.

Question 38

An economic model is a tool used to help us understand the real world.

Question 39

Economic models need to resemble, as much as possible, the phenomena being explained.

Question 40

Economic models differ from those in the physical sciences because

A) they are usually more difficult than models in the physical sciences.
B) economics has nothing to do with anything physical.
C) they are less difficult than those in the physical sciences.
D) they attempt to explain human behavior.
E) economics relies on controlled experiments.

Question 41

Economics was originally called

A) political engineering.
B) political economy.
C) economic physics.
D) social engineering.
E) social physics.

Question 42

A model is valid

A) if it is based on human behavior.
B) if it is new.
C) if it has been around for many years.
D) if it can explains some observations or events.
E) only if it makes predictions perfectly.

Question 43

A system in which the government essentially owns and controls all production is called

A) capitalism.
B) socialism.
C) a market system.
D) a laissez faire system.
E) a mixed economy.

Question 44

A market economy in which the government plays some role is called

A) capitalism.
B) socialism.
C) communism.
D) a laissez faire system.
E) a mixed economy.

Question 45

A laissez faire system is an economy with many government regulations.

Question 46

A major reason for the development of new models is

A) because of asymmetric information.
B) that new observations cannot be explained by existing models.
C) that old economic laws are often repealed.
D) that human behavior is no longer important.
E) that new models are always easier to understand.

Question 47

Karl Marx argued that capitalism would eventually collapse and give rise to a new economic system, which is called

A) a political system.
B) socialism.
C) a market system.
D) a laissez faire system.
E) a mixed economy.

Question 48

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Normative economics deals with what is.
B) Normative economics expresses someone's opinion.
C) Positive economics is subjective.
D) Positive economics deals with what ought to be.
E) Normative economics tries to refrain from opinions.

Question 49

The figure below shows the relationship of the quantity demanded for iTune music downloads per day to the price of each iTune music download.

Question 50

Positive economics is the

A) study of the desirable attributes of economic relationships.
B) scientific study of "what is" among economic relationships.
C) scientific study of how people behave positively.
D) study of how economic policy should improve the welfare of individuals.
E) study of how people and institutions should behave.

Question 51

Economists develop new models only when new economic data become available.

Question 52

Explain how economic models are similar to and different from models used in other sciences.
What are the consequences of these differences?

Question 53

Explain how new models or theories are developed in economics.

Question 54

In modern market economies, the role government is small.

Question 55

A mixed system is an economy with only private industries.

Question 56

The category of economics that contains statements about what ought to be is known as

A) objective economics.
B) positive economics.
C) normative economics.
D) microeconomics.
E) macroeconomics.

Question 57

Economists are likely to evaluate the impacts of rising gasoline prices through the use of

A) outdated models with new applications.
B) models that are not relevant to the healthcare industry.
C) existing models that are useful for explaining observations.
D) models that are useful only for exposition in economics textbooks.
E) new models with old data.

Question 58

What is the difference between microeconomics and macroeconomics?

Question 59

A hypothesis is

A) an alternative to using models.
B) a testable statement used to explain observations.
C) an untestable explanation used to explain observations.
D) a fact.
E) the same as a theory.

Question 60

Those who support a laissez faire system

A) believe in the working of socialism.
B) argue for a market economy.
C) support government intervention.
D) argue for a command economy.
E) argue for a mixed economy.

Question 61

Which of the following is a normative statement?

A) "Income inequality in the United States has increased."
B) "The Federal Reserve has observed rising inflation."
C) "The government should increase the minimum wage to help low-income groups."
D) "The minimum wages are higher in some cities than in other cities."
E) "The relative price of gasoline has remained low in the past 30 years."

Question 62

A newspaper editorial explaining what should be done to reduce the national debt is an example of

A) the ceteris paribus assumption.
B) microeconomics.
C) functional economics.
D) positive economics.
E) normative economics.

Question 63

Positive economics

A) will usually indicate which economic policy is best.
B) is concerned with what ought to be.
C) is the same as normative economics.
D) is strictly quantitative and so has little to say to those with philosophical goals to achieve in policymaking.
E) produces verifiable statements.

Question 64

Whether a nation should have more or less government involvement is basically a

A) normative issue.
B) positive issue.
C) political issue, and therefore the techniques of economic analysis are not applicable.
D) positive or normative issu
E) both normative and positive issues.

Question 65

Because economists have varying moral beliefs and different views of the world,

A) it is impossible for there to be anything scientific about economics.
B) they will disagree on abstract issues.
C) there are many different types of economic theories.
D) they will agree more often than not on principles when discussed at an abstract level, but they will disagree on whether to apply these principles in real-world circumstances.
E) economics can never be a science.

Question 66

There is total agreement in economics among economists and policymakers.

Question 67

In his book Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith made a positive statement when he advocated about what the government should or should not do to affect an economy.

Question 68

A positive statement is necessarily a subjective statement.

Question 69

Considering the role government plays, what term best describes the U.S. economy? Why?

Question 70

Using gasoline prices as an example, explain what a normative statement is and what a positive statement is.

Question 71

Explain how the distinction between positive and normative economics provides insight as to why economists do disagree.

Question 72

All microeconomic issues are normative in nature.

Question 73

To argue that economics is the only science not used objectively is

A) true because only economics engages in politically controversial issues.
B) false because other sciences besides economics engage in politically controversial issues.
C) true because all other sciences use controlled experiments.
D) false because one's reasoning is either correct or incorrect.
E) false because none of the other sciences use controlled experiments.

Question 74

When economists do disagree, the disagreement most likely concerns

A) positive issues.
B) normative issues.
C) theoretical issues.
D) minor issues.
E) just about any economic topic.

Question 75

"Inflation is a more serious problem than unemployment." This statement is an example of

A) a normative statement.
B) the fallacy of composition.
C) a positive statement.
D) microeconomics.
E) macroeconomics.

Question 76

To argue that economics is a partisan policy tool means that

A) economics is being used without political considerations.
B) part of the policy is based on economic analysis.
C) economics is not always used objectively.
D) economics is used objectively.
E) economic analysis is always misleading.

Question 77

When people survey economists' beliefs, they find

A) a surprising amount of agreement.
B) that economists act as if they are not human.
C) that economists lack moral beliefs.
D) that, for every economist, they get two different answers.
E) more disagreement than expected.

Question 78

Most disagreements between economists occur because of different data sources.

Question 79

"Inflation is currently 2 percent in the United States." This statement is an example of

A) a positive statement.
B) a normative statement.
C) the fallacy of composition.
D) macroeconomics.
E) microeconomics.

Question 80

A good explanation for why people believe economists always disagree is that

A) economics is not a science.
B) this is the impression economists want the public to have of them.
C) with so many economists, it is always possible to find an economist with a different viewpoint.
D) economics is an inexact science.
E) economists are trained to argue with others.