Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

Theories of international economics from the 18th and 19th Centuries are

A) not relevant to current policy analysis.
B) only of moderate relevance in today's modern international economy.
C) highly relevant in today's modern international economy.
D) the only theories that actually relevant to modern international economy.
E) not well understood by modern mathematically oriented theorists.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

International economics ________ use the same fundamental methods of analysis as other branches of economics, because ________.

A) does not, the level of complexity of international issues is unique
B) does not, the interactions associated with international economic relations is highly mathematical
C) does not, international economics takes a different perspective on economic issues
D) does not, international economic policy requires cooperation with other countries
E) does, the motives and behavior of individuals are the same in international trade as they are in domestic transactions

Answer 2

E

Question 3

After World War II, the United States has pursued a broad policy of

A) strengthening "Fortress America" protectionism.
B) removing barriers to international trade.
C) isolating Iran and other members of the "axis of evil."
D) protecting the U.S. from the economic impact of oil producers.
E) restricting trade of manufactured goods.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The United States is less dependent on trade than most other countries because

A) the United States is a relatively large country with diverse resources.
B) the United States is a "Superpower."
C) the military power of the United States makes it less dependent on anything.
D) the United States invests in many other countries.
E) many countries invest in the United States.

Question 5

During the first three years of its existence, the euro

A) depreciated against the $U.S.
B) maintained a strict parity with the $U.S.
C) strengthened against the $U.S.
D) proved to be an impossible dream.
E) exported exclusively to the U.S.

Question 6

The balance of payments has become a central issue for the United States because

A) when the balance of payments is not balanced, society is unbalanced.
B) the U.S. economy cannot grow when the balance of payments is in deficit.
C) the U.S. has run huge trade deficits in every year since 1982.
D) the U.S. never experienced a surplus in its balance of payments.
E) the U.S. once ran a large trade surplus of about $40 billion.

Question 7

The insight that patterns of trade are primarily determined by international differences in labor productivity was first proposed by

A) Adam Smith.
B) David Hume.
C) David Ricardo.
D) Eli Heckscher.
E) Lerner and Samuelson.

Question 8

Who sells what to whom

A) has been a major preoccupation of international economics.
B) is not a valid concern of international economics.
C) is not considered important for government foreign trade policy since such decisions are made in the private competitive market.
D) is determined by political rather than economic factors.
E) is less important than international economic theory.

Question 9

If there are large disparities in wage levels between countries, then

A) trade is likely to be harmful to both countries.
B) trade is likely to be harmful to the country with the high wages.
C) trade is likely to be harmful to the country with the low wages.
D) trade is likely to be harmful to neither country.
E) trade is likely to have no effect on either country.

Question 10

The study of exchange rate determination is a relatively new part of international economics, since

A) for much of the past century, exchange rates were fixed by government action.
B) the calculations required for this were not possible before modern computers became available.
C) economic theory developed by David Hume demonstrated that real exchange rates remain fixed over time.
D) dynamic overshooting asset pricing models are a recent theoretical development.
E) the exchange rate never fluctuates.

Question 11

Historians of economic thought often describe ________ written by ________ and published in ________ as the first real exposition of an economic model.

A) "Of the Balance of Trade," David Hume, 1776
B) "Wealth of Nations," David Hume, 1758
C) "Wealth of Nations," Adam Smith, 1758
D) "Wealth of Nations," Adam Smith, 1776
E) "Of the Balance of Trade," David Hume, 1758

Question 12

From 1960 to 2012

A) the U.S. economy roughly tripled in size.
B) U.S. imports roughly tripled in size.
C) the share of US Trade in the global economy roughly tripled in size.
D) U.S. Imports roughly tripled as compared to U.S. exports.
E) U.S. exports roughly tripled in size.

Question 13

The euro, a common currency for most of the nations of Western Europe, was introduced

A) before 1900.
B) before 1990.
C) before 2000.
D) in order to snub the pride of the U.S.
E) in order to fix currencies in terms of the U.S dollar.

Question 14

"Trade is generally harmful if there are large disparities between countries in wages."

A) This is generally true.
B) This is generally false.
C) Trade theory has nothing to say about this issue.
D) This is true if the trade partner ignores child labor laws.
E) This is true if the trade partner uses prison labor.

Question 15

A fundamental problem in international economics is how to produce

A) a perfect degree of monetary harmony.
B) an acceptable degree of harmony among the international trade policies of different countries.
C) a world government that can harmonize trade and monetary policies
D) a counter-cyclical monetary policy so that all countries will not be adversely affected by a financial crisis in one country.
E) a worldwide form of currency.

Question 16

Because the Constitution forbids restraints on interstate trade

A) the U.S. may not impose tariffs on imports from NAFTA countries.
B) the U.S. may not affect the international value of the $ U.S.
C) the U.S. may not put restraints on foreign investments in California if it involves a financial intermediary in New York State.
D) the U.S. may not impose export duties.
E) the U.S. may not disrupt commerce between Florida and Hawaii.

Question 17

Which of the following does NOT belong?

A) NAFTA
B) Uruguay Round
C) World Trade Organization
D) non-tariff barriers
E) major free trade agreements of the 1990s

Question 18

The benefits of international trade are derived from trade in

A) tangible goods only.
B) intangible goods only.
C) goods but not services.
D) services but not goods.
E) anything of value.

Question 19

An important insight of international trade theory is that when two countries engage in voluntary trade

A) one country always benefits at the expense of the other.
B) it is almost always beneficial to both countries.
C) it only benefits the low wage country.
D) it only benefits the high wage country.
E) it is almost never beneficial to both countries.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a major concern of international economic theory?

A) protectionism
B) the balance of payments
C) exchange rate determination
D) bilateral trade relations with China
E) the international capital market

Question 21

The international debt crisis of early 1982 was precipitated when ________ could not pay its international debts.

A) Russia
B) Mexico
C) Brazil
D) Malaysia
E) China

Question 22

Cost-benefit analysis of international trade

A) is basically useless.
B) is empirically intractable.
C) focuses attention primarily on conflicts of interest within countries.
D) focuses attention on conflicts of interest between countries.
E) never leads to government intervention in international trade.

Question 23

In 1998 an economic and financial crisis in South Korea caused it to experience

A) a surplus in their balance of payments.
B) a deficit in their balance of payments.
C) a balanced balance of payments.
D) an unbalanced balance of payments.
E) a lull in international trade.

Question 24

In 1999, demonstrators representing a mix of traditional and new ideologies disrupted a major international trade meeting in Seattle of

A) the OECD.
B) NAFTA.
C) the WTO.
D) GATT.
E) the G8.

Question 25

For almost 70 years international trade policies have been governed

A) by the World Trade Organization.
B) by the International Monetary Fund.
C) by the World.
D) by an international treaty known as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
E) by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Question 26

International monetary analysis focuses on

A) the real side of the international economy.
B) the international trade side of the international economy.
C) the international investment side of the international economy.
D) the issues of international cooperation between Central Banks.
E) the monetary side of the international economy, such as currency exchange.

Question 27

International Economists cannot discuss the effects of international trade or recommend changes in government policies toward trade with any confidence unless they know

A) their theory is the best available.
B) their theory is internally consistent.
C) their theory passes the "reasonable person" legal criteria.
D) their theory is good enough to explain the international trade that is actually observed.
E) their theory accounts for China's unique position in international trade.

Question 28

Trade theorists have proven that the gains from international trade

A) must raise the economic welfare of every country engaged in trade.
B) must raise the economic welfare of everyone in every country engaged in trade.
C) must harm owners of "specific" factors of production.
D) will always help "winners" by an amount exceeding the losses of "losers."
E) usually outweigh the benefits of protectionist policies.

Question 29

International capital markets experience a kind of risk not faced in domestic capital markets, namely

A) "economic meltdown" risk.
B) Flood and hurricane crisis risk.
C) the risk of unexpected downgrading of assets by Standard and Poor.
D) the risk of exchange rate fluctuations.
E) the risk of political upheaval.

Question 30

The international financial crisis of 2007 was the result of

A) failure of the Euro currency.
B) runaway inflation in the U.S.
C) a deep global recession.
D) the collapse of global currency markets.
E) defaults on U.S. mortgage-backed securities.

Question 31

The international capital market is

A) the place where you can rent earth moving equipment anywhere in the world.
B) a set of arrangements by which individuals and firms exchange money now for promises to pay in the future.
C) the arrangement where banks build up their capital by borrowing from the Central Bank.
D) the place where emerging economies accept capital invested by banks.
E) exclusively concerned with the debt crisis that ended in the 1990s.

Question 32

An improvement in a country's balance of payments means a decrease in its balance of payments deficit, or an increase in its surplus. In fact we know that a surplus in a balance of payments

A) is always beneficial.
B) is usually beneficial.
C) is never harmful.
D) is sometimes harmful.
E) is always harmful.

Question 33

International economics can be divided into two broad sub-fields

A) macro and micro.
B) developed and less developed.
C) monetary and barter.
D) international trade and international money.
E) static and dynamic.

Question 34

The GATT is

A) an international treaty.
B) an international U.N. agency.
C) an international IMF agency.
D) a U.S. government agency.
E) a collection of tariffs.

Question 35

Since 1994, trade rules have been enforced by

A) the WTO.
B) the G10.
C) the GATT.
D) The U.S. Congress.
E) the European Union.

Question 36

The distinction between international trade and international money is not entirely clear because

A) real developments in the trade accounts do not have monetary implications.
B) the balance of payments includes only real measures.
C) developments caused by purely monetary changes have no real effects.
D) trade models focus on real, or barter relationships.
E) most international trade involves monetary transactions.

Question 37

International trade theory implies that international trade is beneficial to all trading countries. However, casual observation leads to the conclusion that official obstruction of international trade flows is widespread. How might you reconcile these two facts?

Question 38

It is argued that if a rich high wage country such as the United States were to expand trade with a relatively poor and low wage country such as Mexico, then U.S. industry would migrate south, and U.S. wages would fall to the level of Mexico's. What do you think about this argument?

Question 39

How are the patterns of international trade, that is the pattern of what different countries export and import, explained?

Question 40

In September 2010, the finance minister of ________ declared that the world was "in the midst of an international currency war" because of rapid appreciation in the value of the country's currency, the ________.

A) England; pound sterling
B) Germany; euro
C) Japan; yen
D) China; renminbi
E) Brazil; Real